Best place to live in UK for Road & MTB cycling?

[Me]

Hi, as an australian currently living in london, I was wondering what I'm missing out on and as I'm
hoping to move out of the big smoke soon, I have a few questions:

If you had your choice of anywhere to live in the UK and you had "opportunities to cycle" at the top
of your priority list, where would you live?

Ideally, I would like to find somewhere that has some hilly (singletrack and fireroads not big air
type stuff) trails within 5 miles of my doorstep, and decent roads that have especially have some
nice long climbs when I'm out on the road bike.

I would also like a fairly active road club and race scene.

Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there? Have you been somewhere like
that on holiday? Is there such a thing as a British cycling mecca?

cheers in advance!

 

[Tim]

Hi Oz Dude,

Come to Belfast. We got Cycle paths, mountains, trails, lakes and plently of rain to keep it
all green!

T

"Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi, as an australian currently living in london, I was wondering what I'm missing out on and as
> I'm hoping to move out of the big smoke soon, I have
a
> few questions:
>
> If you had your choice of anywhere to live in the UK and you had "opportunities to cycle" at the
> top of your priority list, where would you live?
>
> Ideally, I would like to find somewhere that has some hilly (singletrack
and
> fireroads not big air type stuff) trails within 5 miles of my doorstep,
and
> decent roads that have especially have some nice long climbs when I'm out
on
> the road bike.
>
> I would also like a fairly active road club and race scene.
>
> Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there? Have
you
> been somewhere like that on holiday? Is there such a thing as a British cycling mecca?
>
> cheers in advance!
>
>
>

 

[Yowl]

So long as you've got cycling as your top priority, I would have to recommend the Lake District (you can chose where to live depending on how much you like/dislike crowds of tourists). Originally I come from the 'west' side of the lake. But it's got everything you said, lots of off road trails, and so long as you get off the main roads (although even when they are busy they don't compare to city traffic) lots of fantastic road routes. Especially good if you want the challenge of good climbs and descents , or if you don't like that stick to the flatter valleys and coast roads. If you base yourself on the East side of the lakes then that opens up all routes (on and off) you can do over the Pennines.

If you want a big city, Birmingham was good (lived about three miles out from the city), even there it only took ten minutes to be out in the countryside (although off road might be a bit limited). Purely on cycling merits don't come to Liverpool (where I am now), if you want off road you've got to get in the car and drive to Wales. On the road it's difficult to get anywhere as all the roads a busy and it's one big Urban area that sprawls into St.Helens, Wrrington etc.

That's my little bit of advice.

 

[MSeries]

West Yorkshire around Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax. I live just south of Leeds in Morley and regularly ride to the top of the Pennines or over Holme Moss. Also I can have long flat rides in the Vale of York.

 

[Simon Brooke]

"Me" <[email protected]> writes:

> Hi, as an australian currently living in london, I was wondering what I'm missing out on and as
> I'm hoping to move out of the big smoke soon, I have a few questions:
>
> If you had your choice of anywhere to live in the UK and you had "opportunities to cycle" at the
> top of your priority list, where would you live?
>
> Ideally, I would like to find somewhere that has some hilly (singletrack and fireroads not big air
> type stuff) trails within 5 miles of my doorstep, and decent roads that have especially have some
> nice long climbs when I'm out on the road bike.

We have all that. Our nearest 'official' off road track is the Dalbeattie section of the Seven
Stanes <URL: http://www.7stanes.gov.uk/ >, but old tracks, forest roads and useable footpaths
abound. As to the roads, they're good quality, well surfaced, and (apart from the A75), outside the
tourist season, mostly empty. They aren't that busy *in* the tourist season.

From here to the English border (about 60 miles) you can pick routes that are mostly flatish -
nothing above 50 metres or so. From here to the Ayrshire border up the Glenkens (about thirty
miles) you actually rise about 400 metres but it's all so gradual that it's no biggy. You can
also go ninety miles west down to the Mull of Galloway, but either you do some of it on the A75
(all Ireland's artics howling past your ear) or you follow the lunatic Sustrans 'national cycle
route' over the Cairnsmore of Fleet - which is a biggy. Of course if you want hills we've got
'em; we're about forty miles from the highest settlement in Britain <URL:
http://www.syha.org.uk/pages/hostel-pages/wanlockhead.htm > and the hill behind our house is
350 metres.

> I would also like a fairly active road club and race scene.

Ah. That I can't promise you. We see road clubs birling through pretty regularly through the summer,
and I believe there is a club in Dumfries.

> Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there?

If you wanted the perfect centre you could do a lot worse than Newton Stewart, thirty miles from
here <URL: http://makeashorterlink.com/?G45826BC5 > Fifteen miles north you've got a thousand square
miles of wilderness with no metalled roads; south you've got the Machars, and West you've got the
Rhinns, with miles of mostly quiet, mostly flat roads, pleasant villages and pubs. Don't know about
cycling clubs, though.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ ;; Sending your money to
someone just because they've erected ;; a barrier of obscurity and secrets around the tools you ;;
need to use your data does not help the economy or spur ;; innovation. - Waffle Iron Slashdot, June
16th, 2002

 

[Simon Mason]

"Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi, as an australian currently living in london, I was wondering what I'm missing out on and as
> I'm hoping to move out of the big smoke soon, I have
a
> few questions:
>
> If you had your choice of anywhere to live in the UK and you had "opportunities to cycle" at the
> top of your priority list, where would you live?
>

Come to the City and County of Kingston upon Hull, or 'ull as we call it. Top road racing clubs
include Hull Thursday http://www.hullthursdayrc.co.uk/.

Dozens of bike shops, very cycle friendly city with good facilities see map
:
http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/visithull/hull_cycle_map.pdf

Cheapest houses in the UK, you can pick up a nice 2 bed terrace with garden and garage for 50k.
260 pubs to choose from and all the usual city facilities including luxury ferries to Belgium
and Holland on your doorstep. Cheapest telephones (own system) - a local call is 6p for as long
as you want.

If you cycle to the east of the city, you have the plain of Holderness, a perfectly flat terrain
with little traffic and the Spurn Point nature reserve at the end. In the city itself, you can
cross from one side to the other along the Humber Estuary banks.

To the west of the city you have some very testing trails in the Yorkshire Wolds up to around 350
ft amongst beautiful countryside.

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

 

[Marc]

Me <[email protected]> wrote:

> Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there? Have you been somewhere like
> that on holiday? Is there such a thing as a British cycling mecca?

Wales or Duns.

--
Marc Stickers,decals,membership,cards, T shirts, signs etc for clubs and associations of all types.
http://www.jaceeprint.demon.co.uk/

 

[Spider1977]

Originally posted by Me
Hi, as an australian currently living in london, I was wondering what I'm missing out on and as I'm
hoping to move out of the big smoke soon, I have a few questions:

Hey mate, come home. You're missing out on life in Aus, isn't that enough!

 

[George Waring]

The message <1g0rgq7.xgitw1ofkpsaN%[email protected]> from [email protected]
(marc) contains these words:

> Me <[email protected]> wrote:

> > Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there? Have you been somewhere like
> > that on holiday? Is there such a thing as a British cycling mecca?

> Wales or Duns.

I second Wales - the Swansea area in particular.

It so happens that I'm working up a website which shows in words and pictures what the Swansea &
Gower area has to offer cyclists. A bit of the Sustrans Celtic Trail runs through this area and has
a high proportion of excellent flat off-road sections. For the more adventurous, you have the Brecon
Beacons National Park close at hand. But sadly my own days of mountain forest trails are over.

My site is at

http://homepages.tesco.net/~warings

and I would welcome some feedback on whether the particular format of words and pictures that I
have adopted

a. is likely to encourage you all to come to Swansea, and

b. be helpful once you get here !

And we do have some of the best beaches in the UK, so emigre Aussies will feel very much at home.

George Waring

 

[Rj Webb]

On Thu, 4 Sep 2003 16:40:24 +0100, George Waring <[email protected]> wrote:

>The message <1g0rgq7.xgitw1ofkpsaN%[email protected]> from [email protected]
>(marc) contains these words:
>
>> Me <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> > Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there? Have you been somewhere
>> > like that on holiday? Is there such a thing as a British cycling mecca?
>
>> Wales or Duns.
>

Radnorshire.... They dont do footpaths! They mostly lovely dashed red or green lines....

Richard Webb

 

[Eatmorepies]

> Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there? Have
you
> been somewhere like that on holiday? Is there such a thing as a British cycling mecca?
>
> cheers in advance!

Mid Wales; Brecon Wheelers are roadies (I think) and from Brecon to Rhayader (through Llanwrtyd
Wells) gives you loads of off raod stuff.

However; I see from the other replies that most of Britain offers you excellent cycling opportunity
- hope your choice works out. Let us know.

John

 

[Eatmorepies]

> Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there? Have
you
> been somewhere like that on holiday? Is there such a thing as a British cycling mecca?
>
> cheers in advance!

Mid Wales; Brecon Wheelers are roadies (I think) and from Brecon to Rhayader (through Llanwrtyd
Wells) gives you loads of off raod stuff.

However; I see from the other replies that most of Britain offers you excellent cycling opportunity
- hope your choice works out. Let us know.

John

 

[Jason Wyatt]

On Thu, 4 Sep 2003 00:23:25 +0100, "Me" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hi, as an australian currently living in london, I was wondering what I'm missing out on and as I'm
>hoping to move out of the big smoke soon, I have a few questions:
>
>If you had your choice of anywhere to live in the UK and you had "opportunities to cycle" at the
>top of your priority list, where would you live?
>
>Ideally, I would like to find somewhere that has some hilly (singletrack and fireroads not big air
>type stuff) trails within 5 miles of my doorstep, and decent roads that have especially have some
>nice long climbs when I'm out on the road bike.
>
>I would also like a fairly active road club and race scene.
>
>Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there? Have you been somewhere like
>that on holiday? Is there such a thing as a British cycling mecca?
>
>cheers in advance!
>
>
>
>
>
>
Leeds is great. Pennines, and Dales within easy reach. Fantastic club scene, plenty of off-road.
Dunnies Cafe in Otley is the place to go. Plus Leeds is a really buzzing place to live right now. I
moved here 7 years ago for the cycling and haven't regretted it.

Jason Leeds (obviously), UK

 

[Terry]

">
> Rural areas prefered. Any suggestions? Do you currently live there? Have you

Mid Derbyshire will keep you entertained.Matlock for example.On road or off, good clubs. Lots of
hills to 2000ft.Train to London via Derby 2hrs, cycle to Derby 1hr along the flat Derwent valley
road.Manchester velodrome about 40 miles away.

Keep away from the big cities and most places have good cycling.Check here before deciding.

TerryJ

 

[MSeries]

Originally posted by Jason Wyatt

Dunnies Cafe in Otley is the place to go. Plus Leeds is a really buzzing place to live right now.

Where is Dunnies, I regularly ride through Otley, will pop in sometime. I live in Morley BTW, you may have seen me around on a yellow Eddy Merckx or yellow Peugeot.

Martin

 

[Vernon Levy]

> Where is Dunnies, I regularly ride through Otley, will pop in sometime. I live in Morley BTW, you
> may have seen me around on a yellow Eddy Merckx or yellow Peugeot.
>
Leeds gives you access to some great on and off road routes in the Yorkshire Dales and the
Yorkshire Moors. I've only just returned to cycling and realise that I've squandered 26 years of
cycling opportunities since arriving here from Darlington, another decent place to give access of
varying terrain.

Vernon Levy Meanwood Leeds

 

[Chris French]

In message <[email protected]>, MSeries <[email protected]> writes
>Jason Wyatt wrote:
> > Dunnies Cafe in Otley is the place to go. Plus Leeds is a really buzzing place to live
> > right now.
>
>
>
>Where is Dunnies, I regularly ride through Otley, will pop in sometime. I live in Morley BTW, you
>may have seen me around on a yellow Eddy Merckx or yellow Peugeot.

Though I'm not sure of the name, I think it's the one down near the river Wharfe. Head north from
the centre of town on the B 'whatever it is' towards Farnley, it just on the right on the corner
before the road crosses the bridge.

You can miss it easily when coming that way as from the main road you just see the newsagents at the
front. The Cafe entrance is round the side.
--
Chris French, Leeds