If you could live anywhere in the UK...
ride165
Posts: 3
...where would you live?
With regards to the best location for proximity to trails in the UK where would you choose to live?
I love riding single track in the forest. Sadly I'm going to be leaving New Zealand next year but I have the opportunity to choose where to relocate to in the UK.
Over and out
With regards to the best location for proximity to trails in the UK where would you choose to live?
I love riding single track in the forest. Sadly I'm going to be leaving New Zealand next year but I have the opportunity to choose where to relocate to in the UK.
Over and out
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wales or scotland, if the single factor is MTB0
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Ings, inbetween stavley and Ambleside in the lake district or langdale, also in the lakes.When you go to the ground you are in my world. My world is the ocean. I am the shark and most people don't know how to swim0
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Peak District... Dark Peak specifically. Great trails on doorstep and easy to get to North Wales and the Lakes.0
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If MTB was my ONLY concern. Probably somewhere between Glentress and Inners.
However, taking other factors into consideration, I'll be staying where I currently am.0 -
If it was only MTB to think about probably somewhere in North Wales or the Peaks.
When it comes to leaving uni and actually having to find a job it depends on what I want to go into and what need there is in a specific area.0 -
where i live, but in a bigger and nicer house
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It's worth bearing in mind that the rules on access to off-road paths are very different in Scotland to those in England and Wales. There was an article on this in the April/May edition of the CTC magazine, Cycle, where they were bemoaning the fact that "off-road access for UK cyclists seems stymied everywhere except Scotland", which they described as a "mountain biker's paradise". Basically, north of the border, "the 2003 Land Reform Act gave statutory access for cyclists, walkers and equestrians to most land, including pretty well all paths and tracks and encompasses woodlands mountain and moorland."
So, if you want to ride on natural paths then you'll have more options north of the border. If you are happy with trail centres though, you'll find them across the UK, but they are obviously more crowded the closer you are to major population centres.
Cheers,
Andy0 -
andy_welch wrote:It's worth bearing in mind that the rules on access to off-road paths are very different in Scotland to those in England and Wales. There was an article on this in the April/May edition of the CTC magazine, Cycle, where they were bemoaning the fact that "off-road access for UK cyclists seems stymied everywhere except Scotland", which they described as a "mountain biker's paradise". Basically, north of the border, "the 2003 Land Reform Act gave statutory access for cyclists, walkers and equestrians to most land, including pretty well all paths and tracks and encompasses woodlands mountain and moorland."
So, if you want to ride on natural paths then you'll have more options north of the border. If you are happy with trail centres though, you'll find them across the UK, but they are obviously more crowded the closer you are to major population centres.
Cheers,
Andy
just out of interest andy, where do you live? i've been riding on and off for pretty much 20 years and i've never had any issues about riding natural terrain, i've never had any complaints from landowners, walkers, horse riders etc. i guess it's not technically 'legal' but who's it hurting as long as you're courteous and friendly 0 -
andy_welch wrote:It's worth bearing in mind that the rules on access to off-road paths are very different in Scotland to those in England and Wales. There was an article on this in the April/May edition of the CTC magazine, Cycle, where they were bemoaning the fact that "off-road access for UK cyclists seems stymied everywhere except Scotland", which they described as a "mountain biker's paradise". Basically, north of the border, "the 2003 Land Reform Act gave statutory access for cyclists, walkers and equestrians to most land, including pretty well all paths and tracks and encompasses woodlands mountain and moorland."
So, if you want to ride on natural paths then you'll have more options north of the border. If you are happy with trail centres though, you'll find them across the UK, but they are obviously more crowded the closer you are to major population centres.
Yep, but it also involves living in Scotland.0 -
welshkev wrote:
just out of interest andy, where do you live? i've been riding on and off for pretty much 20 years and i've never had any issues about riding natural terrain, i've never had any complaints from landowners, walkers, horse riders etc. i guess it's not technically 'legal' but who's it hurting as long as you're courteous and friendly
I'm currently up in the North-East of Scotland (before that it was Utah, and before that South-East England). Once you get away from population centres I'm sure that you are right. It may not technically be legal but you can probably find places to ride. Once the population density increases though that "not technically legal" bit becomes an issue as landowners tend to exercise their right to exclude you. It's handy knowing, up here, that you do have the right of access to most land and forestry is a big part of the local economy, which means a mass of forest roads, logging tracks and forests in general, most of which are on hills
But I'm sure you are right; Wales, the Lakes, Peak District etc probably all have enough routes to keep most people happy. I'd avoid the south-east though.
Cheers,
Andy0 -
Angry Bird wrote:
Yep, but it also involves living in Scotland.
Oh, you get used to it As an Englishman whose been here for around 15 years now, I'd find it pretty hard to go back to be honest. But that's to do with a lot more than just the access to trails.
Cheers,
Andy0 -
I echo that sentiment.welshkev wrote:i've been riding on and off for pretty much 20 years and i've never had any issues about riding natural terrain, i've never had any complaints from landowners, walkers, horse riders etc. i guess it's not technically 'legal' but who's it hurting as long as you're courteous and friendly
There was a period of about 3 years where the wolly sock brigade were campaigning to change access laws or something, when we were stopped and given a load of innacurate bullorks about our access rights by them, but it soon passed.
Funnilly enough, those were the only people I've bumped into in the great outdoors, that I've not felt the need to be polite to.0 -
I don't fancy scotland. Wales in nice though.
But unless you are retiring you'll need to work and wales would not be top of my places to work in.0 -
YeehaaMcgee wrote:
I echo that sentiment.welshkev wrote:i've been riding on and off for pretty much 20 years and i've never had any issues about riding natural terrain, i've never had any complaints from landowners, walkers, horse riders etc. i guess it's not technically 'legal' but who's it hurting as long as you're courteous and friendly
There was a period of about 3 years where the wolly sock brigade were campaigning to change access laws or something, when we were stopped and given a load of innacurate bullorks about our access rights by them, but it soon passed.
Funnilly enough, those were the only people I've bumped into in the great outdoors, that I've not felt the need to be polite to.
Very true... all the wooly hat brigade are getting very excited at the moment about the upcoming 80th Anniversary of the Kinder Trespass but don't seem to see the hypocrisy in their opposition to extending access rights and changing ROW designation to accommodate mountain bikers. I know there are some mutterings of a Kinder MTB trespass on the 24th April.0 -
diy wrote:I don't fancy scotland. Wales in nice though.
But unless you are retiring you'll need to work and wales would not be top of my places to work in.
Unfortunately it can be quite hard to work in Wales.
I'm trying to swing the live-near-Wales-work-in-England thing at the moment.0 -
andy_welch wrote:Angry Bird wrote:
Yep, but it also involves living in Scotland.
Oh, you get used to it As an Englishman whose been here for around 15 years now, I'd find it pretty hard to go back to be honest. But that's to do with a lot more than just the access to trails.
Cheers,
Andy
I've been in Scotland a year and I love it. Edinburgh is one of the nicest cities I've ever been to, let alone lived in. With the Pentlands on the doorstep, most of the 7 stanes within a couple of hours drive, and loads of natural riding further north we're spoilt for choice up here.
And it hasn't even been that cold this winter. Win.0 -
More or less where I live to be honest, about 15 miles north, smack in the middle of the Surrey Hills, hundreds of miles of excellent singletrack, decent road riding and not in the middle of nowhere!0
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Wales,
No midges like scotland, and less snow! and not England because it's dull with horrible places like London and Brum :P0 -
Thewaylander wrote:Wales,
No midges like scotland, and less snow! and not England because it's dull with horrible places like London and Brum :P
You make it sound like there is nowhere dull in Wales or Scotland......and that you've discounted England because of BHam and London... :shock:0 -
BigJimmyB wrote:Thewaylander wrote:Wales,
No midges like scotland, and less snow! and not England because it's dull with horrible places like London and Brum :P
You make it sound like there is nowhere dull in Wales or Scotland......and that you've discounted England because of BHam and London... :shock:
Just run of the mill chippiness from our Celtic cousins... best just ignore it
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This along with an Audi and a Specialized.njee20 wrote:More or less where I live to be honest, about 15 miles north, smack in the middle of the Surrey Hills, hundreds of miles of excellent singletrack, decent road riding and not in the middle of nowhere!I don't do smileys.
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Parktools0 -
This along with an Audi and a Specialized.
Dream car is an R8, and I've had 6 S-Works bikes, may as well fit the stereotype :-)0 -
We have a crapload of midges. I've now been to Scotland several times, and have never encountered a single midge, whereas you can hardly breathe in some of Snowdonia's forests due to the quantities of midges at certain times in summer.Thewaylander wrote:Wales,
No midges like scotland, and less snow!
I'm beginning to think the Scottish midge thing is a myth. Like haggis. Or that funny accent they put on when "outsiders" are around (ssssh, they actually sound like a kind of Californian/Aussie/Brummie - A "Brumiforssie" accent if you will).
And we may get less snow, but any hint of it, and Wales immediately comes to a pathetic grinding halt - so we may as well have all the snow in Sweden for the effect it has on getting around!0 -
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Thewaylander wrote:Wales,
No midges like scotland, and less snow! and not England because it's dull with horrible places like London and Brum :P
Midges are mostly found in the western areas of Scotland. Given the right conditions they can be a PITA but central & eastern areas are relatively clear. There is no shortage of quality biking no matter where you live here. I have also been to Wales cycling before and wasn't dissapointed (although the accent can be a bit misunderstood!!!).0 -
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mrmonkfinger wrote:diy wrote:I don't fancy scotland. Wales in nice though.
But unless you are retiring you'll need to work and wales would not be top of my places to work in.
Unfortunately it can be quite hard to work in Wales.
I'm trying to swing the live-near-Wales-work-in-England thing at the moment.
Yeah I'm considering something similar, thinking about South West, hopefully get a job in Bath/Bristol area with Wales within fairly easy reach.
Cheers for all the replies guys, cracked me up some of them!0 -
BigJimmyB wrote:Thewaylander wrote:Wales,
No midges like scotland, and less snow! and not England because it's dull with horrible places like London and Brum :P
You make it sound like there is nowhere dull in Wales or Scotland......and that you've discounted England because of BHam and London... :shock:
and what's wrong with that? 0 -
I thought they built the M4 so that us lot in the South East could have easy access to the riding in Wales without the drawback of actually having to live there? :P"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0
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Yep. It's true. However, in the North we're far more selfish. so we make a token gesture with the one proper road, named after a body part, then make you get lost along a spaghetti network of badly surfaced, crazily narrow, badly signposted rally-tracks-posing-as-main-roads.Stevo 666 wrote:I thought they built the M4 so that us lot in the South East could have easy access to the riding in Wales without the drawback of actually having to live there? :P
Oh, and we hide solid, impenetrable barriers in the soft looking hedges that line the sides of the roads, and deep ditches at the side of the road, disguised by tall grass and foliage.
Frankly, if you make it to a north Wales trail centre, you deserve a medal.0
