[Closed] Why do people think Southern England riding is crap?

I'm a Northerner and I don't think that.

Of course, I'm probably the only one who can afford to drive down South and see for myself.

As a northerner living in Reading I'd take southern singletrack over northern 4x4/cart tracks any day of the week.

Maybe one day I'll get bored of being able to do 20+ miles almost entirely on singletrack, but untill then I'm happy.

The ridings ok. Its the people that/who wind me up.

To be fair, you wouldn't get me north of Watford for all the tea in Yorkshire, so it probably goes both ways 🙂

I enjoyed the quantocks very much.

However the quantity of riding compared to the north is poor - so while there might be quality spots the quantity is poor meaning you have to go a long way to find the quality.

Its also different - very much smaller scale.

dunno why. I think half the time they've not actually been down here and the other half of the time its old north vs south stuff.

I think it's not everyone, and the ones that do are just blinkered and think small hills, no mountains = crap riding and easy riding.

Which simply isn't true, we all know that!

Of course, I'm probably the only one who can afford to drive down South and see for myself

were you tasked with bringing back new technology for your village?

it really is crap, you know.

now if everyone could stop riding it I'll just get on with enjoying it by myself.

However the quantity of riding compared to the north is poor - so while there might be quality spots the quantity is poor meaning you have to go a long way to find the quality.

I might start an argument about that. As I remember I was borrowing your brick wall? 😉

You're wrong, by the way. It's not worse, it's just different.

i like to think it's crap.
being northern it makes me feel better about myself.

They're just jealous of us southerners having a greater density of pubs in the good riding areas.

It's all to do with the lack of indeginous ferrets down here, that and the fact that your notherner likes a good strong wind and barren landscape to ride in, preferably in sight of a disused mine.

If the rain can be coming in sideways having blown in from the north sea then so much the better.

I think there should be a distinction between the south and the south-west....

I think there should be a distinction between the south and the south-west....

Cider? 😉

[i]were you tasked with bringing back new technology for your village? [/i]

A phonogram!

opposable thumbs...

[i]I think there should be a distinction between the south and the south-west....[/i]

or number of toes 😉

There are less options for long routes (without ultra complicated navigation resulting in spending as much time looking at maps than riding!) it more pockets of some trails in woods. That's my personal experience anyway. Most of the places i've ridden in the south are fun but it more like going to a skatpark rather than riding somewhere. Dartmoor is very good though and less like that in my limited experience.

I don't think the riding is crap in the South just a bit over-crowded for my liking
My head office is in Guildford so I get to ride from Peaslake etc. quite a bit & quite enjoy it
I enjoy the solitude of the hills & at home I can go out riding in the Dales & not see another soul all day, not something I can imagine happening at Holmbury

i think joolsburger may have it.

I think there should be a distinction between the south and the south-west....

There is. The South-West is known as the South-West, and the South is known as the South.

The South being the bit east of say Wiltshire.

I think North downs is ace, although navigation is difficult. But I love the fact that it's all different. We'd be worse off if the riding was the same all over the UK, I am sure.

I hear that some areas of the north are still black & white?

I don't think the riding is crap in the South just a bit over-crowded for my liking

Naaa, only Swinley, Surrey hills etc. Find some 'natural' riding i.e. something with a lack of corners, jumps or other trail features, like the chilterns and its as empty as any yorkshire moor.

[i]not something I can imagine happening at Holmbury [/i]

...at the weekend.

Was out yesterday morning/midday on Holmbury, Ranmore and Leith and genuinely didn't see one other rider.

The South is full of awesome trails, too many to list. I wouldn't change my location for anything.

I ride around Reading/Newbury and there is loads of wicked single track. Lots of which are sweet wooded trails. it's awesome at the mo with all this dry weather 😉

can't really stand anyone complaining etc, they're just not looking hard enough.

I hear that some areas of the north are still black & white?

LOL! 😀

(I should point out that I can sit squarely on the fence here, being a Midlander. 🙂 )

Blimey, some bizarre comments. TJ you're just wrong, ok? Leave it don't argue, youre talking shit. I can ride for hours in the chilterns and not meet a soul, happens more often than not.

I always thoguht the riding was poor and the hills small before I moved down south to brighton from huddersfield where I grew up.

Now, I think all types of riding that I do are perfectly served by the south east, and the riding I've don in recent times in Yorkshire hasn't been up to much, but I suppose its all just different, and you become fond of what you know best.

Warmer down here too.

We all know The North Wins EVERYTIME. FACT! 😆

I’m not sure I’ve ever had anyone seriously suggest that one area of the country is “better” for mountain biking, perhaps as a joke or in passing…
Of course as we all know the East Anglia area is shite, simply too flat and dull, but just about everywhere else has some hills, and thus some reasonable riding….

I’m sure there’s some grizzled old Yorkshire men who simply despise the south and all it stands for likewise some Cornish fella who can’t stand all the northern monkeys, personally I find I get on with most people regardless of their regional origins…

Most of the country can unite in it’s hatred of Londoners though; mostly useless gits hoovering up resources, Bumping up the cost of housing, generally achieving nothing but doing so in the most costly and “fashionable” way possible… But London isn't the "Proper" south anyway...

The midlands is worse, especially warwick, I think there's about 3 bridleways tops, I'd love the Crappy south riding on my doorstep

Black and White? I'd kill for black and white. They've got it easy. It's just black here.

I have the Malverns on my doorstep. Not that challenging but still good to ride on a day to day basis. And its an hour to Cwmcarn.

I hear that some areas of the north are still black & white?

Sepia for that bit west of the Pennines

the North, now;

[img] [/img]

(I should point out that I can sit squarely on the fence here, being a Midlander. )

Midlander - There can be only one...

Midlander - There can be only one...

8)

Of course as we all know the East Anglia area is shite, simply too flat and dull, but just about everywhere else has some hills, and thus some reasonable riding….

Probably just been trolled, but Thetford is a giggle.. not sure I'd want it as my local riding, but real fun nonetheless.

(I should point out that I can sit squarely on the fence here, being a Midlander. )

Do ducks sit on fences?

I live very close to the Devils Punch Bowl and Hindhead hills. We did a 10 mile loop on Sunday afternoon and, apart from the 500m of trails around the Hindhead cafe car park, we didn't see another living soul.

People in the South East drive to a well known spot, park up, pull the bikes/kids/dogs out the back of the car and go no more than 500m in any direction. If you're prepared to buy a 1:25000 OS map and park somewhere different, you can ride XC all day almost entirely alone.

Surrey Hills singletrack is ace. It's a great playground. But it's not a wide area and I can't find anything else of that quality close enough to London for a day ride. Swinley's ok but it's still a big playground rather than 'outdoors' riding.
I've ridden Surrey Hills most weekends for 5 years and tbh I've got bored. I seem to have found all the good stuff and it gets boring riding the same stuff every weekend. I find the Lakes and Peaks so much more technically challenging and what I would call a 'proper outdoor' experience which is something I like about mountain biking.
I've actually just got a new job - in Manchester - specifically because it's easy to get to N Wales, Peaks and Lakes at the weekends....

I still struggle with the fact that Sourthen chippys do not provide gravy to go with chips.

Chips and gravy is quite possibly the best thing to come out of the North, we're missing a trick there.

BR there is so much more than Leith, Pitch and Holmbury round there.

yorkshire is "gods own country" apparently. i almost live there and find that attitude quite irritating. i'm sure theres good riding to be had in the south but i don't want to drive 4 hours to find it.