[Closed] The South is so much better than the North of England...

Beautiful cricket pitches everwhere - I play cricket here, where its been played since the 17th century

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EDIT: Wormsley is a particular favourite and you get a great view of it when cycing in the Chilterns.

I wonder how may Northerner's go South for great biking?

They would, if they knew how good some of it was. And, one suspects, if they weren't so burdened with fried potato products on their upper bodies.

People from the South go to the hotspots in the North like the Lakes and so on. As do people from other parts of the North. People don't come up from London to say, Rivington, do they? Or do they?

@molgrips - where's this GREAT mountain biking in the South....genuine question.

I wonder how may Northerner's go South for great biking?

I've heard some go for hilly hills.

You mean like all those flat moors in Devon, it's true that 25 miles on Exmoor is nothing like 25 miles in the lakes or the peak district, but being an open minded sort of chap I can enjoy the north as well as the south. Actually is it fairer to say the west of the UK has better biking than the east?

Well, I went for a lovely bike ride earlier, and it was glorious. Hardly a soul around, surrounded by green and nature in abundance, mostly dry and dusty trials, some nice food along the way, even found some new trails in an area I've been riding in across 3 decades. Altogether truly wonderful experience. One of those days you're really glad to be alive.

Enjoy what you've got, while you've got it.

local beer and icecream.

nowt wrong with Rebellion brewery & Beachdean ice cream nestling here in the sunny chilterns, mind you it looks like Beachdean have opened a production facility up north - no doubt to save on refrigeration costs

There's a [i]North[/i] of England?

As an inbred farmer, turned farmer, turned sheeperist, turned farmer where could I enjoy living up North? Where has the STW approved scrote to toff ratio, hilliest hills and more scenic cricket pitches than one can shake a willowy stick at?

I'll let Molgrips answer as he's the only one that knows the North and the South, especially hilly hills.

clodhopper
Every corner of this island has something amazing to offer.

binners
You have not been to Rochdale then?

It alright binners, Rochdale is nowhere near a corner.

It alright binners, Rochdale [s]is nowhere near a corner[/s] has a Greggs.

where could I enjoy living up North?

Yorkshire.

It is the predictable STW approved answer 😉

I wonder what % of STW members are from Yorkshire?

We live in Co Durham but have family in Scotland Surrey Stockport etc. My take is there are lovely people all over the place but don't pretend you have proper countryside down south. [b]It's all very Midsommer but all you really have is a strip of green belt between towns.[/b]

The South = Arsey.
The North = Moody and arsey.
The Midlands = Folk who just get on with life.

Signed, an Anglo-Yank who lived in the South most of his life, spent years in The North, the moved to the Midlands.

The North and The South spend too much time trying to be 'it', whilst The Midlands just gets on with things.

My take is there are lovely people all over the place but don't pretend you have proper countryside down south. It's all very Midsommer but all you really have is a strip of green belt between towns.

That's just not true. Yes, there are some places where the towns are close together; but there are up north too.

A part of the South:

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Those are the hilly hills then?

Are they actually really small or just very, very far away?

More South, look at all those towns:

[img] [/img]

Those are the hilly hills then?

Are they actually really small or just very, very far away?

No, those are not the Surrey Hills. Those hills are both small and very far away. I live in Wales, I know a hill when I see one.

Surrey Hills:

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

I'm not saying it's the best place on Earth, or that it's better than anywhere up North. I'm just trying to educate some of you who are talking total bollocks. There are hills, there is good riding, and there is plenty of countryside.

Elsewhere in the South:

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

Dreadful, overcrowded, flat...

Are they actually really small or just very, very far away?

😆

Dreadful, overcrowded, flat...

I was just going to say that, look at those people and where's the hills?

The Midlands just gets on with things.

When you've even failed to find somewhere nice to live you just have to make the most.

I would honestly rather live North or South than in the Midlands. Unless it's the far West Midlands, Shropshire, Herefordshire.. they're lovely.

Check out the eye-watering prices in the Drunken Duck

we (a civil engineers group that go twice a year and stay at low garth hall in little langdale) used to go there regularly and I remember trying to fit 21 people in that telephone room in the corner of one of the back rooms.

Nowadays we eat in the hut after the walks though - more female partners come along so things are more sedate...

People from the South go to the hotspots in the North like the Lakes and so on. As do people from other parts of the North. People don't come up from London to say, Rivington, do they? Or do they?

However does anyone from up north go down south to ride?

Does anyone from down south go up North

Which side gets most travel do you reckon?
I am going for the ones with the mountains rather than the Hills

TO me rivvy is like cannock - went for SSUK and it was good but if i had to drive for that length of time from here i could go to wales or th lakes or the dales or the peaks so i wont pick there.

I assume Surrey Hills sits in this area - you will love it if local but you wont travel that far for its gnar.

I dont think there is much debate - wales aside- that the north has the best MOUNTAIN bike riding as it has all the mountains

People from the North SHOULD go South for riding. They'd enjoy it. Many cracking days out to be had in the Surrey Hills, for example. If only for the interests of diversity.

Good lock with the new busness venture

Molly tours of surrey for Northerners

OT:POsted tomorrow sorry been bust

So that's it with the northerners.. narrow minded..!

I dont think there is much debate - wales aside- that the north has the best MOUNTAIN bike riding as it has all the mountains

Dartmoor wouldn't qualify as mountainous, but it's the best place to ride in England for my money (don't know that Scotlandshire). It's even quite sunny occasionally.

Molly, I travel for work and regularly-ish ride (in approximate order of ftequency) cannock, wales, scotchland, Chilterns, Shropshire, and van confirm there's good riding to be had in all, but Cumbria's better.

I am cutting a spoke each time you diss me so add spiteful to the list 😈

I am sure surrey is very pleasant but there are so much better options in the 250 miles between me and it that I wont ever be going.
I am sure they feel the same about Rivvy

nk there is much debate - wales aside- that the north has the best MOUNTAIN bike riding as it has all the mountains

Forgive my ignorance, but in the North of England, which of course excludes Scotland are their actually any mountains?

Also, I'd just like to say that every Northerner I've ridden with inWales has failed on the climbs, thus for me destroying the myth that Northerns have more hills and are better at climbing them than Southerns. That may be incorrect but it is 100% my experience.

Forgive my ignorance, but in the North of England, which of course excludes Scotland are their actually any mountains?

Well there's these:

[img] [/img]

I am sure surrey is very pleasant but there are so much better options in the 250 miles between me and it that I wont ever be going.

How would you know if they're better?

Forgive my ignorance, but in the North of England, which of course excludes Scotland are their actually any mountains?

Also, I'd just like to say that every Northerner I've ridden with inWales has failed on the climbs, thus for me destroying the myth that Northerns have more hills and are better at climbing them than Southerns. That may be incorrect but it is 100% my experience.

How would you know if they're better?

[url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mountains_of_the_British_Isles_by_relative_height ]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mountains_of_the_British_Isles_by_relative_height[/url]

I made a massive leap that mountains were better for mountain biking than hills.

The word 'mountain' in the name of the sport is pretty meaningless. If we were all French it wouldn't even apply since they don't call it mountain biking.

I was no more rude about there than where i ride so why did you say that?

I haven't been intending to be rude, so apologies if I have come across. But the point stands - prejudice is bad 🙂

Everyone moves to London please.

London is good.

London is the best place on earth so please go there.

There is nothing in the North.

YOU have not been rude and neither have i
I was as prejudiced about where i ride as the hills down there

It has some good bits but n one is driving half way across the country to ride there.

Bruneep as a measure of mountainness that's a bit like biggest Wang by pube trimmage

Having ridden there a couple of times, I would honestly recommend the Surrey Hills for a long weekend of riding.

South? Meh.
North? Meh.

The Long Mars, W 16,782,467 steps across is where it's gnar.

I'm in Shropshire on the Welsh border. Right in the middle of the divide.

I dont know where I belong.

However, I never go south for anything other than ikea in Walsall or unless it's in Wales.

Wales and the north is where it's at.

How many people claiming the south is crap for riding have actually ridden there?