I’m with Chakaping on this. And having lived in Sheffield there’s no way I’d recommend it if you have a choice of anywhere in the U.K.

Lakes or Highlands for me but not Angus or Deeside, somewhere that makes the west more accessible.

I’m feeling suddenly better about my fitness…

I can also do that and I’m a fat nodder. Not straight up the front mind.

Peebles
Melrose
Selkirk
St. Boswells

Agree about Dorking area – Shere is a nice village.

Swindon?

Ganllwyd.

Guessing you are working from home so can be located anywhere that has a decent internet connection?

You buying or renting?

Quite a few suggestions on here already but what Stevemuzzy said is pretty much what I’d suggest as well I think.

Perth/Dundee/Stirling

All 3 have big hills literally on the doorstep perfect for running/biking. Perth has advantage of being on the trainline north so you can easily get to dunkeld and pitlochry

The Malvern Hills

You just need to look at the quality of National and World class riders that this town has produced:

Liam Killeen; Tracy Moseley (and Ed Moseley); Hattie Harnden (and her brothers); Evie Richards, the Crebers and more who have achieved success in their relative age categories.
…a disproportionate amount of success for a small town of 35,000 folk

We viewed a bungalow in the middle of Coed y Brennin forest last year, that was pretty lush.
Needed too much work for an old git like me though.

I can whole heartedly agree with Sowerby Bridge, don’t know why I didn’t move here sooner.

Can also vouch for New Mills (My brother lives there)

Skipton?

Starting at Melrose in the borders of Scotland, head NW on the A72, then at Glasgow get on the A82, head up to Inverness via Ft Bill, Then take the A9 back down to Edinburgh, and then the A68 back to Melrose. Move in to wherever takes your fancy on that loop.

South Wales. Try Caerphilly, purely on riding and ease of access.

Have a look on the Strava heat map and see how many little squiggly man made trails there are in the local woods. Like living in the middle of a bike park.

Kendal is prettty good place to live without a car and still have the hills close. Got all the facilities, you need and a fair amount of property to rent. Trail running on scout scar 5 minutes from my home and supermarket 10 minutes walkin the other direction. Back road takes you to Stavley for mountain biking quickly. Much less touristy than Keswick.

Some one mentioned Dorking in Surrey – my mum and dad moved there from nearby Riegate where I was brought up, and I am always impressed by the mountain biking and running whren I vist.

+1 for Stroud, granted I live a few miles out side the town but there are 100s of miles of bridal ways some good local trails in most of the local woods, most of which are permitted.
I rarely go to trail centers now after moving here and am still discovering trails almost 10yrs on.
Stroud it self is surrounded by 7 valleys so there’s lots of climbing / defending if like that sort of ride. Canal pathways to Gloucester for the more sedate rides.
Local bike shops are all good.

Downside of Scotland is it’s currently under an inch of sheet ice, so can’t really do much!

Aye, its rubbish here in Inverness.

For the Peaks – as above – West side of Sheffield, Hayfield / Chapel en le Frith and Goyt Valley towns round to Macclesfield.

Lakes – Kendal area, Cockermouth, Keswick is a bit more pricey on rent, Grange over Sands

Scotland – Pitlochry, Crieff, Aberfoyle – get your gravel or gnar on rather than cross country.

Dales – Richmond, Sedbergh, Barnard Castle, Settle, Kirkby Stephen

Haha 1 year to live somewhere and Stockport is on the list 😳😂

Has no one said Swindon yet?

Forest of Dean all day long. All the running and mtb you need out the door, down the road to South Wales and the mountains, short drive to Gloucester, Cheltenham or Bristol.

Personally if there was no location barrier I would want to add a nice beech with surf near by so maybe somewhere near East coast of Scotland or SW Wales

You want to move to the London/South East in 6-12 months?

I’d probably wait 5 months and check to see if London/South East still exists.

Good luck.

Having experience of the rental market pre Xmas, albeit in Lancashire, fully furnished housing is a rarity. It could restrict your options, although might be different in more touristy areas

I’d not do peaks if I had one year. It rains a LOT and you’ll spend most of that year cleaning kit!
Edinburgh is a good shout. My sister run on the beach, rides out to real hills and has the city nearby on a Boris bike thing. Good buses too.

Lots of good riding around Stroud, but Stroud is unparalleled in the Cotswolds for how horrible it is.

How about Cheltenham?

Ludlow backs directly onto the Mortimer Forest, Need lots of money to be that side of town. Much of the other end is pretty grotty. I live in Kington close by but Hergest Ridge is only 4 miles long and it’s a three mile pull to the top, too hard for many. The Dean is great as there are so many level tracks, cold though.

If it’s a sixth months of joy before moving the big shithole, as nice as I am sure all these English and Welsh places are…

… Scotland is unhindered access 360degree from your door is your playground. Tweed valley Is great to live in for cycling and running but I’m not sure the towns are that great. Peebles definitely isn’t very interesting as a place. It’s nice, that’s one reason I live here but I can’t says it would fill me with excitement for a 6month stay and dunkeld etc and further north gets you more actual mountains etc.

Whaley Bridge or surrounding area.

I was under the impression London / SE was the place to be. I keep reading about how fab it is was

Fort William or Aviemore.

Plenty of big hills and have stations with numerous trains direct to Glasgow/Edinburgh (and one to London).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcastle,_County_Down

Live in Scunthorpe for a week.

After that anywhere else will seem like f***ing paradise.

Millom’s got a Tesco.

North Bradford – Shipley, Baildon, Bingley.

Miles and miles of off road running and riding from your door, and you can finish your exercise of choice with a good pint and curry

Sheffield is overrated IMO. Yes live somewhere like Hathersage but Suburbs of Sheffield still require a drive or tedious cycle out to the nice stuff

I miss Bradford for the above reasons… but I don’t miss it for anything else 😂

Millom’s got a Tesco.

Kirkby Lonsdale’s got a Booths.

Very much depends which part of Sheffield. Western suburbs are ideal, I can be on some wonderful singletrack within a few minutes pedal from my door. But more central or eastern areas would be no better than living anywhere else.

And don’t consider Hathersage. Great for running, lovely outdoor pool, but the biking is a bit meh and requires a fair bit of pedalling to the good stuff. I lived there for 7 years and biked less than I do now as doorstep trails were worse than what I’ve got now in Totley.

Rammy.

The whole country may be your oyster OP but North Bradford is the obvious choice 🙂