U.K,s TOP cycling area.

pride4ever

What do you believe is the best area for cycling in the UK and why...discuss.

mouth

Hmm, very subjective is this. Personally I like it flat so would automatically look towards Lincolnshire or Norfolk. There are however plenty of sadists who prefer a lumpier road and will immediately pitch in with the Peak District and it's surrounding area.

Personally I'm going with anywhere on the East coast, sort of between Nottingham and Skegness.

pride4ever

Mouth wrote:

Hmm, very subjective is this. Personally I like it flat so would automatically look towards Lincolnshire or Norfolk. There are however plenty of sadists who prefer a lumpier road and will immediately pitch in with the Peak District and it's surrounding area.

Personally I'm going with anywhere on the East coast, sort of between Nottingham and Skegness.

The east coast is cool, some nice quiet roads round there. I must admit I feel very lucky to live in the WestYorkshire/ East Peak District area. Its amazing for cycling round here and I can only think of North Yorkshire as somewhere maybe better. Castleton as got to be thee place for cyclists, never ceases to amaze me just how many road cyclists you see there whenever you go, brilliant place and the terrain is simply breathtaking.

flasher

Has to be Surrey, not only because of the Olympics, but it's where I live, so also very convenient!

supermurph09

Mouth wrote:

Hmm, very subjective is this. Personally I like it flat so would automatically look towards Lincolnshire or Norfolk. There are however plenty of sadists who prefer a lumpier road and will immediately pitch in with the Peak District and it's surrounding area.

Personally I'm going with anywhere on the East coast, sort of between Nottingham and Skegness.

Most of my riding is in Derbyshire and the Peaks as I live that way now so its all lumpy which I like, but I'm from Edwinstowe and will be passing back through and out that way to Skeg (been many times in the car) on my way to my first planned 100 miler. I'll provide a comparison. But for now, the peak district really is fantastic, Burbage Moor a particular high point (pun intended). Winnatts Pass will be up next.

elderone

In my limited experience I have to say north shrops/welsh border..More than enough hills but can head down onto the shrops plain for flatter/lumpy ride.

zoltansocrates

anywhere north of perth, its basically the alps of scotland

Bozman

I live in Derbyshire and you can't fault it for cycling but I do like Cornwall because it's brutal in places, though the lanes can be a little dodgy.
I cycled in Norfolk for a week once..... Thank god I live in Derbyshire.

RonB

zoltansocrates wrote:

anywhere north of perth, its basically the alps of scotland

I would go with that. Wester Ross in particular, with the incentive that if you stop the midges will get ya!

pete_s

Definitely the Cotswolds. Hilly in the east and flat in the west. Got quite a few killer climbs as well.

Sussed out

Yorkshire.

Loretta Damage

Shropshire for me with the occasional foray over into mid/north Wales. Great choice of routes straight from my village and a great mix of flats, hills and rolling roads. Views from the Stiperstones, Long Mynd and Long Mountain on a clear day are as good as anything you'll see (IMHO!). Great coffee shop and LBS in town as well.

bianchimoon

North Yorkshire quiet roads, hills, flat routes in the vale of York Yorkshire moors one side, Yorkshire dales on the other. Although I've always fancied riding in the new forest

bernithebiker

Flasher wrote:

Has to be Surrey, not only because of the Olympics, but it's where I live, so also very convenient!

I lived in Richmond for 10 years, and did a bit of road riding in that time. Have to say, a bit underwhelmed; i always found the roads in Surrey busy, narrow and poorly surfaced, maybe I just never found the right ones.....!

Inutero

zoltansocrates wrote:

anywhere north of perth, its basically the alps of scotland

I second that. Working my way up, slowly. As soon as you get out of Perth, all the B roads are pretty quiet.

chuckla

South Wales butt! Every kind of road you can think of down here!

HasselHough

The north west.

Hills. Trough of Bowland, nick o'pendle, Belmont, Anglezarke, jubilee tower, and many many more.
The open flats of the Fylde and southport.
The lanes of south west lancs, Wrightington, it they're good enough for Wiggo eh? :-))

amaferanga

Northumberland / Scottish Borders / Dumfries and Galloway. Great roads and virtually no traffic. Sutherland and the Western Isles are also right up there. Peaks and Yorkshire are good, but way more traffic.

MountainMonster

Cambridgeshire has probably the best mountains in the world.

rolf_f

Mouth wrote:

Hmm, very subjective is this. Personally I like it flat so would automatically look towards Lincolnshire or Norfolk.
Personally I'm going with anywhere on the East coast, sort of between Nottingham and Skegness.

My idea of cycling hell! I'd fall off due to boredom or die after hours of battle against mindnumbing headwinds!

Yorkshire works for me. That said, I often cycle around Sussex where my parents live and like that too. There is an advantage that in less remote areas, whilst the scenery isn't a patch on eg the North, there are a lot more roads to choose so more variety of routes. And more options for quieter lanes. The only problem with Leeds is that it takes a little while to get anywhere flat if you do fancy a change but there is so much variety around here it will keep me busy for a while yet.

zoltansocrates

Inutero wrote:

zoltansocrates wrote:

anywhere north of perth, its basically the alps of scotland

I second that. Working my way up, slowly. As soon as you get out of Perth, all the B roads are pretty quiet.

theres one wee bit, hope you know it, from milton morenish over to bridge of balgie - i literally love that roadbut descents are ruined by having to share a single track with cars motor homes etc - its not long but some nice climbing and the scenery, ooof

gaddster

For me it's Dartmoor and surrounding areas, superb scenery and some brutal lumps. Not that many flat bits here.

negativelycra

Richmodn park.

Hell, if you're gong to smuggle a budgie, do it in front of a crowd

nevman

Finest riding in the UK?Far North Scotland,Sutherland and Wester Ross.Or the Peak District provided its dry.

Inutero

zoltansocrates wrote:

Inutero wrote:

zoltansocrates wrote:

anywhere north of perth, its basically the alps of scotland

I second that. Working my way up, slowly. As soon as you get out of Perth, all the B roads are pretty quiet.

theres one wee bit, hope you know it, from milton morenish over to bridge of balgie - i literally love that roadbut descents are ruined by having to share a single track with cars motor homes etc - its not long but some nice climbing and the scenery, ooof

Nope, but I'm off in a few weeks. Will definitely head up there for a look.

mrbrightside

Rolf F wrote:

Mouth wrote:

Hmm, very subjective is this. Personally I like it flat so would automatically look towards Lincolnshire or Norfolk.
Personally I'm going with anywhere on the East coast, sort of between Nottingham and Skegness.

My idea of cycling hell! I'd fall off due to boredom or die after hours of battle against mindnumbing .

Feel my pain, I thought I was the only who thought like this.

Grill

chuckla wrote:

South Wales butt! Every kind of road you can think of down here!

This. Any terrain you can think of is within reach.

LegendLust

Even though I'm a Yorkshireman, Northumberland is the best area for riding. Empty roads and challenging terrain

jotko

Bristol and surrounds are pretty good - a proper city but you're in the country side in minutes, Mendips on the doorstep, striking distance to hills of South Wales, nice flat runs along Severn Estuary

canny_lad

Loretta Damage wrote:

Shropshire for me with the occasional foray over into mid/north Wales. Great choice of routes straight from my village and a great mix of flats, hills and rolling roads. Views from the Stiperstones, Long Mynd and Long Mountain on a clear day are as good as anything you'll see (IMHO!). Great coffee shop and LBS in town as well.

+1 for Shropshire/mid Wales, it's got the lot.

cat_with_no_tail

Isle of Man (of course)

The best bits from the whole of the UK crammed into an awesome 200 sq/mi package with very little traffic.

Plus (and most importantly), I live there, which on it's own is reason enough to come visit.