Hi all,

Potential, remote, long shot job opportunity may, may, see us move to this part of the world.

Not holding out much hope, but any villages that would be a bike ride commute distance from Reading that are also suitable for ‘ride out the door’ mountain bike possibilities?

Any hints or tips greatly appreciated.

Yours,
Kev

Friend lives in Hermitage, some lovely riding from the door. Ditto the vilages to the east of Swindon.

Loads of stuff and options. And even more opinions 😀 . For ride out the door have a look north of Reading. Caversham, Sonning Common, Henley all have great local riding from door step. All nice places to live too.

South of Reading you have to go a bit further out. Wokingham and finchhampstead for easy access to Swinley and all the army land

Nb email in profile if further help needed

Plenty of stuff and a thread here about a month ago probably has the info you need and locations to live too.
Found it. This one :
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/where-to-live-if-you-work-in-reading

Pangbourne or goring are at the foot of the Chilterns, on the Oxford-Reading-London train line, and are all rideable into Reading. I commute into Reading by bike, takes half an hour max.

As others have said, there’s a few threads recently, Reading being the potential centre of the universe that it is… 😉

Thanks all, greatly appreciated. It is all a complete long shot right now, but having got right into MTB’ing in the last few years I would be gutted to move somewhere that precluded that.

Tried searching a few times, but seemed to be getting stuff on reading, not Reading 🙂

Potential work would be south west reading, near the stadium. Would idea ideally like to be able to ride to work in a reasonable time (max 45 mins), have a access to mtbing without having to drive, and have nice family life as well. And be affordable.

I know, moon on a **** stick. Bums!

Kev

, Reading being the potential centre of the universe that it is…

Yup its great here…

OP I would maybe draw a triangle between Reading, Newbury (A4 forming the bottom line basically) and Streatley. West Berks/South Oxon that’s your golden zone IMO, but do NOT choose to live in either Central Reading or Newbury, suburbs fine but battling traffic on the weekends is not worth being in the centre of either town…

Within that area you can strike out from your door round Goring heath, find some cheeky woods in the tilehurst, Mapledurham, whitchurch area or pick up the ridgeway trail from the back of Streatley… And of course you are sat right on the M4 so long day trips and full weekend “road trips” are a real possibility…

Nice days you can do the car thing, swinley is 40 mins away or Astonhill is maybe an hour and a bit, if you’re downhill inclined…

Having said that I do quite like the area a bit south of my suggested search zone too; Mortimer, Tadley, Kingsclear way, but I’ve not explored that way much with the MTB…

Essentially what I am saying is it ace Round here and why the Frigg would anyone want to live in that there London?

and be affordable

well, it’s not London prices, but I would suggest you check out house prices, depends where you are moving from. There are lots of really great villages around Reading, and the MTB riding to the north and west is pretty good for the South, but you’ll pay for it.

Depends what sort of riding and commute you want. North or Reading theres lots of bridleways and nice road riding, south theres **** all. South east theres Swinley but thats impassible over the winter as it gets too much traffic in spite of the armouring. Further south of that though theres the military land with some really good riding if you know where to look and links into the Surrey hills if youve got the legs!

Bracknell to Reading is doable in 45min on a bike depending on route and destination. On the other hand its bracknell and more ‘affordable’.

I live very central, don’t drive and am able to ride from my door. Some great stuff about imo.

Bracknell, cycle to Reading to work, Swinley on your doorstep.

But you have to live in Bracknell (I used to.)

Grew up in Reading, and my parents still live there (Sonning Common). My comment would be that if you’re working nr the MadStad, I’m not sure I’d live on the north side of Reading and cross the town twice every day. I’d look more at L. Earley, towards Bracknell, etc., or even further at places like Eversley or Yateley and be the right side of town. Reading traffic is a nightmare.

huge thanks all, great to hear the positive comments. a few years ago, before mtb took over my life and a move to Switzerland, we lived in Hook for a year so i know some of the area a little bit.

The bugger of this is that we are not city people, so looking for some thing villagey and countrysidey, so great to hear that there are options and that there is even some MTB’ing.

Everything in life is a trade off, there is no-way I am going to be able to get everything we want for the family, but at least you have really helped to add some shapes to a blank canvas.

Let’s see how the job thing goes first, then I might be back on with more specific questions, and of course to perhaps hook up with some of you for a ride and a bit of a MTB lowdown.

Yours,
Kev

for location, Basildon, Aldworth, Ashampstead, Hampstead Norrys are all ‘country’ and the right side of fun for you. Use Rightmove and see if anything there and tickles your fancy.

All those places Weeksy says are nice. I’m in Hampstead Norreys myself. Lots of riding both on and off road,even if not the most exiting. House prices are ridiculous though.

I used to live in Cholsey and you can cycle to the Mad Stad in about 50-60mins – mix of road and pathways.

It’s also pretty easy to drive there as you don’t need to go through town.

Also cholsey has a train station if you need it then bus to the Mad Stad.

Lots of good riding right from your door but cheaper to live than Goring and Pangbourne as a bit further out and less “chocolate box”. But as such it is becoming more expensive.

It would be worth a look and if you have kids the school is good too.

pete68 – Member

All those places Weeksy says are nice. I’m in Hampstead Norreys myself.

You are ? LOL. nice.. I’m 5 mins from you 🙂

Yeah I know you are Weeksy. We’ve even exchanged emails a few years ago!

Depends on budget for housing and legs for commuting! I used to live in Fleet and commute into Reading (TVP) by bike, so probably similar distance to Hook. 35 mile round trip and a horrible route. Too far to do more than 3, 4 at a push, times a week and have energy left for anything else (I’m over 40 though!). Good riding round/from Fleet – Minley Manor, Caesars Camp, south into the hills on a road bike.

We recently moved to Crowthorne and I can ride to the red trail at Swinley in about 20 mins, 40 minute ride to TVP in Reading, and it’s a lovely village.

Worth looking around Newbury (I’m south west in the North Wessex Downs, some great trails round here and the ‘highest point in the SE’ Walbury Hill) and maybe using the train to extend your cycle commute range. Newbury to Green Park is fine by car, even peak times, I do it fairly regularly, friends do it daily)

Not cheap anywhere round here mind!

Gentlemen.
My gf lives in Caversham. Anyone got any good routes ( cheeky or non cheeky) starting or finishing in the area?

Check out Reading CTC. They have a strong MTB section that rides out of town every Wednesday evening.

Also Berks on Bikes if you end up in the Bracknell/Crowthorne/Wokingham area. Rides pretty much every day of the week.

P