[Closed] Best TOWNS to live in as a MTBer?

True, kids called Oscar & Betty? Fenwicks storecard? Only you can answer

Didnt realise Fenwicks did score cards.....How tempting. Been eyeing up one of those Barbour jackets. They is all the rage you know.

Dorking's great, but Guildford would be better (or even Woking to be cheaper)

As well as 30 mins onto the NDW and then over to the Surrey Hills area that you can access Dorking from, 20 mins in the other direction and you're on all the Gorrick areas.

So what is it you prefer about towns?

Fewer pedantic clever-clogs people tend to live in them.

Tough one this -

Newtonmore - handy for Aviemore/Cair Gorms/Laggan

Llangennith - handy for miles of natural bridle-way and surfing

or Coleford for FoD - but not sure I'd want to be too close with the locals... 😕

Anywhere west of Brum straddled by the M6 - yes that includes Stourbridge.

Good riding from the door - Kinver, Clent etc
Long Mynd, Cannock Chase - within 45 mins drive
Peaks/North Wales/Mid Wales - 1 30 mins
South Wales and Scotland - 3-4 30 mins

sorted

Durango?

Dorking's great, but Guildford would be better (or even Woking to be cheaper)

Guildford's a city.

(I wouldn't pick it over Dorking anyway, but that's subjective.)

Actually I stand corrected having checked Wikipedia, it says Guildford's a town despite having a cathedral and university.

Of the places I've been through, for their proximity to good trails or promising terrain at the very least, I'd reckon Peebles, Pitlochry, Lewes, Tiverton, or Lake District tourist traps like Keswick or Ambleside. Chapel-en-le-Frith - dunno if that counts as a town or not.

Marple isn't a town either, it's a small suburb of Manchester trying hard to be a village...

It used to be a village. However more importantly it's got doorstep riding and not far from The Peak/s.

Yeah, but it was never a 'town', so that's Marple out. Besides, my doorstep riding is the Peak. Your doorstep riding is my foul weather option 😉

+1 for Bolton. Rains alot though.

I come from Manchester, have lived in Sheffield an currently have a house in Todmorden. Partner lives in Bury.

I can honestly say that of all the places I've lived in, Bury and Bolton are by far the best:

40 odd miles of superb, mixed use trails on the doorstep.
Yes, Tod is wonderful, but after spending 20 odd years there it's nice to have a change.

If we take cheek into account, I'd say Llanberis has the edge, but for available, safe, fun trails, Bury and Bolton win every single time.

Don't tell anyone, for god's sake. 😀

Innerleithen!! Coffee and cakes at I-cycles brilliant trails and it is'nt in Peebles End of!

Glad to see nobody has let slip that it is actually Abergavenny. It would be a shame to let that cat out of the bag.

Skipton.

[b]mattjg[/b]
Actually I stand corrected having checked Wikipedia, it says Guildford's a town despite having a cathedral and university.

Guildford is a very good place to ride from, best in UK I have to hope not even though I've lived there 25 years.

can't believe SBZ said Penicuik.
As a resident there I must say it's pretty good.
Pentlands are on the doorstep and local trails are good.
15 mins from Peebles, and also 15 mins from Edinburgh.

Saltaire

Guildford is a city

It's a town!

Dorking is lovely, Guildford better for going out in the evening, quite attractive too though.

Matlock - nice but hard climbs out
Bakewell - great trail access

No-one has said Penrith - handy for eastern lakes, Lowther valley, 30 mins from Keswick close to M6/A66 , and a real town (with a Booths just open)

mattjg and mudshark - what do I know I just live here. Indeed Guildford is formally a town.

Marple!

Belper

I forgot Wirksworth

mattjg and mudshark - what do I know I just live here. Indeed Guildford is formally a town.

Queenie decides what's a city or not.

And it is better than Dorking because it's so close to two great riding areas rather than one.

Actually more than two, because Puttenham / Devils Punchbowl is also easily rideable from my door, although I do have to go on the road a bit.

I'm quite astonished at the UK-centric gist of responses...

And it is better than Dorking because it's so close to two great riding areas rather than one.

Ah but Dorking's not [i]close[/i] to riding areas, it's [i]in[/i] a riding area. I can be off-road from 300 metres of my front door, and go in 3 different directions for miles and miles. I love that.

I also like Dorking because it's smaller, more personable (but big enough to have everything I need), other folks will prefer Guildford because it's bigger. Fair dos.

But a lot of this is subjective, they're both good. What I am going to do one Sunday is chuck my bike in the car and drive over to the other side of Guildford to see what's there. That's what we're all here for after all.

Freiburg, the Schwarzwald is on the doorstep, just over the border to the Vosges region of France, and within striking distance of the Alps. Big enough to have decent employment prospects and serviced by efficient German public transport.

Durango would suit me (and the wife would be on Right-Move quick as lightning if she thought that was a possibility).

Crawley.

Seriously, it's ace. I don't live there yet (I live in a very middle-class Sussex village and my kids go to a great local school) but Crawley is where it's at:

- For biking, they have painted several white lines down the gutter at the side of some of the main roads. And some of the estates have an excellent network of singletrack 'rabbit runs' used by drug dealers escaping from the Police.

- Your trials skills can be developed riding over the many trail obstacles around town (burned out cars, dumped fridges, dead people).

- Your fitness levels will improve too, as you'll get plenty of interval training when sprinting away from gangs any Saturday night.

It has a major international airport just up the road too - so it's easy to fly away from to go somewhere nicer, although why anyone would want to do so beats me.

Im sure there are places with more dramatic and demanding landscapes but always feel very lucky living in lewes. Can do offroad loops that take in South Downs Way, river, fast country roads, hills, Friston Forest and Stanmer Park trails, sea, Brighton cafes and Lewes pubs. In one day! I'm a North Downs boy and I love that environment but for off-bike living and diversity of cycling experience I'm where I want to be.

What I am going to do one Sunday is chuck my bike in the car and drive over to the other side of Guildford to see what's there.

Bolton is great for MTB'ing plus I live there!!

But, I'd have to say Keswick. Lovely town, great people and the trails on your doorstep (if you dont just limit yourself to the BW's) are just utterly brilliant.

Ponty, Merthyr, Caerffilthy 😉

But a lot of this is subjective, they're both good. What I am going to do one Sunday is chuck my bike in the car and drive over to the other side of Guildford to see what's there. That's what we're all here for after all.

So you're voting on Dorking without even having been over the other side of Guildford.

Come back after and then agree with me.......

Chill out fella.

Where do I go first?

Penrith, Cumbria Ride out the door off road in to Lakes or up into the Pennines. If you have to drive 20mins to keswick 1h38 mins to Manchester 1hr 45 to Edinburgh 7 stains not far + for the darkside the UK highest bit of tarmac and v quiet roads its perfectley possible to do 60miles and only have 2-3 cars go past I am not moving!

mattjg - the best riding from Guildford is to the East and South East - ie towards traditional Surrey Hills. From Guildford via NDW/Newlands Corner to top of Holmbury/Pitch/Winterfold and back is a 30-35k loop. Plenty of 15-25k options taking in villages like Shere etc. I do a nice pootle along river to Godalming and then across country to a favourite pub (which was very popular with a certain Chris Evans in the day) before returning via disused railway linking Cranleigh to Guildford. You can ride up the Wey Navigation towards London but none of it is as good as the routes/villages and hills mentioned above. Riding towards West (Farnham/Puttenham Common) is generally sandy and a bit dull, there are some loops around Frensham Ponds but that's a sand est too.

theotherjonv - any better suggestions, I'd be ken to hear them.

I like living in Guildford and riding form there but if it was the best in the country I think I'd have to emigrate !

Cannock would be good but if you want to live in East Anglia try Brandon as you are the dorrstep of the forest.

Epping is decent (for the forest) if you want to live on a tube line.

I'd have to say Guildford is pretty good, although I am a bit biased as I live here.

Plus points are....

Riding around here is rather good considering how close we are to major population areas. Both road and off road stuff.
Fantastic transport links, I can get to Gatwick with my bike on public transport in under an hour.
Very good employment prospects.
A number of good town centre and country pubs in and around Guildford.
Lovely town centre.
Good choice of restaurants.
Low (cycle) crime.
3 good bike shops and a couple of others that are useful.
Plenty of places for families to go with their children and ride their bikes.

Jambalaya - there is some very good riding to the west and south west of Guildford.

Bolton of course 😉
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seriously though has to be in Cumbria or Scotland

I would still go with freiburg.

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jambalaya and mattjg

You've missed the whole of the military lands to the NW of Guildford. Broadly the area centres on Deepcut and is bounded by the A324 to the south east, the A322 up the east side, the A331 on the west side and the M3 to the north. And that's just the start.

From my house I can be off road in 1/2 a mile, and from there ride across to pirbright, onto the military areas, and do 5+ miles of almost entirely singletrack then on each of Tunnel Hill, Porridgepot Hill, Frith Hill, cross into Swinley and Crowthorne Woods, head over the ridges to Yateley, Eversley, Warren Heath, Minley - all with miles of ST there as well, eventually down past Fleet Ponds and onto Caesers W of Aldershot; then Basingstoke canal back to Tunnel hill and back via Pirbright to home. Not difficult to link together 600-odd miles of riding of mainly singletrack and very little road if you know where to look.

Get the OS out and find the areas above and have an explore. Or hook up with eg: the Tunnel Hill Trolls. I'll stop short of maps because these are army lands in the main, and while we are tolerated there I won't advertise too widely either.

Other comment was meant tongue in cheek btw. But come and have a look, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Check out http://tunnelhilltrolls.get-forum.net/index.htm and also www.trailactiongroup.co.uk , for great work on these trails and assisting with access issues on these areas.

Jon thx I'll get the map out.

I would agree with the Dorking shout, would love to live there. Only issue is that it takes too long commuting into london.

BTW, Guildford = Town. Go on the official guildford.gov.uk site if you think otherwise...

I'm a big fan of Surrey's riding, but if it wasn't for the work opportunities would you guys still rate it over Cumbria etc as MTBers?

I'm a big fan of Surrey's riding, but if it wasn't for the work opportunities would you guys still rate it over Cumbria etc as MTBers?

Of all the places I've ridden (Welsh & Scottish trail centres, holidays to Peaks, Peru, Utah, others) where I live now is the best place I know to [i]ride[/i] and [i]live[/i]. It suits me and what I want to do. I can't comment on Cumbria etc with any in-depth knowledge.

It's totally subjective of course.

The thread title is plural, "where are the best" not "which one is the very best". That way lies madness and I bet many places mentioned here are superb.

Yeah, I was more curious about what weight people were giving to riding vs other stuff than arguing the toss.

Nice to see a few votes for Skipton. Brilliant little town and some top trails from the door without having to live in West Yorkshire...

A great many of the posts on here are of the format "Well, I live in x and really like the biking..."

Pretty subjective!

theotherjonv - thanks, I am aware of Tunnel/Porridge Pot/Frith Hill I should get out an explore. I did notice on Wednesday that with the Hindhead Tunnel it's now only 25 mins to Queen Elizabeth Park and much less obviously to Devils Punchbowl etc.

MSP - Freiberg's twin town is Guildford 🙂

chakaping - that was my point earlier, as good as living and riding around Guildford is I cannot believe it's the best in the UK, there must be some spectacular places in the Lakes or Peak District or even Wales no ? If Guildford was the best what would I have to look forward to ! BTW the riding may be good in Cumbria but the weather ?

Will have to throw Kendal into the mix been here for 7 mths now and have managed a differant trail/route everytime I have been out.Close to the Dales/Lakes and on the M6 for Scotland.Never seem to see many people out which is odd but it can be a tad wet!
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/6766212911/ ]kendl[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr

Yeah, I was more curious about what weight people were giving to riding vs other stuff than arguing the toss.

Can't really separate them, I think for the 'best' places, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Theotherjonv - so that's Tunnel Hill!! I was driving along the B3405 not so long ago and thinking, that looks like a place that could be worth trying. Now I know, thanks for the ideas. Meeting up with a guy from Woking for a ride in the next few days - might try there for a change. Is it easy to find the good singletrack?

For us oldies, G'ford is a city (cathedral etc) but officially its a town. My son caught me out on that one. Any town with access to S Hilly/Swinley/N Downs etc is good but cant compare with proper mountains like the Lakes. Different riding and both fun though. Big rocky steps easier than slippy off camber roots IMH)!

From my time in Scotland, Peebles goes without saying.

Penicuik (spend 2years there) is very well situated. Including the very local penicuik house loop 😉

From my upbringing in deepest Kent- New Romney? really?

teamhurtmore

It's not a big area, and you can't get lost. Used to be that most of the good stuff on TH was to the west of the Old Guildford Road / N of the railway, but even that's not true now, thanks to the trolls and Gorrick there's some nice stuff to the east as well.

The thread title was best town for a MTBer to live in. Not necessarily where's the best riding full stop. It's a balance, eg: for riding it would be great to live in Glyncorrwg, but LIVING?

Keswick 😛

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It`s not allways wet either.... 😉

It depends what you like, those Keswick photos don't do it for me, I like twisty tight claustrophobic singletrack in trees like wot there's tons of in Woburn. It's great this sport has so many variations to suit everyone.

You mean the really old school stuff we did on tuesday night in Whinlatter...... 😛 some of which crosses the Altura Trail...

Sadly i have no pics of them as it`s usually dark!

stoney, truely stunning.

Beautiful pics from Keswick. And so different to what we do in Surrey that a side by side comparison is pointless. Apples and oranges.

It's where I live. No it's not, it's where I live. No it's not, it's somewhere I went on holiday once etc. ad nauseum 😉

And so different to what we do in Surrey that a side by side comparison is pointless. Apples and oranges.........

It sure is, not that ive ever rode my bike arround Surrey, but weve had visitors come out with us and they are wipped after 10 miles of our terrain, saying thats like doing 25 miles where were from! 😉

Cardiff!

Awesome road and off road on your doorstep, plenty a decent bike shops, plenty of transport links to rides further afield (e.g. Cwm Carn), great bike club in Caerphilly and a damn cool city with everything you could ever need...

Downsides? "it's in Wales" is not acceptable 😀

Ludlow! It has to be, it was the only town featured on Britains best Towns (BBC), last summer, thats got amazing riding in the town perimeter!

If you can't have Marple then its going to have to be Chapel en le Frith or New Mills. One has a townhall, town band and town end the other has a new town. So enough townieness to qualify as a town to live in as a mtb'er.

Love to visit Ludlow, looked a nice place on that programme, bit of a foodie destination too.

If you've not ridden in the Surrey Hills or North Downs I I think you'lll surprised how good it actually is, technically and how much green space there is.

@rewski Ssshhhhhhhh.

Come for the spring festival, its a celebration of local ale, and sausages. Better than the main september food festival in my opinion.

Make a nice weekend away, Ill even show ya the best trails 🙂

flap_jack - Member
For cycling, Milton Keynes.

Traffic free cycleways everywhere in the town so you can get anywhere you want safely.

Tons of singletrack on your doorstep at Woburn.

Toppest bikeshop at Phil Corley's.

Great racing and roadie scene too.

You did say best for cycling, not architectural beauty, didn't you...

Never let it be said that I would not stand up for my home town and Woburn is cool but MK is never up there with the best MTB towns to live. And I reckon I'd sooner visit cycleking than Corleys...bloody rip off merchant.
Perhaps as a roadie but not MTBer.

Dumfries
If I had to choose somewhere else = Ambleside or ?

Keswick, Sedbergh or Aviemore.

Oh, and Guildford is a town. Mind you, St Asaph is to become a city, so where's the sense in any of it...

[url= http://www.muddyground.com ]Muddy Ground[/url]

Pick any town on the North Downs between Reigate and Guildford - it's all there on your doorstep, and you can get a job good enough to be able to afford to buy some kit. Lots of other places that are good tend to involve putting your bike on a car first for the ten mile drive to the trail head, or have little by way of employment prospects. It's OK picking somewhere in Wales, but if you first have to drive 20 mioles through some admittedly stunning mountains, it's all a bit of a faff. Surrey has its' faults but it's not this popular a place to live for no reason.