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

Do ducks sit on fences?

I live very close to the Devils Punch Bowl and Hindhead hills. We did a 10 mile loop on Sunday afternoon and, apart from the 500m of trails around the Hindhead cafe car park, we didn't see another living soul.

People in the South East drive to a well known spot, park up, pull the bikes/kids/dogs out the back of the car and go no more than 500m in any direction. If you're prepared to buy a 1:25000 OS map and park somewhere different, you can ride XC all day almost entirely alone.

Surrey Hills singletrack is ace. It's a great playground. But it's not a wide area and I can't find anything else of that quality close enough to London for a day ride. Swinley's ok but it's still a big playground rather than 'outdoors' riding.
I've ridden Surrey Hills most weekends for 5 years and tbh I've got bored. I seem to have found all the good stuff and it gets boring riding the same stuff every weekend. I find the Lakes and Peaks so much more technically challenging and what I would call a 'proper outdoor' experience which is something I like about mountain biking.
I've actually just got a new job – in Manchester – specifically because it's easy to get to N Wales, Peaks and Lakes at the weekends….

I still struggle with the fact that Sourthen chippys do not provide gravy to go with chips.

Chips and gravy is quite possibly the best thing to come out of the North, we're missing a trick there.

BR there is so much more than Leith, Pitch and Holmbury round there.

yorkshire is "gods own country" apparently. i almost live there and find that attitude quite irritating. i'm sure theres good riding to be had in the south but i don't want to drive 4 hours to find it.

TJ you're just wrong, ok?

Is he though?
I see all these articles about "Riding from your doorstep" in ST and though I can, it's really crap, flat stuff. I have to drive to get anywhere decent.
It must be easier to live near good stuff oop north (I can't do the accent)?

I live near Portsmouth. Just too far away to get out to the south downs on a reasonable distance ride (have to go over 30 miles really).

I think we have about 4 bridleways, 3 of which are fireroads. The rest are cheeky. Nothing super gnarly, no huge drops or jumps, I don't think we have any rocks anywhere, but we do have the occasional root. But it can still be fun, you just have to take the right approach to it.

Most of the guys I ride with ride rigid SS, and we ride hard and fast. Almost similar to road riding (its SS cyclocross friendly too), but really good fun all the same.

i get the impression that the north is filled with vast expanses of bleak moorland where no-one ever goes (except to bury/look for murder victims).

is this a generalisation?

RealMan – Member
I live near Portsmouth
The rest are cheeky. Nothing super gnarly, no huge drops or jumps, I don't think we have any rocks anywhere, but we do have the occasional root.

People still ride on Hilsea Lines?

I thought some southern chippies had fixed the no gravy thing. I've certainly had a tray of chips with gravy AND mushy peas on it down south.

Obviously it was minging.

we're in the world cup. they're not.

It's all relative. You could convince some people that riding round their back garden was the apotheosis of mountain biking, if that's all they know.

For me, if I had to move from Scotland down to the SE I'd sell the bikes and find something else to do in my spare time. No question about it. Likewise, someone leaving British Columbia to move over to Scotland might think the same.

i get the impression that the north is filled with vast expanses of bleak moorland where no-one ever goes (except to bury/look for murder victims).

is this a generalisation?

No, that's pretty much it. Even the M62 corridor is as you describe and that's the most populated area North of Birmingham.

yossarian – Member
i get the impression that the north is filled with vast expanses of bleak moorland where no-one ever goes (except to bury/look for murder victims).

is this a generalisation?

That's just what we want you to believe 😀

(I'm from the North of Britain btw, i.e. Scotchland)

Garry_Lager – I think that most people on here are cyclists and would adjust the riding they did to the area they lived in rather than just sack it in 'cos it wasn't what they were used to.

Thank you Dezb

I think nickc misunderstood me a bit

I really loved the riding I have done in the south and I enjoy the somewhat different nature of it. However the availablity of the riding is not so widespread.

I live in a city but within riding distance I have hundreds of miles of legal trails.

Generalisations are dangerous for sure and riding is difgferent in different parts of the UK. I don't think the riding down south is crqp but I do think its scarcer.

BTW – the south is anywhere south of Sheffield 🙂

brooess you sum it up for me too.

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

Hi there! 😀

It's all relative. You could convince some people that riding round their back garden was the apotheosis of mountain biking, if that's all they know

So you think we haven't been anywhere else?

Dez – They still have to drive to a lot of it though.

We're very lucky in Farnborough, I know that. From my door I can ride to about 7, 8 maybe 9 or 10 different 'areas' that are packed with trails. Yes, there's no big hills, but there's plenty short sharp ones to get you sweating, and an absolute shedload of singletrack. The other week we did a 55 mile, all night ride that just did a couple of trails in each of about 4-5 of those areas. There would be no problem doubling that, either.
I was out routefinding for my July ride on Sunday and did 28 miles wihout going any more than a 5-6 mile radius from my house. I'm thinking I've got too much singletrack in the route too, and I need to trim a couple of miles off that figure as well! 🙂

Or does the south start south of Newcastle? I can never remeber

as a southerner i think its a bit crap. there are some fun bits and some suicidally steep bits but nothing proper sized or gnarly enough to need loads of travel.

i`d kill for a rocky lakes descent or two local to my door. you know something that warrents 6" travel and dual ply tyres.

I think the riding in the North is better, and I live near the Surrey hills. 😕

Northerners are friendlier than Southerners too.

For me, if I had to move from Scotland down to the SE I'd sell the bikes and find something else to do in my spare time.

Really? Serious question – have you ever ridden down south?

I've ridden all over, and I've loved it all. South, North, West, Wales, Scotland (although not much up there).

I think you do adapt and grow to love what you're used to. I've always lived smack in the middle of the Surrey Hills, and I definitely prefer my outdoors to have woods, my views to have more than bleak moor, my tracks I like better smooth and fast than boggy or rocky…

However, this is the absolute top-spot in the South East – I might be a tad less passionate if reared on chalk downland or soggy lowland.

(PS. One last thing that I really like about Surrey Hills is Garry_Lager doesn't live here.)

really loved the riding I have done in the south and I enjoy the somewhat different nature of it. However the availablity of the riding is not so widespread.

I think that's more to do with you knowing your local area so well 🙂 See, if I came up to you, I might reach the same conclusion simply because I don't know any different. And you're lucky too: Not everyone up North can say the same 🙂

I live in a city but within riding distance I have hundreds of miles of legal trails.

Same here. 🙂

I can never remeber

Or spell 😆

TandemJeremy – Member

Or does the south start south of Newcastle? I can never remeber

A friend of mine from Bounremouth considers Oxford the north!

The East Midlands is absolutely shite for riding. At least the south has swinley and esher shore (I think?).

I love riding in the Surrey hills but it has to be said – it's a bit "bijou"…

Especially so when I get over to ride in Wales as a comparison.

Completely different perspective.

something that warrents 6" travel and dual ply tyres.

Use less travel? 😉

Thing is, I love my local riding (North Wessex Downs) and I just don't get bored of it. I guess many Lakeland locals might, after they'd gotten over their lack-of-altitude sickness, but maybe they too would feel a connection with the place.
In fact I generally would rather ride here than pack up the car to the Quantocks or S Wales, even though there are bigger hills and better singletrack… being a visitor makes them all the sweeter the few times a year I venture out.

It's what you make of it, rather than what it is.. or it's not where you're from, it's where you're at 🙂

Really? Serious question – have you ever ridden down south?

I've ridden all over, and I've loved it all. South, North, West, Wales, Scotland (although not much up there).

Yes, totally agree. It's ALL GOOD, and I don't think anywhere is BETTER. Just different. 🙂

If I wanted I could moan for a while about dead straight Northern paths that blast down hills with no corners. But I won't. Because although there might be a smidgen of truth in it, I don't believe it's worse, even if it's true. It's just different.

TJ I understood completely what you're trying to say. My map of just the west of the chilterns has a little over 500 miles of legal trails and probably the same again of cheeky. I'd say there about another 300 or so in the east. There's loads

Northerners think Southern riding is crap as it gives them another thing to be bitter about. Since the mines closed and hovis stopped doing doorstep deliveries there's not much joy up there.

I'm perfectly happy with the riding down ehre on the southcoast. I actually ride with realman and agree that you have to have a certain approach to the riding you do regardless of where it is. Taking the time to use some stupid little set of steps as a drop off, riding around old forgotten woods and the like. One of my favourites is mountain biking in the city, really opens your eyes to the possibilities of a mountain bike.

Really? Serious question – have you ever ridden down south?

I've ridden all over, and I've loved it all. South, North, West, Wales, Scotland (although not much up there).

I studied in London for a few years and did a fair bit of riding. Trails were uniformly pish, although I did like riding round the city itself.

I would sell the bikes, yeah, if it was London / SE commuterland. I'm speaking from the POV of someone who has to work to fit in cycling into a busy life. How could you justify going out for a weekend ride round Epping forest FFS? My missus would laugh in my face – you're taking 4 hours out of the weekend with me and the bairn to ride round that bag of pish? It just wouldn't work.

best you stay where you are then Garry.

I don't really think the sarf is crap, but they're all so touchy you only have to mildly diss their tiny, smooth hillocks and they're up in arms :o)

I take four hours or more out most weekends to ride around Surrey hills. My missus wishes that we lived further away from such good riding.

Trails were uniformly pish

Which trails?