There are few better ways to explore the country than on two wheels. Mountain bikes are a fantastic way to see sights you wouldn't normally see as they can literally go anywhere. That's just one of the many reasons why mountain biking is so popular and why so many holiday cottages cater for them.
Today we're continuing with our coverage of the UK's top mountain biking areas. On Tuesday, we covered Dalby Forest, Yorkshire, Swinley Forest, Berkshire, Coed y Brenin, North Wales, Rhyd Ddu, Snowdon, Wales and Glentress, Scotland.
Grizedale, Cumbria
The entire county of Cumbria is great biking but Grizedale forest has some of the best. The North Face Trail is the pinnacle of that at 16km. It offers everything, climbing, technical descents, fast descents and some amazing scenery. All topped off with some black downhill runs to top off the day.
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is probably the most famous mountain biking area in the UK but it is hard to get to. Set in the Highlands, the trek is worth every mile and once you're here, you'll wonder why you haven't tried it before. The site of the Mountain Bike World Cup, trails are a mixture of tough, technical trails that take in some of the best of the local area. This is mainly for experienced mountain bikers.
MTB Shropshire
MTB Shropshire is set in the lovely Shropshire Hills and covers some amazing parts of the countryside, including some Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are a few trails here that take in a range of types for all abilities. There is plenty of climbing and descending with some long singletrack action too.
Exmoor, Somerset
Some of the best trail riding anywhere is across our many moors. One, Exmoor is particularly rewarding. Beginning in Porlock, you can ride all the way to Brockwell across the moor and on to Stoke Pero and on to Porlock Weir. It's a challenging route with plenty of climbing and some technical descending. It is also tougher than it looks
Surrey Hills, Surrey
Surrey might not be the first place you think of when thinking about places to mountain bike but there are lots of trails in the area. It's an extremely popular mountain biking area with lots of custom-made trails and forests, notable those on the Hurtwood Estate. These are mainly wooded trails with plenty of hills. Lots of loose trails and exciting downhills to be had here!
Those are just a few of the many places to ride mountain bikes in the UK. As always, we have holiday cottages within easy reach of each of these areas, so if you feel like a weekend away on the bike, we can help. Check out the map to find yours!