Best MTB area to live in England?
Discussion
Looking to move back to England to live in a year or so and am looking for somewhere to live. Needs to have good MTB and road cycling nearby and good driving roads! Smallish town or village, nice pubs, scenery, not too far from major road/motorway network. Blank sheet of paper basically......any suggestions most appreciated!
I've only got into mtb'ing recently but I spoke to a few people who are really into it who have said basically if you put a compass on Hebden Bridge and draw a 10 mike radius, you have some of the best riding in the country.
On the pennine way and calderdale way.
1.5 hours drive from Dalby Forest and Sutton Bank MTB places and the Lake District.
1 hour drive from Gisburn forest MTBing.
Full of pubs and restaurants. Many other nice villages nearby. 20 mins from m62.
Road biking is excellent - Tour de France passed through with many of the notable climbs nearby - particularly Cragg Vale - the longest continuous accent in Britain.
On the pennine way and calderdale way.
1.5 hours drive from Dalby Forest and Sutton Bank MTB places and the Lake District.
1 hour drive from Gisburn forest MTBing.
Full of pubs and restaurants. Many other nice villages nearby. 20 mins from m62.
Road biking is excellent - Tour de France passed through with many of the notable climbs nearby - particularly Cragg Vale - the longest continuous accent in Britain.
torqueofthedevil said:
I've only got into mtb'ing recently but I spoke to a few people who are really into it who have said basically if you put a compass on Hebden Bridge and draw a 10 mike radius, you have some of the best riding in the country.
On the pennine way and calderdale way.
1.5 hours drive from Dalby Forest and Sutton Bank MTB places and the Lake District.
1 hour drive from Gisburn forest MTBing.
Full of pubs and restaurants. Many other nice villages nearby. 20 mins from m62.
Road biking is excellent - Tour de France passed through with many of the notable climbs nearby - particularly Cragg Vale - the longest continuous accent in Britain.
Pennine Bridleway, Mary Townley Loop, Ripponden Bank, lots of cobbles nearby. A couple of mates of mine organise the Clif Cross and Mills Hills sportives out of Mytholmroyd, and the Ronde Van Calderdale is local as well.On the pennine way and calderdale way.
1.5 hours drive from Dalby Forest and Sutton Bank MTB places and the Lake District.
1 hour drive from Gisburn forest MTBing.
Full of pubs and restaurants. Many other nice villages nearby. 20 mins from m62.
Road biking is excellent - Tour de France passed through with many of the notable climbs nearby - particularly Cragg Vale - the longest continuous accent in Britain.
gazza285 said:
Pennine Bridleway, Mary Townley Loop, Ripponden Bank, lots of cobbles nearby. A couple of mates of mine organise the Clif Cross and Mills Hills sportives out of Mytholmroyd, and the Ronde Van Calderdale is local as well.
I've done the short Shibden Spinner sportive and that was very difficult!!Seems hard to recommend Bracknell sometimes, but it ticks "some" of your boxes.
- Equidistant between the M3 and the M4
- My home is 1 mile from the start of the Swinley Forest trails (~13 miles of official man-made MTB trails, probably the same again of unofficial ones)
- Theres a thriving MTB race scene using trails 10-15 miles away - areas around deepcut, tunnel hill, aldershot, etc.
- ~20 miles the other direction is Box Hill/Leith Hill for MTB and Road riding
- ~2 hours on the M4 from the south wales MTB areas (inc Bike Park wales)
- Road riding? Well, there is a high volume of traffic in this area. East from Bracknell gets busier, West takes you to more rural areas. Its easy to put together a ride that takes you north into the Chilterns which are the nearest/biggest hills i suppose.
- Nice Pubs etc - not really in Bracknell, certainly not walking distance from my place, but we know a few a short drive away. Our fave is the Pot Kiln out near Bucklebury.
- Equidistant between the M3 and the M4
- My home is 1 mile from the start of the Swinley Forest trails (~13 miles of official man-made MTB trails, probably the same again of unofficial ones)
- Theres a thriving MTB race scene using trails 10-15 miles away - areas around deepcut, tunnel hill, aldershot, etc.
- ~20 miles the other direction is Box Hill/Leith Hill for MTB and Road riding
- ~2 hours on the M4 from the south wales MTB areas (inc Bike Park wales)
- Road riding? Well, there is a high volume of traffic in this area. East from Bracknell gets busier, West takes you to more rural areas. Its easy to put together a ride that takes you north into the Chilterns which are the nearest/biggest hills i suppose.
- Nice Pubs etc - not really in Bracknell, certainly not walking distance from my place, but we know a few a short drive away. Our fave is the Pot Kiln out near Bucklebury.
Dr Imran T said:
Indeed or thereabouts 
Yorkshire is vast and is a gem of a place for cycling whether it be road or MTB.
It's without the best place I have cycled and I have live in lots of areas.
Yorkshire folk are a tough bunch too - out whatever the weather!!
If we only came out on nice days, we wouldn't ever get out. Yorkshire is vast and is a gem of a place for cycling whether it be road or MTB.It's without the best place I have cycled and I have live in lots of areas.
Yorkshire folk are a tough bunch too - out whatever the weather!!
Surprised no one has mentioned Shropshire. I may be biased, but it would be my choice.
Not only is the county generally good for all types of riding, Shrewsbury has long been an epicentre for MTB since the late 80's early 90's.
Couple that with stunning countryside, cheap (relative to other UK areas named) property and accessibility to the Midlands & Brum it suits me just fine.
Plus its easy travelling distance to some of the best UK trail centres, plus all of Wales and the various excellent riding locations and you can't go wrong. I wouldn't live anywhere else although my main motivation wasn't the biking initially.
Not only is the county generally good for all types of riding, Shrewsbury has long been an epicentre for MTB since the late 80's early 90's.
Couple that with stunning countryside, cheap (relative to other UK areas named) property and accessibility to the Midlands & Brum it suits me just fine.
Plus its easy travelling distance to some of the best UK trail centres, plus all of Wales and the various excellent riding locations and you can't go wrong. I wouldn't live anywhere else although my main motivation wasn't the biking initially.
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