UK Mountain Biking

[Zed]

All right so I couldn't find a better area to post this under.

I'm about 10-15 years from retirement depending on financial needs. I've been in Australia since I was 13, I'm a UK citizen have the passport etc. Everything is crazy out of control price wise here in Aus and I can't ever afford to buy a house in Aus anywhwere I would want to live, so it seems - despite having a pretty good paying job. I was out of the market when it shot up (divorce) and there isn't much I can do it about as a single dude.

Anyway, I look back to the UK and housing is much more affordable to my wallet so I'm looking around at where I'd want to live. I generally use Trailforks to find places to ride. I can't find much in the way of dense trail areas though in the UK, despite it looking pretty good on youtube.

As a prime example, Surrey Hills, which is talked about a lot on UK youtube channels including by Rob, I look on Trailforks and I get the below. It doesn't seem like much, it seems about equivalent to my local here, but that's not saying much.
Is there a lot in Surrey Hills, and the UK generally, that just isn't on Trailforks? Can people recommend areas in the UK that are good places to live (not just visit) if you're a mountain biker? Is there some other mapping I'm missing?

 

[RustyMTB]

If I were in my twenties with only my cock to keep & had the werewithal, I would avoid the UK altogether. It's a great country but has some of the lowest social mobiity in the western world. It does not pay to be poor here, nor from an ethnic background for that matter.

Add to that we became the only country in history to vote to impose economic sanctions on ourselves, which are coming home to roost at an accelerated rate now, then given the choice, I'd pick Europe or the US (the US with the caveat that the proto dictator is finally binned off), the UK has entrenched social, fiscal & poitical problems that aren't going away anytme soon & while I'm not so naive to think nirvana lies across the channel, there are compelling reasons to set up shop where the landscape is considerably more stable.

 

[Zed]

Add to that we became the only country in history to vote to impose economic sanctions on ourselves, which are coming home to roost at an accelerated rate now, then given the choice, I'd pick Europe or the US

The US would definitely be on my list if it didn't seem so hard to get residence of some kind, as a retiree, without a ton of money. There's plenty of places where housing is amazingly cheap, life looks civilized and there's all kinds of good outdoorsy stuff (mid-west/Colorado spring to mind). Endless stuff to just pack up a van to go and see too. Alas, it seems not possible for me.

From where I'm sitting, on the other side of the globe, Brexit seemed like madness. Very inconvenient for me too, because i have a British passport and I would have had free reign for the EU if that didn't happen

Food for thought, thanks.

Italy and Spain both have heeaps going for them. I'm just not sure I want to spent my retirement seeing my kid that infrequently. I can't see much opportunity there for him and that's if I could convince him to go, although it could be where his mum ends up, so there's that.

 

[Dax]

House prices in the UK are fairly impossible for young people with normal incomes. I have no idea how a grad today would expect to buy a house as a single person. Cost of living is very high and with the trussed up interest rates, mortgages are expensive. The market is slowly coming down again after the Covid madness, but it’s kinda made up for by mortgage rises.

 

[Bravestarr]

Anyway back to the where is there good riding question..... The Tweed Valley has an enormous amount of riding, As hard or as easy as you like. Housing is affordable and the weather is reasonable.
I live in Fife and we have some good local stuff but also tons more within an hour or so North (Dunkeld, Crieff, Pitlochry, Aberfeldy) and South (Pentlands, Tweed Valley).

 

[Type1]

I live in Cheshire close to North Wales and within an hour of the Peak District. Lots of great natural riding and a bunch of trail centres and bike parks all within driving distance.

If you were to draw a line from Chester down to Gloucester and look for areas to live either side I think you'd find desirable places within budget, that also gave you access to great riding in Wales and surrounding areas.

Plus, the weather would be better than comparable riding in Scotland...