The South is so much better than the North of England…

People from the South go to the hotspots in the North like the Lakes and so on. As do people from other parts of the North. People don’t come up from London to say, Rivington, do they? Or do they?

I assume within 5 hours drive there is better riding from London than Rivvy. I have shown folk round who have travelled here – TJ came from scotland…does that count 😉

However does anyone from up north go down south to ride?

Does anyone from down south go up North

Which side gets most travel do you reckon?
I am going for the ones with the mountains rather than the Hills

TO me rivvy is like cannock – went for SSUK and it was good but if i had to drive for that length of time from here i could go to wales or th lakes or the dales or the peaks so i wont pick there.

I assume Surrey Hills sits in this area – you will love it if local but you wont travel that far for its gnar.

I dont think there is much debate – wales aside- that the north has the best MOUNTAIN bike riding as it has all the mountains

People from the North SHOULD go South for riding. They’d enjoy it. Many cracking days out to be had in the Surrey Hills, for example. If only for the interests of diversity.

Good lock with the new busness venture

Molly tours of surrey for Northerners

OT:POsted tomorrow sorry been bust

So that’s it with the northerners.. narrow minded..!

I dont think there is much debate – wales aside- that the north has the best MOUNTAIN bike riding as it has all the mountains

Dartmoor wouldn’t qualify as mountainous, but it’s the best place to ride in England for my money (don’t know that Scotlandshire). It’s even quite sunny occasionally.

Molly, I travel for work and regularly-ish ride (in approximate order of ftequency) cannock, wales, scotchland, Chilterns, Shropshire, and van confirm there’s good riding to be had in all, but Cumbria’s better.

I am cutting a spoke each time you diss me so add spiteful to the list 😈

I am sure surrey is very pleasant but there are so much better options in the 250 miles between me and it that I wont ever be going.
I am sure they feel the same about Rivvy

nk there is much debate – wales aside- that the north has the best MOUNTAIN bike riding as it has all the mountains

Forgive my ignorance, but in the North of England, which of course excludes Scotland are their actually any mountains?

Also, I’d just like to say that every Northerner I’ve ridden with inWales has failed on the climbs, thus for me destroying the myth that Northerns have more hills and are better at climbing them than Southerns. That may be incorrect but it is 100% my experience.

Forgive my ignorance, but in the North of England, which of course excludes Scotland are their actually any mountains?

Well there’s these:

I am sure surrey is very pleasant but there are so much better options in the 250 miles between me and it that I wont ever be going.

How would you know if they’re better?

Forgive my ignorance, but in the North of England, which of course excludes Scotland are their actually any mountains?

Whatever they are they are bigger than the SOuth. Genuine question what is the biggest mountain, sorry hill, down South?

Also, I’d just like to say that every Northerner I’ve ridden with inWales has failed on the climbs, thus for me destroying the myth that Northerns have more hills and are better at climbing them than Southerns. That may be incorrect but it is 100% my experience.

Up north we can do proper science and mock those who debate in terms of shitty anecdote.

How would you know if they’re better?

I made a massive leap that mountains were better for mountain biking than hills. I know its outlandish of me but hey that the reckless kind of maverick thinker i am.
I was no more rude about there than where i ride so why did you say that?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mountains_of_the_British_Isles_by_relative_height

I made a massive leap that mountains were better for mountain biking than hills.

The word ‘mountain’ in the name of the sport is pretty meaningless. If we were all French it wouldn’t even apply since they don’t call it mountain biking.

I was no more rude about there than where i ride so why did you say that?

I haven’t been intending to be rude, so apologies if I have come across. But the point stands – prejudice is bad 🙂

Everyone moves to London please.

London is good.

London is the best place on earth so please go there.

There is nothing in the North.

YOU have not been rude and neither have i
I was as prejudiced about where i ride as the hills down there

It has some good bits but n one is driving half way across the country to ride there.

Bruneep as a measure of mountainness that’s a bit like biggest Wang by pube trimmage

Having ridden there a couple of times, I would honestly recommend the Surrey Hills for a long weekend of riding.

South? Meh.
North? Meh.

The Long Mars, W 16,782,467 steps across is where it’s gnar.

I’m in Shropshire on the Welsh border. Right in the middle of the divide.

I dont know where I belong.

However, I never go south for anything other than ikea in Walsall or unless it’s in Wales.

Wales and the north is where it’s at.

How many people claiming the south is crap for riding have actually ridden there?

How many people claiming the south is crap for riding have actually ridden there?

has anyone on the thread claimed riding in the south is crap?

Well ‘not worth driving for’ is another way of saying ‘crap’ isn’t it?

No its a way of saying that between me and them there is better riding

Ok Molly convince me that those hills are better than
Lakes
Wales
Yorkshire Dales
Peak District..all of which are about 150 miles closer to me

I am sure if I went there I would enjoy it. However I am sure there are places between us that I [ and therefore they as well] would enjoy more than coming to rivvy or me going there

The best riding in the UK is not Surrey Hills[ or rivvy]- that is the point you are arguing against.
Good luck

Also, I’d just like to say that every Northerner I’ve ridden with inWales has failed on the climbs, thus for me destroying the myth that Northerns have more hills and are better at climbing them than Southerns. That may be incorrect but it is 100% my experience.

Northerners have exciting tech to ride so are best at that – southerners have nothing better to do than get fit because your trails are so easy and you’re all closet roadies. 😉

(I would quite like to ride the Surrey Hills if I was ever near there with my bike, but it seems unlikely that will happen)

The best riding in the UK is not Surrey Hills….

Well certainly not the highest, gnarliest, steepest etc. However if you don’t want to spend 3/4 of your ride climbing, the undulating nature of the area and different types of surfaces and countryside make for some of the most ‘interesting’ riding in the UK.

Yup that’s just it. If/when or by some miracle I start riding again I’d love to try the Mendips I’ve friends down there who I can ride with. However, I can get to the Lakes, Highlands, Peaks and Wales quicker then I can get there. I’ve even been in the Alps 6 hours for setting off cheaper than it was to get down south back in the days of silly easy jet prices.

That may be incorrect but it is 100% my experience.

It’s incorrect. When I was in my prime I could climb all day long, I’d struggle to get up the hill at the top of my street now.

When I was in my prime I could climb all day long….

Sounds like a barrel of laughs!

Sounds like a barrel of laughs!

Yeah it is as riding in loops means you do 50/50 not 3/4.

No its a way of saying that between me and them there is better riding

This.
The analogy would be thus….

Nice though she may be, you wouldn’t climb over* Cheryl Cole and Sarah Harding to get at the ginger one off Girls Aloud.

* you might, but just really slowly.

😀

Nice though she may be, you wouldn’t climb over* Cheryl Cole and Sarah Harding to get at the ginger one off Girls Aloud.

Rusty roof, damp cellar……

The definitive answer to the North -v – South dilemma has been provided by munrobiker here……..

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/inspiration-required-10-best-natural-decents-in-the-lakes-scotland

Well ‘not worth driving for’ is another way of saying ‘crap’ isn’t it?

weeeeelllll, sort off…I guess if you said to some-one “you can ride anywhere, where are we going” Not many are going to pick the Chilterns (for example) but that’s true of the people that ride there as well…We’ve been exposed to “the North and it’s mountains” as a trope so long now, it’s pretty much ingrained in all of us.

But that’s not the same has South=crap

Ok Molly convince me that those hills are better than
Lakes
Wales
Yorkshire Dales
Peak District..all of which are about 150 miles closer to me

Because they are very different from all those places. You don’t only watch one genre of film or eat one type of food, do you? Or do you?

I love variety. I’d love to do more Surrey hills rides, despite living in Wales.

yes there is no variety in that list at all and the only reason I wont drive 250 miles for that is because I like everything the same day after day after day…its why I am still having this SAME debate with you 😉

You did not even try and convince me it was better there as you know no such case can be made.

I am sure its lovely but I am not driving that far for it when there is better in-between us. I assume no one from Surrey comes to rivvy – a point you made – for they are equally as against variety as I am :roll?

I don’t even think this is contentious
Surrey is not the best riding in the UK but it is good.

You did not even try and convince me it was better there as you know no such case can be made.

I can’t build a case, how can I?

I could describe it though. It’s woodsy singletrack on loamy sandy trails, both up and down. Twisty turny and fast on the way down, rewarding to ride fast on the way up. In beautiful verdant broadleaf woodland. At least that’s now I remember it.

Surrey is not the best riding in the UK

I thought you said you hadn’t been there?

Anyway – my point is that the concept of ‘best riding’ is ridiculous. There’s no one place that’s best.

I assume no one from Surrey comes to rivvy – a point you made – for they are equally as against variety as I am :roll?

I dunno, maybe. I’d recommend parts of the North outside the hotspots, certainly, not sure about Rivi though. It was good, but not worth a drive. Which is what you’ve said about Surrey, but difference is I’ve actually done both, and I WOULD recommend a drive to Surrey.

Nice though she may be, you wouldn’t climb over* Cheryl Cole and Sarah Harding to get at the ginger one off Girls Aloud.

Wanna bet ? 😉

There is a best place…is called the northern half of the UK… 😀

and I WOULD recommend a drive to Surrey.

Can you wave at all the better spots you pass on the way then 😉

We don’t show the best bits to strangers 😉

Its good there its not great – except for the fact its almost all off road from my house

How about an STW ride grand tour.. hmm…