Best place to live in the UK

thelivo

Hey all,

have been in NZ for a few years and been spoilt for riding destinations. We are coming back to the UK mid next year, and are in the fortunate position of being able to choose to live pretty much anywhere. Where is the best riding in the UK at the moment, for both quality and quantity?

I'm not into really ull on downhill type riding (and I ride a blur TRC at the moment) but just about anything else goes.

Thoughts?

Cheers!
D

Giraffoto

Got to be Lakes or Peaks to start with, and look further afield if you can't find anywhere there that suits you.

RockmonkeySC

Scotland. Great place to live and ride and as a bonus it won't be part of the UK much longer.

njee20

Is riding the only consideration? I'd sooner live somewhere with good transport links and general quality of life, there aren't many places with truly dire mountain biking (possibly avoid Cambridgeshire/Lincolnshire/East Anglia, and obviously the major cities). The UK is small enough that you're never more than 3-4 hours from Wales/Lakes etc etc.

Angus Young

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Scotland. Great place to live and ride and as a bonus it won't be part of the UK much longer.

One word: Midges.

thelivo

Nah - riding is not the only consideration of course but I have most of the other bits covered! (My wife's scottish and I am english). I left the UK 10 years ago after having worked in London for too long - so one of the things coming back is we are definitely NOT going to the south east. My dad is in the peaks and thats one area we have already homed in on, just hoping to get some other alternatives for good singletrack! Scotland is obviously an option as well.

benpinnick

The 'Scene' is definitely strongest around the shropshire area (Shrewsbury etc.). With plenty of natural trails round there, N, S & Mid wales only a short drive, Fod etc. not too far, lots of options...

njee20

Aye, north west generally puts you very well placed for Wales, Peak, Lakes etc.

buddy_club

benpinnick wrote:

The 'Scene' is definitely strongest around the shropshire area (Shrewsbury etc.). With plenty of natural trails round there, N, S & Mid wales only a short drive, Fod etc. not too far, lots of options...

aye

cooldad

As long as you can put up with people talking funny.

njee20 wrote:

Aye

buddy_club wrote:

aye

Kia Ora.

njee20

And the permafrost that exists up there.

POAH

thelivo wrote:

,

have been in NZ for a few years and been spoilt for riding destinations. We are coming back to the UK mid next year, and are in the fortunate position of being able to choose to live pretty much anywhere. Where is the best riding in the UK at the moment, for both quality and quantity?
D

better ask this question next week as the UK will be changing in size

ilovedirt

Scotland.

cooldad

ilovedirt wrote:

Scotland.

Bloody foreigners.

RockmonkeySC

cooldad wrote:

ilovedirt wrote:

Scotland.

Bloody foreigners.

You're just jealous that they won't have the British government ruling them much longer (bunch of useless ******* only interested in their own profits and don't recognise anything outside London).
Lucky bastards.

Briggo

RockmonkeySC wrote:

You're just jealous that they won't have the British government ruling them much longer (bunch of useless ******* only interested in their own profits and don't recognise anything outside London).
Lucky bastards.

Which will soon become...

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Scottish government, bunch of useless ******* only interested in their own profits and don't recognise anything outside Edinburgh.

But to get back on track.

You're spoilt for choice, me and the wife often have the conversation around where we'd like to live and it's always really close between - Peaks, Wales and Lakes. (Moved to Huddersfield not only because of commuting location but also because of the location to the Peaks and near-ish Lakes & Wales)

Scotland is beautiful but living there is another matter, bit too remote for us.

steve_muzzy

hi mate

Stirling in Scotland is amazing. within 2 hours: all of the 7 stanes, local amazing natural riding with the best access laws in the world, 3000 foot plus descents and the best downhill course in the world (again imo).

plus the beer is good and some of the food is not bad ...

tlw1

buddy_club wrote:

benpinnick wrote:

The 'Scene' is definitely strongest around the shropshire area (Shrewsbury etc.). With plenty of natural trails round there, N, S & Mid wales only a short drive, Fod etc. not too far, lots of options...

aye

+ potato

iand-83

I can definitely say avoid Cambridge/Cambridgeshire as it's flatter than a pancake.

RockmonkeySC

Somerset is a great choice. Quantock hills, Mendip hills and Exmoor. Not far to the South Wales trail centres or Haldon, Tavi Woodlands and Gawton.
Most importantly, Somerset has the best cider (not cidre) in the world.

The Northern Monkey

I'd stay in NZ!

cooldad

The Northern Monkey wrote:

I'd stay in NZ!

+1 kumara

supersonic

Sheffield, naturally. Close to the (well in the) Peaks, Wharncliffe, Yorkshire Dales, NY moors, Wolds, and being centrally placed, not far from other places too.

mike hunts alpine

Best answer to this probably being that the UK/ england, Scotland and wales from Thursday has loads and loads of excellent riding all within a few hours drive some places on your doorstep. Plenty to choose from and plenty of variety we live in an excellent place for mtbing. Overall

thelivo

Argh - struggling with this forum - keeps kicking me back to the home page when I click reply - anyway.....

Thanks all for the replies and helpful advice! Funnily enough 2 of the places that have come up as potentials because of all the other factors involved (family, communications, jobs etc) are Stirling and Sheffield/ the peaks so it looks like we are pretty well set for now!
Looking forward to some new riding, but am really going to miss the trails here. If you can manage it I strongly suggest coming out and riding at Rotorua one day!

cooldad

Smelly.

oodboo

Rhyl

welshkev

Cardiff was just voted best city to live in the UK. the riding isn't too shabby here either

homers_double

Surely this is an impossible question, every region has it's hot spots.

I'd rather pick my spot based on other factors than riding a push bike.

ilovedirt

homers double wrote:

I'd rather pick my spot based on other factors than riding a push bike.

Why bother?

lbalony

Definitely Burnley. Some refer to it as the censored hole of the UK. But it does have a good pie shop.