Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 367 total)
  • Why do people think Southern England riding is crap?
  • molgrips
    Free Member

    Seems that all the Northerners think that. But I've ridden all over and there's definitely great riding to be had down here.

    samuri
    Free Member

    I'm a Northerner and I don't think that.

    Of course, I'm probably the only one who can afford to drive down South and see for myself.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    As a northerner living in Reading I'd take southern singletrack over northern 4×4/cart tracks any day of the week.

    Maybe one day I'll get bored of being able to do 20+ miles almost entirely on singletrack, but untill then I'm happy.

    Olly
    Free Member

    The ridings ok. Its the people that/who wind me up.

    brassneck
    Full Member

    To be fair, you wouldn't get me north of Watford for all the tea in Yorkshire, so it probably goes both ways 🙂

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    I enjoyed the quantocks very much.

    However the quantity of riding compared to the north is poor – so while there might be quality spots the quantity is poor meaning you have to go a long way to find the quality.

    Its also different – very much smaller scale.

    yossarian
    Free Member

    dunno why. I think half the time they've not actually been down here and the other half of the time its old north vs south stuff.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    I think it's not everyone, and the ones that do are just blinkered and think small hills, no mountains = crap riding and easy riding.

    Which simply isn't true, we all know that!

    yossarian
    Free Member

    Of course, I'm probably the only one who can afford to drive down South and see for myself

    were you tasked with bringing back new technology for your village?

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    it really is crap, you know.

    now if everyone could stop riding it I'll just get on with enjoying it by myself.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    However the quantity of riding compared to the north is poor – so while there might be quality spots the quantity is poor meaning you have to go a long way to find the quality.

    I might start an argument about that. As I remember I was borrowing your brick wall? 😉

    You're wrong, by the way. It's not worse, it's just different.

    nonk
    Free Member

    i like to think it's crap.
    being northern it makes me feel better about myself.

    MostlyBalanced
    Free Member

    They're just jealous of us southerners having a greater density of pubs in the good riding areas.

    joolsburger
    Free Member

    It's all to do with the lack of indeginous ferrets down here, that and the fact that your notherner likes a good strong wind and barren landscape to ride in, preferably in sight of a disused mine.

    If the rain can be coming in sideways having blown in from the north sea then so much the better.

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    I think there should be a distinction between the south and the south-west….

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    I think there should be a distinction between the south and the south-west….

    Cider? 😉

    samuri
    Free Member

    were you tasked with bringing back new technology for your village?

    A phonogram!

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    opposable thumbs…

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    I think there should be a distinction between the south and the south-west….

    or number of toes 😉

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    There are less options for long routes (without ultra complicated navigation resulting in spending as much time looking at maps than riding!) it more pockets of some trails in woods. That's my personal experience anyway. Most of the places i've ridden in the south are fun but it more like going to a skatpark rather than riding somewhere. Dartmoor is very good though and less like that in my limited experience.

    uplink
    Free Member

    I don't think the riding is crap in the South just a bit over-crowded for my liking
    My head office is in Guildford so I get to ride from Peaslake etc. quite a bit & quite enjoy it
    I enjoy the solitude of the hills & at home I can go out riding in the Dales & not see another soul all day, not something I can imagine happening at Holmbury

    nonk
    Free Member

    i think joolsburger may have it.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I think there should be a distinction between the south and the south-west….

    There is. The South-West is known as the South-West, and the South is known as the South.

    The South being the bit east of say Wiltshire.

    I think North downs is ace, although navigation is difficult. But I love the fact that it's all different. We'd be worse off if the riding was the same all over the UK, I am sure.

    yossarian
    Free Member

    I hear that some areas of the north are still black & white?

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    I don't think the riding is crap in the South just a bit over-crowded for my liking

    Naaa, only Swinley, Surrey hills etc. Find some 'natural' riding i.e. something with a lack of corners, jumps or other trail features, like the chilterns and its as empty as any yorkshire moor.

    nuke
    Full Member

    not something I can imagine happening at Holmbury

    …at the weekend.

    Was out yesterday morning/midday on Holmbury, Ranmore and Leith and genuinely didn't see one other rider.

    Tvco
    Free Member

    The South is full of awesome trails, too many to list. I wouldn't change my location for anything.

    I ride around Reading/Newbury and there is loads of wicked single track. Lots of which are sweet wooded trails. it's awesome at the mo with all this dry weather 😉

    can't really stand anyone complaining etc, they're just not looking hard enough.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    I hear that some areas of the north are still black & white?

    LOL! 😀

    (I should point out that I can sit squarely on the fence here, being a Midlander. 🙂 )

    nickc
    Full Member

    Blimey, some bizarre comments. TJ you're just wrong, ok? Leave it don't argue, youre talking shit. I can ride for hours in the chilterns and not meet a soul, happens more often than not.

    jimbobrighton
    Free Member

    I always thoguht the riding was poor and the hills small before I moved down south to brighton from huddersfield where I grew up.

    Now, I think all types of riding that I do are perfectly served by the south east, and the riding I've don in recent times in Yorkshire hasn't been up to much, but I suppose its all just different, and you become fond of what you know best.

    Warmer down here too.

    Whos_Daddy
    Free Member

    We all know The North Wins EVERYTIME. FACT! 😆

    cookeaa
    Full Member

    I’m not sure I’ve ever had anyone seriously suggest that one area of the country is “better” for mountain biking, perhaps as a joke or in passing…
    Of course as we all know the East Anglia area is shite, simply too flat and dull, but just about everywhere else has some hills, and thus some reasonable riding….

    I’m sure there’s some grizzled old Yorkshire men who simply despise the south and all it stands for likewise some Cornish fella who can’t stand all the northern monkeys, personally I find I get on with most people regardless of their regional origins…

    Most of the country can unite in it’s hatred of Londoners though; mostly useless gits hoovering up resources, Bumping up the cost of housing, generally achieving nothing but doing so in the most costly and “fashionable” way possible… But London isn't the "Proper" south anyway…

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    The midlands is worse, especially warwick, I think there's about 3 bridleways tops, I'd love the Crappy south riding on my doorstep

    samuri
    Free Member

    Black and White? I'd kill for black and white. They've got it easy. It's just black here.

    mtb_rossi
    Free Member

    I have the Malverns on my doorstep. Not that challenging but still good to ride on a day to day basis. And its an hour to Cwmcarn.

    uplink
    Free Member

    I hear that some areas of the north are still black & white?

    Sepia for that bit west of the Pennines

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    the North, now;

    brassneck
    Full Member

    (I should point out that I can sit squarely on the fence here, being a Midlander. )

    Midlander – There can be only one…

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    Midlander – There can be only one…

    8) :mrgreen:

    brassneck
    Full Member

    Of course as we all know the East Anglia area is shite, simply too flat and dull, but just about everywhere else has some hills, and thus some reasonable riding….

    Probably just been trolled, but Thetford is a giggle.. not sure I'd want it as my local riding, but real fun nonetheless.

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