Isle of Man, Cumbria or Northumberland

[beanzz]

A bit of an odd question but, we are considering moving to one of these places and they all have their ups and downs and I'm just curious if anyone has any experience mountain biking in any of them because I've never actually mountain biked there.

 

[beanzz]

I should clarify, the types of riding I enjoy the most is fir forests and rocky descents and climbs. I also really enjoy bike parks once in awhile.

 

[Tubby G]

No doubt @The Hodge will be along soon to sell you the benefits of living in Northumberland, but of those three, I’d be tempted by Northumberland as it has so much riding on its doorstep, and isn’t far from the Scottish Borders, Innerleithen etc. Also the Lakes aren’t too far either, so Cumbria is easily accessible. Never been riding in Isle of Man

 

[JonnyManc]

I'm in Cumbria..... There is something for everyone and plenty of forests and rocks.
There are 2 main trail centres (grizedale and Whinlatter), both are good... And Gisburn isn't too far away.... Nor is southern Scotland.

Loads of routes, hike a bike, flow and awesome scenery.

 

[beanzz]

No doubt @The Hodge will be along soon to sell you the benefits of living in Northumberland, but of those three, I’d be tempted by Northumberland as it has so much riding on its doorstep, and isn’t far from the Scottish Borders, Innerleithen etc. Also the Lakes aren’t too far either, so Cumbria is easily accessible. Never been riding in Isle of Man

That's pretty much my exact thought processes.

Isle of Man kinda seems like a condensed small version of the North of England to be honest

 

[Tubby G]

That's pretty much my exact thought processes.

Isle of Man kinda seems like a condensed small version of the North of England to be honest

Are you moving from a city or are you already used to quiet semi-rural life ?

I personally moved from city life down south to North Yorkshire, over ten years ago. It was a massive culture shock at first, but have settled into a quieter pace of life well. My work still takes me to the big cities, so I still get the cosmopolitan culture I crave, but the lifestyle of living near national parks with plenty of mountain biking opportunities in all directions is absolutely fantastic

 

[beanzz]

Are you moving from a city or are you already used to quiet semi-rural life ?

I live in South Hampshire so it's kinda semi rural lol but quite developed, and there are very few places that I can ride cos it's pretty much all tame and private

 

[The Hodge]

Can't really argue with Jonny ..if scenery & mountains are your thing then Cumbria / Lake District has no comparison in England ..however it also has crowds and just about everywhere you go has a hefty car parking charge ..
If its big grassy hills & solitude you are after then Northumberland & The Cheviot Hills take some beating with a fantastic network of bridleways.
I live in the North West of the county & Kielder with its 100+ miles of dedicated Mtb trails is more or less on my doorstep..there is also 250sq.miles of forest ..which as long as I live I will never discover all of its secrets ..
There is also the North Pennines ( Hexhamshire ) again with a huge network of bridleways ..
Hamsterley Forest is about 1.15 hrs down the road and has some brilliant riding and if downhill is your thing has Danny Hart's Descend ..and I'm told its possible to ride all day on the off-piste sections without ever touching the red routes ..
I have ridden on the Isle of Man as a 10 year old when my uncle took a school group over there staying in YHA's ..Good old Sturmy Archer twist grip gearing and my speedo needle bouncing back of the 40mph limit going down TT mountain ..all on tarmac as MTB's hadnt been thought of then !
Anyway I digress ..you can't really go wrong with either Cumbria or Northumberland ..I'm obviously biased towards the latter

 

[Tubby G]

I live in South Hampshire so it's kinda semi rural lol but quite developed, and there are very few places that I can ride cos it's pretty much all tame and private

Northumberland is lovely, and house prices are very reasonable, so you’ll get a lot for your money. NE folk are friendly too, but expect to be known as ‘the southerner’ forever! Summer temperatures are around 3-4 deg cooler than down south, and winters are much colder.

Have you considered Scotland too ? Tweed valley would be ace, not too far from Edinburgh either for city life

 

[beanzz]

however it also has crowds and just about everywhere you go has a hefty car parking charge ..

Yeah that's the main thing that puts me off Cumbria and the lake District. So. Touristy.

To be honest Northumberland tickling my fancy quite a bit

 

[beanzz]

you considered Scotland too ? Tweed valley would be ace, not too far from Edinburgh either for city life

Yeah I would love Scotland but it doesn't quite work for my work

 

[JonnyManc]

Yeah that's the main thing that puts me off Cumbria and the lake District. So. Touristy.

To be honest Northumberland tickling my fancy quite a bit

Can't disagree..... It's bad during the holidays, busy through the spring and summer in general and quiet to steady the rest of the year.

I live in South Cumbria, so not overly touristy.....

 

[Nicho]

Yeah that's the main thing that puts me off Cumbria and the lake District. So. Touristy.

It's only the main centres that are like that, and especially in the main holiday periods. In many parts of Cumbria for most of the year you can walk or ride all day and hardly see anybody. There are also plenty of road-side parking places; I hardly ever use pay-for car parks. You can also Join the National Trust for a few pounds a month and use all their car parks all over the country for free.

 

[Stoffel]

I lived in Northumberland for over 25 years and miss it for the quiet and wild countryside up there and the generally friendlier people than down here, also you get a lot more for your money when it comes to houses. I don’t miss the cold at all although it is drier than the West coast.

I absolutely love the Lake District so that would probably be my choice of your 3. I used to travel there almost every dry weekend to rock climb and I would like to live there, of course it is really busy on sunny bank holidays and when the kids are off school but you could go to the less popular spots during those times. Down side is the amount of rain!

The Isle of Man would be my last pick of those 3 although it would be fun on my motorbike!