What's Preston like to live in/ near?

So it looks like I might be moving to Preston, which is a long way from Hertfordshire!

I think I’ll love it as its close to the lakes and the peak district etc, but what about more loca riding and climbing? I’m guessing the forest of bowland area must have some good riding? What about places to live where you can ride from your doorstep?

I quite like living near Preston, but didn’t really enjoy living in Preston itself when I was a student.

I can’t comment on the climbing, but the riding in the Forest of Bowland isn’t brilliant for bridleways and stuff. The open moorland is mostly footpaths. There’s a bridleway over Longridge Fell that’s not too bad when it’s dry, but is really boggy most of the time.

Gisburn is easily accessible, and Rivington is local if you are happy to drive there though. Ribble cycles and Merlin cycles are local too.

Preston isn’t the nicest place to live

However there are loads of nice places within a few miles
Look around the chorley area , loads of small villages

Rivington is on my doorstep and theres miles of trails.
Darwen tower and tockholes offer plenty of routes and can be ridden to from the chorley area

Horwich?…it’s right at the foot of Rivington Pike, Winter Hill and the West Pennines. Healey Nab (man made trails made by volunteers) is near Rivington too.

Its a 20-30min drive up the M61 to Preston or commutable by bike depending exactly where in Preston you’ll be.

You could live further North in which case there’s places like Longridge and Trough of Bowland but I’ve never lived that way.

Preston itself isn’t actually too bad a town, it’s relatively un-molested by the 60s deveopers and has some little pockets of niceness. Around the edges though, it’s a scummy former mill town like all the others.

Preston’s greatest asset is its position; it’s easy to reach the M6 which takes you to the Lakes in an hour. You’ve also got the A59, which goes straight east to the Dales via Gisburn. Traffic levels are bearable outside commuting time. North east of Preston you’ve got mles of empty, glorious countryside with the Ribble Valley (all the way to Ribblehead) and the Bowland Fells. For mountain biking there are some bridleways in Bowland and if you hook up with a local club like Boggies or Blackburn bikers you’ll find out about all kinds of stuff in the West Pennines and Dales. For road riding it’s one of the best areas in Britain – you’ve a choice between the hilly east with empty roads, considerate motorists and loads of great cafes as destinations (Chipping, Dunsop Bridge, Waddington, Tosside, etc.) or going west you’ve got the flatlands of the Fylde and coastal riding from Blackpool right up to Lancaster (good cafe at the start of the old railway leading along the Lune estuary to Lancaster). For family rides the flatlands are great (have a look at Clevelys and the sea front route up to Fleetwood then over the passenger ferry to Knott End and back round on quiet country lanes (good cafe at Skippool country park) or you’ve got the Preston Guildwheel.

I live just outside Preston, in Broughton, just to the north. Quite like it, although wouldn’t want to live any further in than I do. Its not the prettiest city in the world but they are revamping all the centre at the moment so hopefully that will improve things a little.

In terms of riding, if you’re into road you’re spoilt for choice, you’ve got the Trough of Bowland and the Ribble Valley to the east and the Fylde to the west (not to mention the South Lakes if you’re willing to put serious miles in). But in terms of mtb there doesn’t seem to be too much in the immediate locality. Most of the bowland fells are pretty peaty and seem to be pretty boggy at the best of times! Like Flashpaul says above, a few miles south of Preston and you have Rivington and Winter Hill within riding distance which is pretty decent.

Like you’ve alluded to in the OP though, theres plenty of seriously good riding within an hour or so in the car!

I moved up near there from Herts two years ago – have not regretted it once.

Nice part of the world, friendly, good road and MTB riding and waaaay cheaper.

Come up and have a good look around before you decide where to live.

flashpaul is on the money with his reply.

North of Preston is very nice and rural but expensive and not much good mountain biking nearby. Great if you like road riding though.

can’t comment on living in Preston, but I do know it is roundabout hell so if you live away from Preston take care with planning your commute time, but there are loads of options.

But as people have said there is loads of great riding & countryside.
Winter Hill,
Lee & Cragg Quarry,
Lakes,
Dales,
Bowland
Hebden Bridge area.
Llandegla & North Wales are easy to get to too.

I was born in Goosnargh a small village up the road, lived in Ashton in Preston for a couple of years as well as Avenham, worked in Preston for 5 or 6 years and Now live in Longridge and work in Inglewhite another small village up the road from Preston. It’s like any other large town/small city, there are nice areas and not so nice areas and there are lots of commuter villages and towns dotted about. Riding wise on the road as mentioned plenty of good stuff to be had although the roads are in need of repair in some of the more attractive areas around the trough. For MTB there’s more than people might think if you’re willing to get a map out, however the bridleway network is lacking. That said the Yorkhire Dales are less than an hour away and there’s loads of riding to be had starting from Settle, Ingleton, Clapham. You’ve also got the moors near Burnley with some great riding from Worsthorne, again less than an hour away. It is ideally suited in between the Lakes and the Peak District as well.

If you can commute there are some great places to live within 15 miles of Preston
Chorley
Croston
Leyland
Coppull
Lovely part of the world with some great riding both road and mtb as others have already said

Driving into Preston is a mare, if you are working in the city (yes its a city!) centre then try and live within commuting distance and join me in the dice with death every morning.

Hi live in Ribble Valley, Preston is an okay city can be a mare to get in but in all honesty no worse than any town or city at rush hour, and depends on your location in Preston.

Motorway network excellent, usual snarl ups but access to Lakes or North Wales, closer to home as listed
Gisburn
Yorks Dales
Calderdale

Road riding heaven and some good fell trails locally Trough of Bowland is a big place and pretty secluded but they can and are often water logged,

Location to live well
Chorley
Leyland
Ribble Valley