[Closed] Preston

Good road biking, good access to Lakes and the NW of England for mountain biking.

Ah, DWP gig ?

Only 9 miles from where I live what is not to like 😉

not a bad city as such one hour ish to the lakes , rivvington near by, trough of Bowland near by as is Blackpool 😯
Some shitty areas, like anywhere really and some nice areas.
I would neither be excited nor put off by the prospect of living there

Anything specific you wish to know then e-mail

hope you had a nice holiday

DWP would more likely be Blackpool.

BAE are close by though.

DWP would more likely be Blackpool.

No, there's a huuuuge DWP programme going on at Preston.

Nice stuff around about, but Preston is a hole IMHO.

Edit: If I was working in Preston, I'd move to Kendal and commute by train (35 minutes) from Oxenhomle. Kendal rocks!

I'm up in Longridge - rolling hills of the Ribble Valley. Only 8 miles from Preston city centre too 🙂

In Longridge too, Preston isn't all that bad, good access to the Bowland fells and excellent road riding around here. If you're interested when you're in the area let me know and we can show you the sights on a bike 🙂

Plenty of nice places around it. God-aweful location for a night out in the centre as far as I can see. Been there a couple of times for a few reasons, didn't inspire.

Gravy at the chippy, but that might not be on the auld diet sheet...

I would neither be excited nor put off by the prospect of living there

I'm not going to live there, just work. No nights out or anything like that.

My main concerns are which bike I should bring, and how much of a lock I'll need to keep it secure 🙂 Would only be after work stuff as I'm home at weekends of course.

I live near there. An uninspiring place that has a bit of an identity crisis - it doesn't know what it's for any more.

But surrounding countryside is ace.

Road bike. Big lock.

I went to uni in Preston, they call it DePreston. Pretty crap place IMO - it not that it's that grim, it just doesn't really have anything to recommend it.

Not too far from the Lakes though I guess. Lancaster is much nicer (where I live of course 🙂 )

Used to live there. Not bad but isn't good either. Sort of a place where if you move away for UNI or work you don't move back. There are a few nice pubs for real ale (The Continental)and that but I'd avoid a "big night" out as well, it's pretty rubbish.

Riding is good, lots of stuff close by for a night/evening ride. Road as well as MTB, Gisburn is 40 minutes and Lee Quarry is about the same. Healy Nab and Rivington are close by to.

Bike locks. GET A MASSIVE ONE! Plenty of scallie ninja's around to help them selves to other peoples stuff.

When are you moving up here?

As it goes this year is a great year to be up in Preston as its the Preston Guild year so the whole city id getting behind it with loads of events going on. Main week of it is 1st week in September which will be busy.

I live in Grimsargh which is just the other (good) side of the M6 from preston out East.

Echo what other people say, nice and close for plenty of good mountain biking. Longridge fell, Grindleton Fell, Darwen Moor, Rivvi, and Lakes are just about an hour away.
Lots of Roadies about going out through the trough of bowland. Given the weather that we tend to get if you are wanting a quick evening ride then the roadie is a safer bet.

If your looking for digs I would recommend looking outside the centre, Its dead easy to get into by bike (even car isnt that bad) and the areas to live are much nicer.

If you want to know anything else email in profile.

Edit: Wo Wo Wo what wrong with a night out in Preston? Theres a lot of good real ale pubs in a small area so you dont have to trek to far between pints in the rain!

Agreed plenty of real pubs and they are generally in a close area. Yet there are plenty of fekk tards around to make it pretty eventful in a bad way. Generally a night out ends in a takeaway which is the only successful business on the high street.

Grew up there, not too bad but I didn't live in t'city itself, of which there are plenty of crap areas. Should be plenty of foreign students now as the university has taken over.

Nice suburbs, shouldn't be hard to find somewhere decent to live.

Crap for driving in and around, takes ages to get to the motorways from the western side.

Good chippys for lunches...

tarquin - Member
Crap for driving in and around, takes ages to get to the motorways from the western side.

That's what I was going to mention. Preston may *look* close to the motorway on a map, but it can be quite a drag to get to the centre or the docks area from the M6.

Looks like I will be starting tomorrow. I think I'll probably get a serviced apartment, there are a few of those listed.

Hopefully in the summer time I can get some nice evening rides in but I suppose later in the year it'll just be the training type stuff.

Molly - If you're taking a 'proper' bike, then we're regularly out in the week - Wednesdays or Thursdays within striking distance of Preston if you fancy getting out and about in the hills

I went to uni in Preston, they call it DePreston.

I went to uni in Preston, we used its old Roman name of Prestonitberaining.

I have a soft spot for Preston. In the early 90s at least it was a vibrant student town, and it served me well for a couple of years. Spent many a happy night in the New Brit and the, uh, some sort of dark bovine round the corner, Black Bull?

Blimey, didn't realise there were so many folk round here.

Live just outside, but work in the middle of De-Preston. Not the greatest town, and some of the locals are .... interesting.

Plenty of good road riding from the doorstep, and it's 40 mins to the Lakes or Gisburn.

If you can only bring one bike, I'd go for road bike tbh, but, yeah, bring a big lock.

If you ever get stuck for route advice then give me a shout.

Binners.. interesting.. how far is striking distance? May not have a car.

If you look on google maps at the satellite shot of preston, you'll see all the hills to the south. You've got Darwen Moor, Rivington and the West Pennine Moors within 10-12 miles.

If you've no car then Rivi would be the best bet. You could jump on the very regular trains from Preston to Horwich Parkway - journey time under 20 minutes - cost: a couple of quid return - and you're straight into the hills. I used to do that regularly from Manchester.

I'd be happy to show you around. Pending Lowey's permission of course. As you're no doubt aware, he owns all of Rivi. We're always out round there. Some cracking stuff. like the San Marino for example 😀

Yeah the black bull on Friargate? Still usually has a good few different beers on.

Mol, where abouts are you going to be working? Us locals might be able to help you out with suggestions for the more 'friendly' bits to live in that are easiest to go to.

Well I can only choose from a limited selection of places to live - it's normally hotels but there's a serviced apartment place I might try. most are in town I think.

I'd recommend Higher Penwortham, couple of miles from the city, far enough to avoid most of the scum.

Otherwise, Fulwood, Bamber Bridge, New Longton, Longton, Hutton, Grimsargh

Avoid Kingsfold, Moss Side, Avenham, Ashton, Ribbleton, IMO.

The apartments around Winkley Sq are nice and close to everything

[b]trailofdestruction[/b] Blimey, didn't realise there were so many folk round here.

Sounds like a "STW Prestonia Branch" needs to have a pub ride!

Another Prestonian here, again, living just to the north in Grimsargh.

I have to say, in it's defense, whilst the City centre has really suffered in recent years, in terms of quality of life, I can't think of a better place to live and work than its surrounds.

My business is based in Longridge, the gateway to the Ribble Valley, Forrest of Bowland, and some of the best road and mountain biking around without going to the Lakes.

I'll be out tonight, riding from the picture-postcard village of Chipping - where we meet every Tuesday - for a scenic ride over the fells into the Trough of Bowland.

I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

I was looking here

http://www.citybaseapartments.com/uk/preston-apartments.php

Shibboleth - if you don't mind, could you shoot me an email with some info about this?

I live in Longridge, and can see the Trough hills from our window 🙂

I agree it's a lovely place to live!

Shibboleth - now who would have thought there is 3 of us from here in Grimsargh alone, its tiny!

Are you out on roadie of mountain bike from chipping tonight?

[url= http://www.citybaseapartments.com/uk/preston/winckley-square-apartments.php? ]At risk of repeating, Winkley Sq is by far the nicest area to have an apartmement in Preston[/url]

Yes Chipping is delightful - superb road riding round there. But it's not Preston. 🙂

http://www.citybaseapartments.com/uk/preston-apartments.php

Based purely on that map, I'd concur with the Winkley Square suggestion. It's much, much nicer than up New Hall Lane.

Also,

I do believe I owe you a pint.

crispo - Member

Are you out on roadie of mountain bike from chipping tonight?

Mountain bikes tonight Crispo, though I do ride roadbikes.

Only moved back to Grimsargh last month (I lived there for 6 years but have spent the last 3 in Longridge), on Lindale now, whereabouts are you?

+1 for Yoshimi, Winckley Sq is really nice actually. Still staggering distance from the Continetal as well http://www.newcontinental.net/

"STW Preston Ride " ? Why not, sounds like a good excuse for [s]a few beers[/s] a bike ride round Rivi.

Anyone ?

Also,

I do believe I owe you a pint

You do? I probably owe you one as does most of STW for fixing their PCs.

That can be arranged 🙂

Oh btw are there any climbing walls around?

I'm just round the corner on the main road a couple of doors down from the Plough!

Thinking a STW preston ride sounds like a cracking plan!

Yeah Winckley Square is a nice option, handy for the train station and centre of town plus youre a couple of minutes from Avenham park so bring your running shoes as its great for jogging through there!

Oh btw are there any climbing walls around?

Yep there is one at West View Leisure centre.

How is best to arrange this 'STW Preston' group?

Are we all on Facebook? Any other suggestions?

If you're doing Rivi, are none Prestonians allowed to attend? 😉

Perhaps only those with a PR* postcode 😉

crispo - Member

I'm just round the corner on the main road a couple of doors down from the Plough!

Ah, the landlord is my next-door-but-one neighbour! It's a small world... 🙂

Yep, facebooker here, but there's better riding than Rivington... 😉

You do? I probably owe you one

I owe you a beer, and you owe me a beer. I'm liking how this is working out.

are there any climbing walls around?

West View Leisure Centre. It's not particularly stellar - it's a wall down the side of a bunch of badminton courts - but it's a fun little diversion.

There's a good few other great walls in the extended area (Warrington, Manchester), but I don't know how accessible they'd be on public transport.

And there's a good bouldering wall at Longridge - at the back of Dilworth Reservoir next to the holiday park...

Shibboleth - Member
And there's a good bouldering wall at Longridge - at the back of Dilworth Reservoir next to the holiday park...

It is a small world, my Fiances family live pretty much next door to that!

So where we thinking for the official Preston branch ride?

I'm thinking we have enough for an official Longridge branch 😉

As far as cafe's are concerned - can't get much better than The Old Station Cafe in Longridge.

For Pubs.... well, there's quite a few more options to choose from!

I'm just north of Blackburn in Wilpshire. Preston is on the flatlands of the Ribble estuary and the Fylde so going north or south you've got flat easy riding to seaside resorts like Southport and Blackpool although traffic can be heavy. Inland you're a few miles from Longridge and then Whalley, Clitheroe and further north, Chipping and Dunsop bridge and thence on via Slaidburn to Gisburn. All excellent road riding on empty roads with plenty of cafes and pubs. Riding in the Ribble valley / Bowland fells it's quite common to meet road clubs from the Fylde and as far away as Warrington out for a day trip to the empty roads and hills of this overlooked area.

If I was you I'd be looking for somewhere to live in or around Longridge. The north side of Preston, Fullwood, has big Victorian houses and lots of flats, I expect. Preston itself is a bit of a dump with the longest traffic light timings I've ever experienced. There's one shopping street with the usual selection of crap English provincial town stores, charidee shops and fast food joints.

Oh and you will be in the land of the very excellent Booths supermarkets, based in Preston. Many of them have great cafes and their beers are top notch. Look out for the local Bowland Breweries.

For mountain biking you should check out Bogtrotters.

My first choice would be a wild ride round the Trough, perhaps the Dunsop Death Ride (Ouster Rake) or Whitendale, Dunsop Fell and Beatrix Fell.

No Chorley Chavs in trackies and trainies cluttering up the place... 😉

Trough of Bowland - [b]definitely[/b] worth a visit if you enjoy driving too.

Took our TT for a 'test drive' around it...... mid week in December.... saw ONE other car! 😯

Preston itself is a bit of a dump with the longest traffic light timings I've ever experienced. There's one shopping street with the usual selection of crap English provincial town stores, charidee shops and fast food joints

Absolutely spot on in every way. Like all cities there are some nice bits around the outside, and the location is pot on for mtb'ing and road biking. There's no way I would have stayed here five years if it wasn't!

There's also a lot of people from STW that live in and around it if you wanted to get out for rides with people (me included).

I've never actually ridden Dunsop fell and whitendale etc, i've heard its some what boggy unless theres a long period of dry weather. Ive always wanted to try it though. Can always stop in the Whitewell for a decent (if somewhat pricey) pint on the way back past!

Have done chipping over to Hareden and back through dunsop and back across burholme bridge and thats alright.

We could set up a longridge branch, there seems to be a few people from that way.

Longridge ride would have to start/end from Corporation arms and go up the fell, mess about, down to Hurst green, down to the river and along through Marles wood and back up from Ribchester, that a regular of mine.

Longridge ride would have to start/end from Corporation arms and go up the fell, mess about, down to Hurst green, down to the river and along through Marles wood and back up from Ribchester, that a regular of mine.

We do that ride but we follow the Ribble from Rib to Hothersall and then back up Hothersall Lane to the Corpy Arms. Or, you can extend it further on Bridleways and end up down Alston Lane, come back up through the Alston/Longridge ressies and up Chapel Brow.

Yep, the fells round the Trough are like a sponge when it's been raining, and there's a lot of hike-a-bike if you do Dunsop Fell. But the descent down Beatrix Fell is one of the best "wild" descents in the area.

Perhaps only those with a PR* postcode

What about people from Lancaster that just slagged off Preston? 🙂

You can come, but the first round is on you 😛

So, then, road or mtb, when and where ?

Well I dont have a road bike so if you do road I will be very slow......

I'd be very slow irrespective of bike.

We're off down Ouster Rake tonight 0_o

Which is ouster rake?

Head up the bridleway that's off the trough road (Next to the barn) then about 2 miles up head down the narrow techy decent with the steep drop of a few hundred feet down the left. It drops into Dunsop Valley.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=365500&y=450500&z=120&sv=dunsop+bridge&st=3&tl=Map+of+Dunsop+Bridge,+Lancashire+ [City/Town/Village]&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf

North of Dunsop Bridge Look for the track at the side of Whin Fell.

[b]@ Cougar[/b] Perhaps we could investigate which pubs would be good for stopping at? Tough job, but someone has to do it... 😀

That Whin Fell down to Brennand Farm?

http://www.pedalnorth.com/content/hareden-and-ouster-rake

In the pic they're going the wrong way!

@crispo Yep

@ Cougar Perhaps we could investigate which pubs would be good for stopping at? Tough job, but someone has to do it...

At the very least, after that sort of trauma the rest should buy us a drink to say thank you...

Well, there are more pizza/kebab/burger/fried chicken joints in Preston than just about anywhere else I've been.

Any of you locals know a good place to swim? I see there are two public pools, which is better?

Pools? Pfft! Bloody southerners!! You're surrounded by quarries, you big jessie

The women are better at Fulwood Leisure Centre. But the water is wetter at West View.

the water is wetter at West View.

West View Leisure Centre also has a climbing wall (as previously discussed IIRC).

you'll surrounded by Bog Trotters!

That'll be the kebabs.

Have you started doing a nightly comparison scale for the kebab houses? If not, why not? You could publish a guide for other recent immigrants, stray southerners and refugees 😉

Oh... and if you've bought a bike with you, we're out tomorrow fella

How did I miss this thread?

Yet another Grimsargh resident here (think that's 4 of us so far?).

Plenty of regular week-night rides in the area:
I've been saying I'll join one of Shiboleth's [b]Tuesday[/b] night rides for ages but never got around to it (currently climbing most Tuesday nights at West View).

Boggies southern chapter do [b]Wednesday[/b] nights at 7pm. Bit further afield this week though in search of somewhere weather-resistant, Gisburn Forest.

Also occasionally riding [b]Thursday[/b] nights with yet another group.

Thanks binners. I have bought a bike with me - an Alivio equipped hybrid. I fear I may slow you down a tad 🙂

I might bring my climbing shoes if it's worth it, but then again I'm supposed to be triathlon training really.

you have never ridden with Binners then

How about this Prestonian STW ride then?
Nightride?
Rivington?

How does next Wednesday 11th July sound?