looking for holiday cycling base in UK

canamdad

I just moved to the UK 6 weeks ago from Canada and am living in Berkshire. I've got 4 or 5 days in June for a brief cycling getaway and would like some suggestions. I'd like to be able to travel by rail (my nearest station with good connections is Reading I believe) and get to a small town where I can find a B&B and set up for some day rides in the area. Isle of Wight and the Peaks District are a couple of places I'm considering but for the Peaks, I'm not sure where would be a good place to base out of. Thanks for any suggestings on these two locations or any others that you think would be promising!

Unknown

You could have stayed at my place in Preston, Lancashire for free, handy for the lakes yorks moors etc but I will be in Ireland for most of June.

Or,,,,,, if you promise to water my flower beds and mow the lawns it could still be arranged.

I sail Monday morning.

the clock is ticking

george

_________________________________
Trip
www.pedalpatagonia.co.uk

2 Bikes
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DLB

Are we ALL invited or just canmadad??? [:)]

*** Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're probably right ***

megilleland

From Reading take the Cotswold line towards Hereford and get off at any station other than Oxford and Worcester.
http://www.clpg.co.uk/FGW%20Cotswolds.pdf

With a good Ordnance Survey map you can cycle around the Cotswolds
or westwards towards Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, The Malverns and into Herefordshire. Plenty of accomodation and interest along the way to base yourself for day rides.

Worcestershire and Malvern Hills:
http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/ ... -index.htm
http://www.malverntrail.co.uk/bikingmalvern.htm

Gloucestershire, West Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds:
http://www.cotswolds.com/WhattoDo/Place ... fault.aspx
http://www.cotswoldsaonb.com/
http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index ... cleid=1185

Herefordshire:
http://www.kc3.co.uk/~bicycle/sideways/marches.html

The more you spend - the faster you go - the less you see.

philip99a

You don't say what kind of riding you want.

If you want hills I'd consider Derbyshire. You can get to Buxton with one change at Stockport from Reading. But it does use up 4-5 hrs each way of your valuable 4 days. You might think it's worth it. Getting to Chesterfield is worse. Use

http://ojp2.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/jp

to explore train routes. It now has a handy "Bike Policy" button to click for each section of your route because you may not yet realise but each train company in the UK has its own, differing, bl**dy "bikes on trains" policy. And any long or longish train journey will involve different train companies if you have to change train.

Overall the Cotswolds may be a good first suggestion. Varied riding, some good hills, idyllic countryside, picture postcard villages, plenty of accomodation. But avoid the most popular villages plus it can be expensive for accom and if you eat out. What about south from Shrewsbury, through to Chepstow? ie the area known as The Marches. Might be less expensive and less crowded. Or central Wales?

Campag Super Nova; faster than a cannon ball

Unknown

Wiltshire is not far away and has some great cycling. You could occupy yourself for a few days with lots of different routes. It is generally rolling hills with empty B roads.

I live in Marlborough and am never stuck for a new route.

If you want more details then pm me.

Ed

Cathryn

I'd back Edddd. I'm from about 20 miles from Marlborough and it's gorgeous countryside. Head towards Salisbury (my home) and it's picture perfect cottages all around. However my current exile up north has made me learn to love Yorkshire, the Dales are just beautiful beyond belief. Maybe not today though...it's horrid here!!