Don't think we've had one of these for a while... my job being mainly remote means I can live basically anywhere in the UK, so am considering a bit of a change.
Key considerations are being able to ride from the door to relatively decent mountain biking, and not terrible access to London for when I have to visit there for work (every few weeks, generally for a few days at a time, so longer journeys are fine). Ideally somewhere with a decent biking community, I'd be keen to get involved in local trail building etc. And somewhere that feels pretty safe / not constantly worried whether the bikes are still going to be there in the morning.
Current thought is Innerleithen (fly from Edinburgh or train from Berwick to London), anywhere else come to mind?
Todmorden - some sort of biking stuff happens there - apparently.
Kendal would be a good option . Edge of the lakes, decent town and oxenholme station is on the west coast main line.
Peaks side of Sheffield also works. Whirlow area is great for local trails and access to the wider peaks.
Eastern side of Sheffield. Ticks all those boxes.
In the tradition of 'recommend where you live' - New Mills/Disley/Whaley Bridge area.
- Ride the Peak from the door and a large riding community
- Train to London from Macclesfield or Stockport is great, you can be on be train at about half six in the morning and into Euston at half eight. 100mb broadband on the train and they're modern, comfy and quiet.
- Regular trains into Manchester for big city stuff if that's your thing
- Loads of excellent pubs
Buy a big camper van, fit wireless, load it up and hit the roads as a free man....
West side of Sheffield or out into the Peak
Kendal (less good weather)
Buy a big camper van, fit wireless, load it up and hit the roads as a free man....
I did this and do not regret it.
Although the UK is not the most hashtagvanlife friendly.
South east Wales?
Everyone's going to recommend where they live but the riding and trail building scene around Cardiff is pretty good. Go on the Strava global heatmap, select MTB as the sport and look at all the dense squiggly patches. Those are where the locals have built trails. For local trail building you need elevation, steep slopes and forestry without NIMBYs, and SE Wales has an abundance of all that. And it's 1h50 to London on the train or 2hrs by car.
Wylie, Barry Sidings, Risca are all 20 mins away or even rideable if you're up for it. I can ride to Wylie or Risca from my house - although it takes well over an hour, it's good singletrack and woodsy riding to get there. It's less good for road riding, to be fair, but the gravel is good. And there are plenty of closer spots just outside the city with loads of good riding.
Buy a big camper van, fit wireless, load it up and hit the roads as a free man....
Thats actually part of the plan... a cheap flat/base and then a decent van with Starlink!
I know it doesn’t bother some people, but for the climate impact reasons, planning in a regular flight would not be something I would want to do if I could avoid it.
I do agree with this, hence preferring the train option
Sheffield is an interesting one, and I had looked but there have been a few threads here recently about solo riding and concerns about safety - is it really that bad?
What is the riding like on the west side of the Peak? Whaley bridge etc?
SE Wales also a consideration, the riding there is great, already ride FOD/BPW/Barrys/Risca pretty regularly. Again, some less than desirable areas but I guess just need to pick carefully (can probably be applied to almost anywhere)
Eastern side of Sheffield. Ticks all those boxes.
I meant west….! I really should learn the points of the compass.
Sheffield is an interesting one, and I had looked but there have been a few threads here recently about solo riding and concerns about safety - is it really that bad?
I think the risk is overstated. Yes there have been some issues up at Grenoside but it’s nigh on suburban and near some of the rougher parts of the city. I’ve lived west Sheffield all my life and never had a single issue. The most bother you get is from grumpy walkers.
Again, some less than desirable areas
Yeah, lots of those in SE Wales. To be honest, even though I'm not a city person I would rather live in Cardiff, it has some nice suburbs that are pretty close to the city centre (and train), as in walkable. Not many cities have nice parts near the city centre. And you can ride out to the woods on a big long cyclepath.
If you don't want your bikes to get robbed I wouldn't live anywhere with a 'scene', just seems the obvious place to pinch them all from. What sort of general weather do you want? I ended up ruling out most of Scotland just because the winters are too harsh for my nesh skin.
Kendal would be a good option . Edge of the lakes, decent town and oxenholme station is on the west coast main line.
Second that, I've always wanted to live there.
Another option nearby is Lancaster. West Coast mainline so easy access to London and while it's a 30 min drive up the motorway (or one of the Northern services from Lancaster up to Kendal / Windermere / Grange), it's still easy access to South Lakes - bit further up to Keswick obviously. Also means you miss the summer tourist traffic queues from the M6 past Kendal and on up to Windermere.
What is the riding like on the west side of the Peak? Whaley bridge etc?
For 'classic Peaks riding', i.e actually covering some miles with climbs and descents along the way, it's excellent. Really easy to get to Hayfield, either by canal and old railway line or actual 'off road' routes, and from Hayfield you're over the top to Edale. Or your stick your bike on a train/in the car and head over to Edale/Hathersage etc and ride lots of classic Peaks stuff from there.
Plus lots of more local riding too; Mellor, Rowarth, Chimney Churn, Goyt Valley etc.
For 'winch and plummet', if that's your bag, maybe not so much, but then it's not my bag so if it is here I wouldn't know it.
Everyone's going to recommend where they live
I'm not, it's shit!
Another option nearby is Lancaster
Daughter has just started at Lancaster uni, and while I'm not sure what the MTB is like from the door, it is very easy to get to some lovely places. And London.
Riding from the door is pretty limited in Lancaster.
As above - peak district side of Sheffield. Peak district side of Manchester.
Maybe in the actual peak district close to the Sheffield to Manchester train line (eg hope)
Nicer bits of West Yorkshire also worth a look- great riding around here too.
North Yorkshire close to transport links (Thirsk?)
South lakes is good.
But so is north manc. Rammy, rivy etc. Not far to northwales, the lakes or yorkshire.
Im sw scotland its too far out for you but its quiet which suits.
What about northumberland too?
Anywhere south and west of Bristol.
I don't even live in the UK anymore, haha, but if I had to move back there - this would be the only region I'd even consider. Squint your eyes enough and it might just make a believable alternative to NZ, but only barely..
The only trouble is, every other bugger wants to live there, oh and there are no jobs. But that does not seem to be your problem.
Everywhere else is too wet, too cold, too far away from lovely beaches and too full of people (who are often fairly unpleasant and miserable), for me.
Alternatively, I still own a lovely house in Aberystwyth you could buy.
Everyone's going to recommend where they live
On the contrary..... I'm going to provide a bit of balance to what Simon says:
What is the riding like on the west side of the Peak? Whaley bridge etc?
For 'classic Peaks riding', i.e actually covering some miles with climbs and descents along the way, it's excellent. Really easy to get to Hayfield, either by canal and old railway line or actual 'off road' routes, and from Hayfield you're over the top to Edale. Or your stick your bike on a train/in the car and head over to Edale/Hathersage etc and ride lots of classic Peaks stuff from there.
Hmmm yeah.
Cards on the table. Where simon lives is infinitely better that where I live on the Cheshire plains, but we end up on many of the same trails.
I think peak riding is vastly overrated compared to excellent places like the lakes. It's got loads of pleasant rides, but there's huge amounts of tarmac involved, loads of gates, and most importantly of all..... vanishingly little challenging legal riding.
If you're not after techie gnarr then go for it, but if you're after testing trails then it lacks
Just to qualify the above. I don't vastly disagree with Simon. I'd perhaps change it to
For 'classic Peaks mellow XC riding', i.e actually covering some miles with climbs and descents along the way, it's pretty excellent
They're testing enough for me 🙂
I think mellow is underselling it a little (I'm not sure anyone would describe Cavedale as mellow) but it's not 'big' riding like the Lakes though, sure. But then a lot of the 'big' Lakes routes are out of my skill/fitness league anyway.
Different horses for different strokes, innit.
vanishingly little challenging legal riding
But what about the abundant challenging but not exactly legal riding?
And what about the riding which is still excellent but not too challenging? That's still worthwhile!
(I'm including some stuff close to, but not actually in the peak district here, as well as some stuff that is in the actual peak)
If remote working was a thing when we were trying to find a place to locate ourselves for family life then I'd quite fancy Hathersage as a rather nice spot, West of Sheffield. Had a few walking trips up there with friends in the last several years so can't comment on the riding but it's a cracking village with great access to moors and crags. Must be some biking around. We drove up but I'm led to believe it's on the train line between Sheffield (20 minutes) and Manchester (40 minutes) so access to London is possible.
Hmmm yeah.
Readinh this again it looks like I'm being sarcastic/ taking the piss. That wasn't my intention. I was trying to mainly agree with Simon but not completely.
Different horses for different strokes, innit
Yep deffo. I'm just chucking a slightly differing viewpoint into the mix in case the OP either
- Has a wife who refuses to ride footpaths or
- Really likes rocky gnadgery tech
But what about the abundant challenging but not exactly legal riding?
Yep. If you're into loamy steep forest trails winch and plummet stuff then there's a fair bit of that. I just prefer rocky gnadgery tech
And what about the riding which is still excellent but not too challenging? That's still worthwhile!
Yep. Agreed. I've done loads of great rides in the peak. But almost none of the truly mind blowingly good.stuff has been there.
I'll say again, it's pretty good at what it does. But it's not amazing.
I'd quite fancy Hathersage as a rather nice spot, West of Sheffield. Had a few walking trips up there with friends in the last several years so can't comment on the riding but it's a cracking village
It’s a great place to live, I rented there for about 7 years and really enjoyed it as it’s got everything you need without having to get in a car. But, there isn’t actually much great riding straight out of the door, you’ve got to ride along to Hope or up to Stanage for that really. And be prepared to pay a lot for the property as it attracts a lot of cash buying retirees so it’s very hard to get something without a fight (trust me, been there, gave up). Oh and you’ll definitely need allocated parking as any on street is at a massive premium and in the summer it’s chaotic.
Having said all of that, I’d still move back given half a chance,
I love Hathersage, but for the reasons above, not sure I'd want to live there. Or in much of the Peak, tbh.
@tomnavman...do you have a specific budget? Some of the suggestions have rather salty prices. (Obviously that's relative..to where you're moving from)
Another 'where you live' recommendation.
I travel to London or Southampton area most months at the moment, rest of UK regularly. Trains from Scotland are long in duration and (west coast particularly) be flakey. That said, I'm door to London while working in relative comfort in around 6 hours. I sometimes travel down at end of day and stop just short of London for the night (cheaper and nicer hotels) and just hop in the following morning. I do fly on occasion, and the wee propellor planes are not as polluting as the bigger jets even on short runs.
I live in Dunblane, about to move into Stirling, regular office at the University in Bridge of Allan. The riding is immense and there is a strong local social scene and trail building. It's a safe, green, well resourced place, great schools, all the shops you need, decent cultural stuff going on. You're also able to access a lot of places 'up north' for mountains and rinding. Aviemore, Oban, Braemar all under or around 2hrs. Hebrides one weekend, Golfie the next, padding the Spey the next is very doable.
We recently considered leaving with my new job and mrs_oab retired/ill, but life here is too good.
Depending if the riding suits the either East of Thirsk/Northallerton for riding straight up onto the NYM or on the West side for heading to the Dales.
Direct trains from both to London and at least 2 an hour if you change at York.
For weekends York or Newcastle are a short train ride and direct to Leeds or Manchester if you want city, the Moors and Dales are on the doorstep (although you may want to drive to ride some of the time) and the Lakes is only about and hour and a half in the car.
I know a few people who live in the area for this combination of transport links and outdoors.
Probably here - Curbar, Derbyshire/Peak. I have no desire to move far from the area I'm in. Furthest I'd go would be the Whirlow/Totley side of Sheffield.
Can anyone lend me £1.7mill?
East/West Sussex near to the South Downs! Miles and miles of intertwined bridleways and woodland singletrack heaven at both Friston Forest and Stanmer. Loads of mtb 'built' singletrack but low key and no woodwork as its tolerated rather than official.
I can ride out my house and have over 70km of scenic/elevated bridleways without crossing a road of any type, and thats not including byways, lanes, footpaths or just plain cheeky bits. (I went and rode them all in one go during covid, 85km with minimal overlapping, and 1700m of ascent) And in both directions there is a 100's of km's more just by crossing a road...I don't know why I haven't done 'all the bridleways without crossing a road' to the East and West yet) Loads of nice road riding too, although being in the hectic south east the lanes can get a bit busy as rat runs during rush hour.
Bearbones bikepacking had an 'event' during covid where you got paired up virtually and planned a route for someone else in their area. I got someone in the Peaks, and was struck by how limited the legit/mapped routes were, when I ride I can do countless variations, I only have one 'regular' route which is a shorter night ride that I can fit in between work and dinner.
And good train/road links to London and London Airports.
I got someone in the Peaks, and was struck by how limited the legit/mapped routes were
I think it depends which area of the Peak, and there is a local knowledge aspect - there's quite a bit of footpath riding, which no-one really GAS about (apart from Alex's wife 🙂 )
As for Hathersage and, indeed, most of the Hope Valley - nice places to visit but wouldn't want to live there, as they're nice places to visit so get lots of visitors...
Probably here - Curbar, Derbyshire/Peak. I have no desire to move far from the area I'm in. Furthest I'd go would be the Whirlow/Totley side of Sheffield.
Can anyone lend me £1.7mill?
Curbar is lovely (I ride through it regularly on my commute) but there is bugger all there. No shops, cafes, pubs, public transport, nothing. It's a collection of (very nice) houses and some nice views, I'm sure it's a lovely community and all that but there's a hell of a trek to go anywhere useful.
As for Hathersage and, indeed, most of the Hope Valley - nice places to visit but wouldn't want to live there, as they're nice places to visit so get lots of visitors...
Yep, anywhere along that sort of corridor is just a tourist village, next door to some bigger tourist attractions like Fairholmes, Eyam, & Chatsworth.
In the tradition of 'recommend where you live' - New Mills/Disley/Whaley Bridge area.
I liked living in Glossop a lot. All the stuff around Hayfield/New Mills is accessible from there, but its also easy to head out in the Longdendale direction, Holme Moss etc, which is great if you like road/gravel riding / Cut Gate etc. Plus Ladybower is a short-ish drive away over the Snake. It's 30 minutes into town on reliable trains. Plenty of half decent pubs, restaurants, shops etc.
People get animated by the traffic, but it's only an issue if you insist on driving in and out of the place in the to and from Manchester direction, if you want to head out into the Peak or down to London via Chesterfield and the M1, it's fine. Or train into Manchester then down to London by rail.
The plus point over somewhere like Innerleithen is easy access to a large city with culture, shops etc if that's a consideration. I think the riding's better on this side of the Peak compared to the Sheffield edge - the rock climbing is the other way round. It works for me, particularly if you throw in footpath tech, but if you want proper mountains then the Lakes is better.
Downsides? It rains quite a lot being in the rain shadow of the Pennines. People who drive through Glossop from Manchester en route to the Peak District whinge about the traffic, heads up, you ARE the traffic. There are a lot of hills, so you'd better like climbing.
As per IHN, I wouldn't particularly want to live in the centre of the Peak District, it's hideously over-touristed in the summer and increasingly year-round at weekends and other than riding bikes, climbing - when it's not raining - or walking up hills, there's not much else to do. Tbf, I have a mate who lives in Hathersage and he loves it there, proper local community.
I think peak riding is vastly overrated compared to excellent places like the lakes. It's got loads of pleasant rides, but there's huge amounts of tarmac involved, loads of gates, and most importantly of all..... vanishingly little challenging legal riding.
You can bypass most of, it not quite all, of the tarmac tbf, I can do a pretty big 90km route out of my front door with barely any metalled road surface at all. Been putting routes together in my head for when the dog is old enough to run with me on the mountain bike - next summer basically 🙂 I'm also increasingly not bothered about the legality of trails and neither is anyone else I meet except the odd militant old skool fell runner.
It's not the Lakes, but then I don't really want to live in that particular overpriced, tourist-infested hell hole. Quite happy to visit and ride there occasionally and just appreciate that it's different and special in its own way.
I liked living in Glossop a lot.
Yeah, I should have added Glossop to my list (plus, I guess to a lesser extent, Chapel-ELF and Chinley)
Yeah, I should have added Glossop to my list
Glossop is just a traffic sewer and it's going to get twice as bad when that new Mottram bypass is completed.
Depending if the riding suits the either East of Thirsk/Northallerton for riding straight up onto the NYM or on the West side for heading to the Dales.
Direct trains from both to London and at least 2 an hour if you change at York.
For weekends York or Newcastle are a short train ride and direct to Leeds or Manchester if you want city, the Moors and Dales are on the doorstep (although you may want to drive to ride some of the time) and the Lakes is only about and hour and a half in the car.
I know a few people who live in the area for this combination of transport links and outdoors.
Good suggestion. There is a LOT of riding on that part of the western edge of the Moors with everything from rolling XC rides, gravel epics and amazing tech stuff and like you say, its a very short car journey into the Dales in the opposite direction, Hamsterley is a short drive north etc. I'm a bit further south in York and if you look at it holistically from all aspects, its a flippin ace place to live. The city itself is small but has everything going for it from tourist stuff to climbing walls to a massive sports scene to ace pubs and places to eat and some amazing places to live. Road/gravel from the doorstep is great too with Dalby/Yearsley/Sutton Bank/Helmsley etc all little more than 30 minutes away in the car. And as you say, direct 2 hour trains are as regular as clockwork from York.
I've previously lived in Halifax. For riding from the doorstep its off the scale. Direct trains to London via Grand Central albeit slow and nowhere near as regular as being on the East Coast or West Coast mainlines. Cheap housing but if I was looking in that area again I'd be looking at some of the villages between Halifax and the M62 - Barkisland, Stainland, Greetland etc.
If riding is important to you, I'd prioritise somewhere with good local trails where you'll meet people and be able to get involved with a riding and building community. Most places in England and Wales have a tolerable commute to London if you're not having to do it too regularly.
I'm not sure how Dunkeld would work for commuting, but somewhere that direction would appeal if possible. I'm not sure what Innerleithen would be like as a place to live, but I could certainly cope with those trails on my doorstep and there's a very active scene round there.
A couple of shouts for Kendal above so I'll add my comments as someone who moved there having been in a similar position to you. It's ok, but I'm not convinced it was the best choice.
Pros:
Hourly London trains (from Oxenholme - 15 mins ride). Close to the Lakes - a summer's evening getting into the Lakes after work is what swayed it for me and there's loads of footpaths and nice walks from town.
Lots of remote workers and a few good cafes (and a dedicated remote working cafe was due to open this year but not sure if still happening).
A couple of pubs and breweries that do regular pop up events. Good climbing wall and decent gyms. Seems to be a strong roadie scene.
There has been a few targeted bike thefts but on the whole I'd consider it a safe place.
Cons:
I think people expect it to be good riding to so proximity to Lakes but there's zero MTB from the door. There is a couple of good spots in reasonable driving distance but attitude from Forestry towards the trails wouldn't give me any confidence they'll be there long term. No decent bike shop, pump track or riding scene (although there are good shops elsewhere in Cumbria and some Lakes based groups). It's still best part of an hour's drive to proper Lakes riding and nearly 3 hours for Inners or Revs.
Avanti west coast line is awful. No internet. Peak times are packed and train home is regularly delayed/cancelled/stops unexpectedly at Preston. Morning train to London is generally reliable but eye wateringly expensive.
Housing is expensive and good ones (garage, parking and doesn't flood) are few and far between.
Nightlife has deteriorated - there's no pub music scene and Arts Centre seems to be nothing but folk nights now. Very few good pubs and options for eating out are pretty limited.
I think the riding's better on this side of the Peak compared to the Sheffield edge - the rock climbing is the other way round.
That's interesting. I totally agree on the rock climbing front, but had assumed/concluded that biking was also better east. That view was pretty much based on the stuff at Stanage/ Burbage so not comprehensive by any means.
Got any route suggestions to educate me?
If the weather was better, I'd say North Wales, express train Chester to Euston is ~2.5 hours. Lovely and rural away from the coast.
Petersfield area near Hampshire/West Sussex border gives you options like nice tarmac lanes/hills; Rogate and South Downs to name a few.
I work fully remote, and was in a similar position last year in terms of assessing where to move to, me and the mrs spent a lot of weekends away visiting areas and sussing them out, from the Scottish borders to Wrexham and we had a fair few demands:
Reasonable travelling distance to an NHS trust as my wifes a nurse, not too far from a train station meaning easy travel to bristol, birmingham and edinburgh for me when having to go to company meet ups, good mountain biking, good hiking, good dog walks. Wanted a village location with a few pubs, local shops, bakery or butchers, good community feel, wanted to avoid paying location tax IE you're paying 150k+ extra just because its a popular (tourist/holiday home) location, the house had to have a big garden, double garage or a workshop and at least 4 bed or 3 bed with space for a dedicated office.
We ended up staying exactly where we were already living lol, just moved to our ideal house within the same village, we're 200 meters from the beach, good local riding from the front door, 10 minute drive to Guisborough, North Yorkshire moors on our doorstep, Hamsterley, Dalby for about an hours drive with the bike in the boot. Not too far from big cities and other places of interest Leeds, Newcastle, York, Lakes District all circa 1-1.5hr drive away, train from the village to Darlington and connecting trains to everywhere else, 7k people in the village and 13 pubs, coffe shops, eateries, butchers, bakers, fish n chips, supermarket etc, we realised everything we were looking for we already had so just bought our ideal house here, the village is called Marske-By-The-Sea, on the N. Yorkshire coast not too far from Whitby.
Would I love to be closer to Scotland or Wales, absolutely. But my wife tells me there has to be some compromises somewhere, at least if I want the choice of a day trip the lakes is doable, but if I want to go further Fort Bill or Bike Park Wales, we're talking about a 5hr journey by car, which is a perfect excuse to make it a multi-day trip
Glossop is just a traffic sewer and it's going to get twice as bad when that new Mottram bypass is completed.
I never really drove much in the Manchester direction and mostly walked for local stuff, so it never really made much odds to me. I guess if your lifestyle involves driving from Glossop towards Manc, the M60 and beyond on that side of things, then it's probably not the best option tbf. It's not like anywhere on this side of the Peak is particularly blessed with traffic-free roads anyway.
But then the same's true of the Lakes. And the Dales. And most places with decent riding on the doorstep.
I know people who've lived in Kendal, it seems like a nice enough town, but not as close to really good stuff as Keswick, which in turn is hideously expensive and a tourist hell hole.
I guess a lot of this stuff depends on your individual wants and your budget. Do you want pubs, bars, restaurants, caffs, nightlife? Do you mind driving to ride or do you want to head out of the front door and pretty much be on the trails. Do you like small towns with tight local community feel or prefer somewhere bigger where you can walk down the street without meeting people you know every few minutes. Do want easy access to a big city with arts, cinema, theatre etc. It could be something as mundane as having good local dog walks - I'd move back to Glossop in a flash, but honestly, New Mills is better for immediate access to good dog terrain etc.
I've lived in the Lakes (Keswick) for 10 years, Somerset (Cheddar) four years, South Wales (Merthyr) for a year, and currently into my fourth year in Calderdale. I like it here. Couldn't imagine living in the Lakes now; I can't visit the place outside of Nov-Feb. But I'd probably still be living in Somerset if it hadn't been for a relationship breakdown; really liked it there which, as a northern lad, surprises even me...
I'm going to recommend not living where I live, in Thanet, if you enjoy mountain biking. The nearest cross-country trails are twenty minutes away from the outskirts of Thanet, but because I don't always have access to the family car, and because time is limited being a parent, I tend to prefer to ride from my doorstep. There's better riding 3/4 of an hour away, or Surrey Hills for decent trails, closer to 2hrs away (much less if you're a "driving god"). Technical riding in Thanet means taking up trials and riding the streets, or, as in my case, having a large enough garden to set up a mini trials zone. A few pallets, some short skinnies, concrete boulder, concrete bucket etc. Generally stuff I can move around and setup for whichever skill & level I want to practice at. Picked up free paving slabs from the village via facebook, and collected various concrete blocks, slabs, and bricks which were fly-tipped. So yeah, that's mountain biking in Thanet for you.
So whereabouts do you live?
I may be looking to move in about two years and what you describe ticks a lot of boxes but I'm weighing up vaguely Eastern Scotland (North of the central belt) though I'm not sure whether I could cope with the short winter days, or the summer midges!
"South England" (in the vaguest sense) has better weather and easier access to the continent....
Realistically, I don't do winch and plummet mountain biking any more but do like longer mellow XC rides or gravel. Or road riding...
Welsh Marches ( Ludlow or Church Stretton maybe ). Good rail links to Cardiff , thence Paddington. I live closer to Birmingham, so that area is a 45 min drive, but there is no shortage of quality riding . Further west , into mid Wales and there is a huge amount of riding, especially if you’re happy to get the maps out and research.
Bugger ! edited but duplicated this below
There was a good post up there about Kendal. Near good riding and riding from the door are not the same thing. I don’t live in West Sheffield but have spent quite alot of time there. I think it really does offer something special in that it’s a nice place to live and you can ride from the door. But the nice bits are far from cheap. The Northern Peak also holds up year round. The southern peak less so. The south downs is as far as i know not a year round venue or if it is then it much more limited
Do they still run the sleeper trains from Aviemore/Kingussie?
Cheers everyone, some great suggestions to look into!
Curbar is lovely (I ride through it regularly on my commute) but there is bugger all there. No shops, cafes, pubs, public transport, nothing. It's a collection of (very nice) houses and some nice views, I'm sure it's a lovely community and all that but there's a hell of a trek to go anywhere useful.
There's a pub in Calver (Bridge Inn) less than half a mile from that house and a Spar a bit further, but yeah, considering the straight line road from there to Manchester and the proximity to Sheffield, public transport isn't the best. Moot point anyway, I'm not moving there unless I win the lottery.
To extol the virtues of where I do live now - Darley Dale, or lets say Matlock for the broader picture.
Decent enough riding from the door in various directions - if you want a long ride can even pedal over to the Eastern Moors/Blacka etc on the West of Sheffield 90% off road. Or half hour in the car to park up and ride the area
Rest of the Peak an easy drive
Easy access to a 50 mile+ mild gravel loop - High Peak Trail, Monsal Trail, Tissington Trail
Sheffield city centre under 40 mins by car. Sheffield has a decent music scene as well as all the trendy cafe's etc that you could wish for (or not)
Derby the same distance
Nottingham 45-50 mins
East Midlands airport similar
Manchester just over an hour - including airport
20 mins to M1 - working all over the country this works for me
3hrs to London (obviously on a good run)
4.5hrs to South coast (Dorset)
2.5hrs to North Wales
3hrs to FoD - bit more to BPW etc
3hrs to Lakes
Hourly train from Matlock to Derby from to pick up the mainline
Not too touristy if you avoid Matlock Bath in the summer - Bakewell and Chatsworth get the majority of the tourists
If I was moving into the area would I choose Darley Dale - possibly not, although there are some nice little pockets. I'd live in Matlock though and may move at some point, or with more ££ head Bakewell way or a bit further i.e. Curbar or even West of Sheffield as mentioned before
I thought i had replied here already. I live in the tweed valley, peebles not innerleithen.
I think Innerleithen is a bit nicer/cooler and its definitely more bike orientated due to proximity to the trails. If you want cheaper, look at walkerburn, its basically innerleithen if you go by the bike path.
Do not underestimate how long it takes to get places though. For example if i wanted to get a train to london i would be going to Edinburgh on the bus, every other direction takes ages and is tedious, especially in the dark.
If hou truely can live anywhere and you don't have ties, i struggle to see any benefit that england or wales gives you over the access rights in Scotland. Its not that dark (in the south) , its not that cold (in the west) and its not that wet... (In the east. But riding walking, whatever where you like is priceless.
Not Settle. It's shit here.
(and if you really do need to be near man-made trails and shred the gnarr, then seriously, not Settle, there's Gisburn down the road but not a lot else.)
If hou truely can live anywhere and you don't have ties, i struggle to see any benefit that england or wales gives you over the access rights in Scotland. Its not that dark (in the south) , its not that cold (in the west) and its not that wet... (In the east. But riding walking, whatever where you like is priceless.
I guess that depends on your priorities. I love walking, climbing and riding in Scotland and I wouldn't rule out living there by any means, but equally the Peak has more than enough for my day-to-day backdoor, outdoor needs and I love the feel and familiarity of the place. If anything, it means that when I ride elsewhere, I appreciate it even more. Which may of course be rationalisation. But you can live here and still ride in the Lakes or Scotland. I suppose my 'ties' aren't so much to work or family, but to other people and landscapes. It all depends on how you're wired I suppose.
Or maybe I just scratched my big mountain itch a long time ago.
Calder Valley\Hebden Bridge?
Good riding for the doorstep and there is Grand Central train direct to Kings Cross from Halifax.
However, Hebden Bridge prices are (relatively) bonkers for anything with a level garden and garage.
Isle of Man. Super safe place to live, great riding from your door, beaches , good community spirit, great place to bring up children., flights to London daily. It's different and not for everyone but it may be worth a look.
Manchester just over an hour - including airport
Ah, that's a good point about Disley/New Mills/Whaley/Macclesfield etc - Manchester airport is basically on your doorstep.
For me, North Yorkshire. Good trains from York/ Leeds to London; great countryside, access to the coast and the Lake District. Doesn't feel crowded, at least outside the summer tourist season. And it feels a bit apart from the whole political/ societal cesspit that's generally portrayed in the news media. People still say hello when you're out walking, there's good pubs with big fires, people like dogs, etc.
The OH keeps muttering about Berwick (not upon Tweed, the one outside Edinburgh) as hitting the same points, but I know nothing about that.
Hang on, are you dog walking or dogging?
Right now I'm mostly rehabbing my fubared right knee while the dog looks at me reproachfully. That's what you were asking, right?
And as such, so is all the low flying air traffic - something to consider
It actually isn't. Very rare to get much over here, the approach path from the south is over the Peak District, turning left at Glossop and from the north is over northern Manchester turning right over Glossop
You can see the patterns on Flightradar, there's very little commercial traffic over New Mills / Disley / Whaley.
And as such, so is all the low flying air traffic - something to consider
Well no, not really. Planes do fly over the Goyt Valley on approach (depending on wind direction), but I wouldn't call them low flying. Of all the irritations of living here (the A6 can be a bit of a git, the roads generally are shagged and, worst of all, Disley doesn't have a chippy), air traffic is not even a consideration.
Everyone's going to recommend where they live but the riding and trail building scene around Cardiff is pretty good.
Nah, I wouldn't suggest OP move here (edge of Gtr Mcr). The riding's decent enough and connections are great, but it's still a compromise. Same for the other side of the Pennines.
I'd actually be thinking somewhere like South Wales/FoD area, Shropshire, edge of Lakes or maybe the Borders.
Used to like the idea of moving to Inners, but I think being in the middle of the scene all the time might become tiresome.
Skipton covers you bases I reckon? Direct train to London every day, some riding from your door, more not too far away, trail building at Gisburn and Stainburn, local club with weekly rides, etc.... According to the other thread we don't have any crime either!
As a south lakes local I’d pick Staveley over Kendal although houses are more expensive there. Kendal is a great place to live and has great access to the lake but feels like everything is a (short) drive away, whereas if doorstep riding is a priority then Staveley wins. Has a good pub and a few amenities as well. Still not sure it beats Peebles/Innerleithen for riding though.
Following with interest as we are considering something similar in the next year or so but without the need to work. So far we are considering
Lakes
Tweed Valley
Llangollen area
As with all places we are coming up with pros and cons of each, and trying to work out which is the best compromise. We are starting to visit the places with a different perspective as in would it be nice to live here rather than visit. We love visiting the Tweed Valley, but would it work as a home? What do you do when you dont ride the superb trails as there is only so many times a week you can ride and not get bored of doing the same thing all the time. I know it’s a first world problem. Lakes, great to visit, plenty of riding and walking but as has been said how much do you have to travel to get to the riding. How much faff is it when its tourist season or do you just hunker down and stay at home those weekends?
What do you do when you dont ride the superb trails as there is only so many times a week
Walk the dog, ride other bikes, paddleboard, wild swim, hill walking, eating, nip up to edinburgh.
Everyone's going to recommend where they live
Erm, nope.
I can tell you where not to live. I moved to Cambridge after uni, chasing a graduate job in engineering.
I rode a bike at uni, but not exactly mountain biking, so didn't really consider what local riding there would be. I just wanted what I thought was a nice place to live with good job prospects - Cambridge seemed to fit the bill.
But - the riding is terrible, the city is over-priced & too busy with tourists/students and the landscape is boring. Nearby mountain bike trails? LOL. I mean, Thetford is OK and I have had many many hours of great riding there with friends, but the company I was with has always been much better than the trails.
Now I live on the Cambs/Lincs border & again - just avoid this area like the plague. It's flat, there is very little to ride here & even 'gravel riding' by stitching bridleways together isn't easy a there aren't many of them & they are the sort of path that just goes from one side of a field to another & stops dead at a main road.
So - in summary. I am sure there are plenty of amazing places to move to in the UK but if you want good cycling action to make up a large portion of your decision, avoid this bit of the country. Basically anywhere east of the A1 until you get somewhere past Hull. 😁
Lakes
Tweed Valley
Llangollen area
As with all places we are coming up with pros and cons of each, and trying to work out which is the best compromise. We are starting to visit the places with a different perspective as in would it be nice to live here rather than visit. We love visiting the Tweed Valley, but would it work as a home? What do you do when you dont ride the superb trails as there is only so many times a week you can ride and not get bored of doing the same thing all the time. I know it’s a first world problem. Lakes, great to visit, plenty of riding and walking but as has been said how much do you have to travel to get to the riding. How much faff is it when its tourist season or do you just hunker down and stay at home those weekends?
I'm suprised @singlespeedstu hasn't been along yet to sing the virtues of Tweed Valley - last time I checked he'd not managed to get bored of the trails. I don't know any of the other villages that area but they all seem nice enough when passing through. One that has good transport links to Edinburgh would tick lots of boxes.
Lakes summer months means an early start to guarantee parking and I rarely ride footpaths during peak times (there are of course different attitudes towards this...) so it can be pretty limiting as local spot. However it is busy for good reason, and there'd be some great places to live if you had the budget and were willing to compromise on certain things. For example Keswick would be a great base and has lots of locals not just Air BnB for neighbours, but it gets horrendously busy.
Bus links to Edinburgh are very good, and importantly many buses take bikes!
I can tell you where not to live. I moved to Cambridge after uni, chasing a graduate job in engineering.
I looked at Cambridge after uni for the engineering and life science jobs but I dreaded the idea of moving there for that reason.
Which is why, when I found the job in Lancaster I knew I had to do everything possible to get it!
In the spirit of not quite suggesting where you live, but not far away, Barnard Castle has some merits. Close to Hamsterley (12 miles, rideable if needs be; new trails being built), Darlington (16 miles, direct bus), the A66 (Keswick is about 1 h 15 by car), and Swaledale (Reeth is 15 miles). Teesdale and the North Pennines are on the doorstep. There is also some riding from the door (Pennine Way bridleway sections are rideable in summer; Tan Hill is an option as an out and back).
Basically anywhere east of the A1 until you get somewhere past Hull
I reckon somewhere around Northallerton, with its direct trains to KX in just over a couple of hours, and loads of good riding options around Yorkshire, some really nearby--and at the same time also getting further afield is not too much of a stretch, like the Lake District, northern Pennines, southern Scotland etc for weekend trips.
Nice area, pleasant towns, but accessible 🙂
Another factor not discussed (unless i missed it) is where you lie or what you can stomach on the Snowflake <=> Gammon spectrum.
As one of the middle class liberal intelligencia (TM Stewart Lee) I would not consider moving anywhere with strong gammony/reformy overtones.
On that measure alone I'd way prefer to be living in or around areas that are diverse (which tends to be cities or major conurbations) and/or if not diverse then at least were inhabited largely by people with similar values to me.
We have family members in small market towns in North Yorkshire which on some measures are v. nice places to live in terms of riding, transport and stiff to do in the outdoors.
But. Firstly it's so bloody boring in the actual town e.g. limited food options (bog standard pubs, and some rubbish balti houses - that are rubbish due to lack of competition)
Secondly I've seen first hand (and heard second hand also) about lots of other racist or generally gammony/reformy behaviour.
Which is a bit of a turn off personally.
I may get flamed for posting this, but hey ho.
lots of other racist or generally gammony/reformy behaviour.
indeed, unfortunately there is a lot of this about, just look at the recent council election results :-/