What do you know about Reading?

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Glenn

Veteran
An hours ride out of Reading you have Swinley Forest if you are into mountain biking http://www.gorrick.com/swinley/
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
I live fairly close and we go there occasionally to shop.

Good things about Reading:

AW Cycles
John Lewis
London Irish
Reading Festival
Reading University
It's not Bedford
Nothing else
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
That's a BIG minus in my book, the great unwashed invade for up to 5 days, there is chaos getting in to Reading from the Tuesday before the festival starts.
You see, that's another negative for reading, they have something good, first class even and all the locals can do is moan about it ....
 

sbird

Über Member
Location
Reading
I don't mean the activity but the town in the UK :biggrin:

I recently got offered my first post-uni job in Winnersh (just outside of Reading) and really want to find out more about the town. I'm hoping the infinite source of knowledge of CycleChat might be able to help me out again!

Is it a good place to cycle?

Could you recommend a local Cycle Club?

Where is a good place to make new friends?

Which area is good to live in?

I know a fair bit already, and I've heard it's packed full of young professionals, but a cyclist always given an honest account.

Thank you!
Tom

Tom - it's all to easy to knock a place. Not many people get to live in a great number of places to be able to compare. There are better places than Reading and there are worse places than Reading. All I would say is get involved in a community for yourself whether it's related to work colleagues or a cycling club or both and you will soon settle down and find there is plenty in and around Reading that makes life pleasant. It's a busy town but that's to be expected as it's in the south-east and the Thames Valley corridor - in other words there's a lot going on both in work opportunities and outside work. And that is partly down to it's accessibility. North, south, east, west is easy to get out and about by bike, train and car. 55 miles south and you're on the beach. 50 miles west and you're in Wales, 30 miles east and you're in London and 50 miles north gets you to Birmingham and beyond.

As others have said there are cycling clubs, RCC, Reading CTC and Reading Cycle Campaign. Reading doesn't have superb cycling routes and facilities but hardly anywhere in the UK does either. And outside the countryside is varied and accessible.

I've lived here over 20 years and it's definitely a better place to live than when I first arrived. PM me for more information if needed.
 

lordjenks

Well-Known Member
i live in woodley (a mile from winnersh) and cant really fault the area, riding wise there is a lot going; chiltern hills for road and mtb and swinley forest for mtb. Houses in Winnersh are pretty decent but 1.5 miles away, past hurst and you are in the middle of the "countryside" with some rather nice places to live.
Huge sainsburys down the road and trainstation to reading/waterloo in the middle of the town. No big pubs which may be good or bad depending...
 
U

User482

Guest
My view on Reading is coloured somewhat my the exceptionally unpleasant experience I had trying to cycle through it. Endless dual carriageways and one-way systems...yuk. Slightly further afield, Twyford is close to some lovely, rolling countryside, where I was surprised and delighted to see red kites circling overhead.
 
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