NICEST Town to Live in if you want Weather/Outdoor stuff?

[Hill Wimp]

Bit of smuggling across the border - it's not that far

I smell the blood of entrepreneurs hotting up.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I smell the blood of entrepreneurs hotting up.

Going to need a "Hard Border".

 

[mjr]

You need to update your impression of Bournemouth mate Bournemouth it's nothing like it used to be, a place to retire. It really is a great place to live, you have clean beaches - Blue Flag award winner every year, low crime, some very good schools, the New Forest and Purbec within cycling distance, a vibrant night life with pubs, restaurants and night clubs, and a fast train to London would get you there in under 90 minutes or so.

But does Bournemouth's local government still hate bikes and ban them from arbitrary parts of the seafront with no warning where you join the seafront route that you can't ride all of it? And is there "Good Bicycle Infrastructure" that the OP seeks? Other than the seafront, it looks like there's a cycle about a mile of narrow substandard cycleway like https://www.google.com/maps/@50.724...4!1s4_9zISDJ1jfZXCJ3X6pq0A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 some pavement conversions and it's all a disjointed mess using ratruns to link it up, but has it improved since Google's last visit?

 

[pjd57]

I'm happy in Glasgow.

Born here, and haven't lived anywhere else.

It's surrounded by beautiful countryside , has lots of parks , and on my side of the city our fantastic canal.

 

[ianrauk]

Move to Orpington. It's gone upmarket since I left.

 

[vickster]

Move to Orpington. It's gone upmarket since I left.

It certainly wasn’t very when I was at school there in the 80s. Not far from some nice countryside though but heavily trafficked (like all the zone 1-6 commuter belt obviously)

 

[Slick]

Ah - I am used to the Oban area, where the Scottish side of my family are based - 66 inches of rain a year!

View attachment 406916

Oh, and the midges ...

The extra daylight in the summer is certainly nice though.

Some of those minimum temperatures and average wind speeds seem a bit optimistic to me.

 

[Bollo]

But does Bournemouth's local government still hate bikes and ban them from arbitrary parts of the seafront with no warning where you join the seafront route that you can't ride all of it? And is there "Good Bicycle Infrastructure" that the OP seeks? Other than the seafront, it looks like there's a cycle about a mile of narrow substandard cycleway like https://www.google.com/maps/@50.724...4!1s4_9zISDJ1jfZXCJ3X6pq0A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 some pavement conversions and it's all a disjointed mess using ratruns to link it up, but has it improved since Google's last visit?

Of course Bournemouth's local government hates cyclists. All local governments do. And the infrastructure is as gash as pretty much anywhere else. The issue with riding around that area of coast isn't actually the seafront, but the trunk and major roads that wall it off from the New Forest and points north. When I do a ride down to Bournemouth, I usually end up TTing down the A338 for half a mile rather than risk the few passing points that exist.

The restrictions on the seafront are well signposted and seasonal which, given the volume of pedestrians during the high season, is fair enough IMO. At other times there's a 10mph 'speed limit' (note the quotes) on the pedestrianised sections which again helps cyclist and pedestrian rub along a little better. If you want to go faster (and I do, as well as avoiding a sandy drive chain) then there's always the seafront road.

 

[Dirk]

Don't move to Devon; we've got enough here already.

 

[Crankarm]

My old feller lives outside Ashford, and used to commute to Paris daily. He reckoned it was a fair bit quicker than getting to Canary Wharf. The OP could live in France and take his pick of terrain, and commute to the UK daily if he needed to.

This my suggestion. France. Anywhere NNW of Paris, a much better qualite du vie than here in the YUK.

 

[the_craig]

Nobody's going to move there now if they like a bit of a booze.

It’s only an issue if you drink cheap, gut rot ciders and other forms of rocket fuel.

I’m in Shotts which is 30 minutes from either Glasgow or Edinburgh by car, on a main railway line which is being electrified and home to one of the highest football grounds in Scottish football. There’s a myriad of back roads as a playground too.

Only negative is that the weather is terrible.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

But does Bournemouth's local government still hate bikes and ban them from arbitrary parts of the seafront with no warning where you join the seafront route that you can't ride all of it? And is there "Good Bicycle Infrastructure" that the OP seeks? Other than the seafront, it looks like there's a cycle about a mile of narrow substandard cycleway like https://www.google.com/maps/@50.724...4!1s4_9zISDJ1jfZXCJ3X6pq0A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 some pavement conversions and it's all a disjointed mess using ratruns to link it up, but has it improved since Google's last visit?

Actually, the ban you are referring to applies only during the months of July and August and from 10am till 6pm, now I hate to cycle on the promenade when it's crowded like you'd find at that time of the day during July and August, even half of June and September.
The infrastructure for cycling it's not bad at all, there are many cycling routes into town and university. What you show on Google maps is still the same and you don't need anymore... it's probably about a meter wide and another meter or so for pedestrians, however, there are so few cyclists or pedestrians that it has never been an issue to consider.... I live nearby so I occasionally cycle there... when it's too hot to ride on the road

If anything, I've noticed the council relaxing restrictions all over Bournemouth and there are more cycling events targeted to everyone.

 

[Slick]

It’s only an issue if you drink cheap, gut rot ciders and other forms of rocket fuel.

I’m in Shotts which is 30 minutes from either Glasgow or Edinburgh by car, on a main railway line which is being electrified and home to one of the highest football grounds in Scottish football. There’s a myriad of back roads as a playground too.

Only negative is that the weather is terrible.

Not disbelieving you but how do you work out the stadium is on of the highest in Scotland.

 

[mjr]

Actually, the ban you are referring to applies only during the months of July and August and from 10am till 6pm, [...]

So is "NO CYCLING" not painted across it by the pier any more?

I used to enjoy pootling along WsM's prom in summer. Take it gentle (it was often too hot for me to want to do much else) and stick to the mini-train's typical line (used to be marked tracks but they weren't repainted after a repaving) and it wasn't a problem.

 

[mjr]

Not disbelieving you but how do you work out the stadium is on of the highest in Scotland.

Visitor drug intake?