1. Cumbria
2. Yorkshire
3. Lancashire

Discuss….!!

Obvious answers, because in STW mountain biking doesn’t exist South of Sheffield!

Yep, definitely the best counties for rocky doubletrack on desolate, bleak moorland.

They sound like the best in England. I’d go-

Perthshire
Inverness-shire
Stirlingshire

I’d agree with the statement that mountain biking doesn’t exist south of Sheffield, or thereabouts. Below that it’s just twiddling your bars around in some woods.

shite here. I hear the rolling hills of Surrey is where its at

Lakes, for the sheer variety and actual mountains.

Yorkshire is the best for anything and everything, no arguments.

Munro – exactly the prejudice I was attempting to highlight – thanks for showing it!

hertfordshire for wooden singletrack 🙂

exactly the prejudice experience I was attempting to highlight

Eff-tee-eff-yu.

No arguments how about freedom to roam?

Powys has to be in with a shout for Wales, it takes up half of the Country!! From the Beacons all the way up through the ELan Valley up to Snowdonia. Snowdonia’s only second as it’s so small.
Maybe Carmarthenshire third?

For sheer variety of terrain and types of trail:

Cumbria
Ceredigion
Dorset

Bit of a westerly bias though!?

Lakes, for the sheer variety and actual mountains some hills.

I wouldn’t really call those mountains but if it’s the best you’ve got…..
(Only teasing ‘cos I live an hour away from some alps)

Somerset is a good one. Exmoor, Quantocks and the Mendips. Lots of variation from Moor tops to steep sided wooded valleys.

Devon, cos its where I live.
Cornwall is crap though.

I was down in Somerset on the weekend (for a rally), it looked brilliant for mountain biking, mile upon mile of byways, bridelways, paths, forests, moors, woodland, you name it, and seemingly open access over much of the areas, no gates on tracks, and bike tracks, jumps etc in a lot of the woods I saw.

somerset stages?

Northumberland 😀

Cannockshire!

jam bo – Member

core » I was down in Somerset on the weekend (for a rally), it looked brilliant for mountain biking, mile upon mile of byways, bridelways, paths, forests, moors, woodland, you name it, and seemingly open access over much of the areas, no gates on tracks, and bike tracks, jumps etc in a lot of the woods I saw.

somerset stages?[/quote]

Indeed, some mates were doing it, I should have been, and I have a mate who lives down there so went and stayed with him for a couple of days and watched the rally.

No-one’s mentioned Derbyshire, which contains most of the Peak District. Odd.

CUMBRIA

And for 29er riders,Norfolk

In my experience and opinion:

Aberdeenshire
Cumbria
Northumberland

And I don’t think you can have “Yorkshire” as a single answer, you need to specify which one.

IHN – Member

No-one’s mentioned Derbyshire, which contains most of the Peak District. Odd.

The Peak District has been successfully annexed by The People’s Republic of South Yorkshire. We just don’t like to tell many people.

Essex 😥

Anywhere that doesn’t allow you to ride a bike on most of the interesting trails is a crap area for mountain biking if you ask me. So that rules out all of England I reckon.

Aberdeenshire suits me well, but I’d also give a nod to Ayrshire. You don’t actually want pointy mountains (except to look at) as you can’t ride up them. In fact you can’t ride down lots of them either. So, decent sized but rolling mountains are where it’s at.

As a Yorkshireman I don’t think any of the Yorkshires have as good mountain biking as Derbyshire. Which in turn doesn’t have as good biking as the Lakes, which doesn’t have as good riding as much of the Highland region.

Not quite a single county but I miss Cardiff / Caerphilly area, better than the Peaks IMO.

Aberdeenshire is great but annoying if you are unable to drive places.

roverpig – Member

Anywhere that doesn’t allow you to ride a bike on most of the interesting trails is a crap area for mountain biking if you ask me. So that rules out all of England I reckon.

well, certainly The Peak District.

Surely the Scottish Borders should win this hands down

– Open access
– Variety of terrain: large forests, hills & coastal paths
– Lots of trails centres, e.g. Glentress with all the extra gnarrrr enduro trails
– Quiet with few people

Yeah, but it’s in Scotland.

Cannock is excellent but I don’t know about the rest of Staffordshire – though it is good for road biking.

Haven’t ridden north of there so can’t comment on the Yorkshire is best argument, however from experience I would go with;

Neath
Snowdonia
Carmathenshire

very Wales centric I know but that is where I have ridden most on mountainbiking holidays. Need to head to Scotland and the North in general I know.

For the record Surrey Hills are amazing, but haven’t ridden them enough to displace the above yet.

Yeah, but it’s in Scotland.

It’s a council administrative area, or county.

Essex.

Actually, I retract that.

Suffolk.

Aberdeenshire
Moray
Tweeddale
Yorkshire

The Peak District is great but too crowded. And English access laws are crap compared to Scotland. Scotland is free, empty, gnarly and lumpy – ideal for mountain biking

I’d say somerset is up there – Quantocks, Exmoor & Mendips/Cheddar would keep most people entertained for quite some time.

Cheshire!

Absolutely nothing here in Aberdeenshire, stay where you are, save your diesel.

The suitably named Down gets my vote.