I live in Wokingham and work in Reading.
I’ve made my thoughts on the matter on other threads and been told to politely **** off if you don’t like it*. There’s probably worse places to enjoy purgatory, but unless you like earning money and spending it in the Oracle, theres not much to Reading. There’s a comedy club, there’s a theater which gets a succession of better comedians and worse pop bands, a few night clubs which range from crap, to crap and pretencious, to crap and pretencious and expensive. I think it’s entirely possible that in the entirity of history no one has said “I want to go to Reading”. “I’m going to Reading”, I’m in Reading”, “I’m from Reading” or “I’m thinking of going to Reading”, but never wanting to be there.
Some towns people hate and tell you the best thing is the M123 leaving it. But even the M4 skirts arround Reading.
Oscar Wilde went to prison here and apparently left a reformed character, so we can conclude it’s a good place for a prison if no one wants to go back.
The cycling isn’t bad, the road biking is excelent and the MTB’ing is a case of making the most of a mediochre situation. Which in some places is very good (the MOD land to the south etc). It’s no Scotland, Wales or Lakes, but it’s probably better than a lot of the SE.
*plans are afoot. And some of what I say is tongue in cheek.