Sounds like the Northumberland then, except no trail centres, Ok maybe Kielder, and no err we don't have any mountains.

The only mountains in England are up north.

There are no mountains in England , north or otherwise (or south wales).
North wales has a few as does scotland.
So, unless you're riding there; you're a hill rider 😀
(broadly accepted definition of a mountain being 1000m)

'Hill bike riding'.

Hmm, doesn't sound quite as sexy, does it?

There are no mountains in England , north or otherwise (or south wales).

Did someone move the Brecon Beacons? Or are we now going to have a debate on what qualifies a big lump of rock to be a mountain?

I thought the definition of a mountain in England was 'any free-standing mass over 2000ft'. If that's the case then there are several mountains in Northern England. Certainly bigger than anything in the South anyway.

a natural elevation of the earth surface rising more or less abruptly from the surrounding level and attaining an altitude which, relatively to the adjacent elevation, is impressive or notable.

Oxford English Dictionary

a natural elevation of the earth surface rising more or less abruptly from the surrounding level and attaining an altitude which, relatively to the adjacent elevation, is impressive or notable.

Oxford English Dictionary

You Northern/Welsh/Scottish monkeys really would know your arses from your heads without us Southerners to tell you what was what!

Just to make it absolutely clear…

Head – the part of the body on top of the shoulders with a large orifice that said monkeys shovel chips into.

Arse – the part of the body much photographed by simonfbarnes from which said monkeys speak.

Yeti's Oxford English Dictionary

There isn't an actual agreed height limit for a mountain, there's just the dictionary definition. The only rough height guide is about a 1000' but I'd personally say your struggling to call any places in the uk mountains. Ok maybe ben Nevis and snowdon but hardly much of a mountain in relation to the alps.

If the rough definition is 1000ft then there are lots of large masses that can claim to be mountains. Whether or not you agree is simply your personal opinion 🙂
Wales, the Lakes, The Peak area, the Howgills, Northumbria etc can all claim to have mountains based on that. Wales & the Lakes certainly have 'proper' shaped mountains even if you dismiss the rest as merely large, rounded hills.

Definitions of "mountain" include:[2]

* Height over base of at least 2,500 m (8,202 ft).
* Height over base of 1,500 m (4,921 ft).–2,500 m (8,202 ft). with a slope greater than 2 degrees
* Height over base of 1,000 m (3,281 ft).–1,500 m (4,921 ft). with a slope greater than 5 degrees
* Local (radius 7,000 m (22,966 ft). elevation greater than 300 m (984 ft)., or 300 m (984 ft)–1,000 m (3,281 ft). if local (radius 7,000 m (22,966 ft). elevation is greater than 300 m (984 ft).

Persojnally I don't care what they're called. They're either good to ride up/down or they're not.

Of course, the English Dictionary was first compiled by Dr Samuel Johnson, in That London. The Oxford English Dictionary was apparently first compiled by a bunch of London scholars. 😉

There you go.

As for mountains, I think an internationally accepted standard is a peak above 1000m. Of which there aren't any in England. So the only true 'mountain' bikers are those who regularly cycle up Snowdon and a few mountains in Scotland.

The bikers you see in trail centres in Wales etc, on 6" travel 'all mountain' bikes are commonly known as 'Mincers'.

Wales & the Lakes certainly have 'proper' shaped mountains even if you dismiss the rest as merely large, rounded hills.

Yup they do bases on the shape yeah and steepness.

As for mountains, I think an internationally accepted standard is a peak above 1000m.

You think wrong there is no agreed standard, plenty of ideas though.

..And those London-based bikers on expensive full suss bikes riding the oh-so-knarly London parks are colloquially known as 'poseurs' 😆

London Scholar – is that what those wino's drinking crap beer around the streets are called?

Your just below the border IHN close but still in the midlands

Cheshire's in the Midlands?! Like **** it is.

The north according to Wikipedia and therefore it's the truth. Cheshire, you will notice, is there:

..And those London-based bikers on expensive full suss bikes riding the oh-so-knarly London parks are colloquially known as 'poseurs'

No they're from Surrey. The Poseurs you refer to ride trendy fixies or Dutch bikes. Keep up. 😉

London Scholar – is that what those wino's drinking crap beer around the streets are called?

Erm no. Winos drink wine, surely?

Although the alkies you find around around London's streets speak more sense than some folk on here. 😀

You think wrong there is no agreed standard

Well there should be.

Hmm, I doubt any 'mountaineers' would consider England's hills proper mountains. You get old people walking up them ffs.

Maybe it's something that peaks above the tree line then. I dunno.

Point is, there are mountains in Scotland, and loads in Europe. Not in England.

Only in your opinion my poor cockney-centric, countryside-phobic little urchin (say hallo to Fagin next time you're out doing a song & dance number in the streets with your chimney broom).

If it's above the treeline then there's loads of hills that might qualify – you just can't see 'em from your high rise….

😉 😛

my poor cockney-centric, countryside-phobic little urchin (say hallo to Fagin next time you're out doing a song & dance number in the streets with your chimney broom)

😆

Did you do that map IHN?

Oi Oi Oi…Scarborough is not cold and damp it is however
"cheap,tacky,smelly and it still has donkeys on the beach"

Leave the lad alone Cheshire is the North…every area has to have a place for lad-de-dah posh folk to live… oop North we call that place Cheshire more faux grais* than flat cap.

* of course I cannot spell it I am uneducated and just too far away to do day trips to France which is closer than good riding to you lot?

having annoyed both sides wanders off

whatever happened to that ATB label that was bandied around a few years back…?

'All Terrain Bikes'. Wasn't there a bike company with that name or something?

MTBs are called 'VTT' (Velo Tout Terrain) in France, which means the same thing. More appropriate really.

I've been on a rubbish sandy sunny southern beach all afternoon watching northerners get sunburnt. Enjoy the drive home while i eat my tea will ya. 🙂

You can keep your Southern 'tea' (Northern expression) no-one else will eat those revolting jellied eels! 😛

IHN – Cheshire may be geographically in the North, but judged by all other criteria it's basically Essex with a slightly nicer accent. 😀

Didsbury & Chorlton similarly are in the North only by an accident of geography. Philosophically, they have far more in common with the metro-sexual, namby-pamby manbaggery so beloved of our Southern cousins.

Basically, anywhere south of Deansgate is suspect and Harrogate is definitely inhabited by fifth columnists.

I quite like the South West, but it's too crowded and their pies are the wrong shape.

I do like Wales though – proper rain, real hills and a 'Couldn't give a stuff' attitude about the rest of the UK. It's like being at home but with better scenery.

no…it's cold wid no sunshine,an u dont speak the queens english…

I quite like the South West, but it's too crowded and their pies are the wrong shape.

Eh? What bits. There's plenty of places within a few miles of home with a view for miles and all you can see are green fields and trees. And that's in North Wilts. Try standing in the middle of Salisbury Plain or the Marlborough Downs and saying it's crowded.

jeez, is this still going?

CountZero, I've just got back from Northumberland.
Salisbury Plain is about as desolate and sparsely populated as a Chilean coal mine in comparison. 🙂

Cheshire may be geographically in the North

Geographically it ain't.

I often read on here of people commuting for an hour, two hours or more to work. A solicitor friend of mine takes a 20 minute stroll to work every morning. Another mate, who does computery stuff, has a 10-15 minute cycle from his front door, along relatively quiet roads if he chooses. They both love living in London. Some people are prepared to spend a significant chunk of their lives sat in traffic, for the pay off of living in a quiet rural area, but others don't really want that. Horses for courses and all that.

A you seriously suggesting that London is great because people have nice short commutes that are stress free? Ever been on the Northern line in rush hour, or to Waterloo, Liverpool Street etc?

A large percentage of Londoners have long commutes, due to most places people work being miles away from where they live.

Also, back to the pubs thing, you're certainly wrong about at least Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire – way better and cheaper beer, at least from a real ale perspective. Less fancy bars up here selling nice belgian beers though which is a pity. Although perhaps I know bugger all about London pubs, after all I only lived down that way for 28 years and obviously never frequented any pubs in that time.

Its BRILLIANT up north. Out the back door on to singletrack direct to even more moorland singletrack and then home run via Dalby Forest. Lunch and pint on the way back…..Eeee by ek I love North Yorkshire 8)

A you seriously suggesting that London is great because people have nice short commutes that are stress free? Ever been on the Northern line in rush hour, or to Waterloo, Liverpool Street etc?

Yep. And I've seen the trains coming in from places like Birmingham, Nottingham, Southampton, etc, full of people commuting to work in London. People choose to live further afield, that's up to them. Most of the Londoners I know have a fairly short commute. Certainly under an hour. Remember that London is a massive city. How long do people commute to get to work in places like Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, etc? I's say it's probably pretty similar, if not longer. I'm not going to claim that London life is stress-free, because it's not. But you can live close to work here and have a decent lifestyle.

As for the pubs and beer; I can tell you that there is far more diverse range of drinking establishments than you're going to find up your way. And loooads of places selling real ale, some of it even brewed locally! Come down, I'll show you a few! 😀

Cheaper; yes, I don't doubt that. But that doesn't worry us, as we're so very much richer than you lot anyway! 😉

London has it's own stuff; other places have theirs. I love London, and am happy with what's on offer to me.

How many top class curry houses you got within a 15 minute bike ride of you? I've got a choice of loads. Plus shit loads of other food places from Algeria to Zaire.

after all I only lived down that way for 28 years and obviously never frequented any pubs in that time.

but you moved away so naturally want to reaffirm that choice to yourself by posting your opinions on here. that's not to say your choice was wrong, it obviously isn't. (neither is voicing your opinion)
personally the best thing i ever did was move to London. it's not the greatest place in the world but then neither is the north.

it's not the greatest place in the world

I beg your pardon? 😯

What I notice on here, in these sort of arguments, is that people seem to believe that their choice of location/lifestyle is the correct one, and anyone who thinks differently is wrong. I mean, I imagine I'd get a bit bored quite quickly, living in a rural place/far from London, but I don't go round saying 'oh where you live is crap I can go to experience culture right on my doorstep I can't believe you want to live in a place where there's no London stuff'. I just accept we're all different, and have different wants and needs.

See, I love it here in the same way that someone might love living in the Lakes, or North Wales, or Scotland or wherever. Thursday morning I was looking out toward Conwy Mountain. Friday morning I was by the River looking out towards the City. Both pleasurable experiences, yet one is a place for a holiday, the other is Home.

Thursday morning I was looking out toward Conwy Mountain. Friday morning I was by the River looking out towards the City. Both pleasurable experiences, yet one is a place for a holiday, the other is Home.

The most sensible thing you've ever said: Holidays in London can be fun. 😀
Wouldn't want to live there though, it smells of wee and bankers.

Heh!

The most sensible thing you've ever said: Holidays in London can be fun:)
Wouldn't want to live there though, it smells of wee and bankers.

Very true 😉

I have lived in city's, rural & small towns. each has is plus & minus points but being able to ride out of my door to either quiet roads or trails is important to me.
I think that some people who have only ever lived in a big city would probably struggle to adapt to a quieter environment full time?

smells of wee and bankers.

Spoonerism ?