Shropshire has the best riding in the UK, and I’ve said it 😎 I can’t claim I’ve ridden everywhere in the United Kingdom, but I’ve definitely been around a lot, and from all I’ve seen and experienced, this is the conclusion I’ve come to. This is just my personal opinion, and I don’t really see a clear way to prove it, nor do I know what the point of proving it would be. All I can say with confidence: go try it yourself, and I’m sure you won’t regret it 🔥

That said, it’s not officially my favorite place to ride in the UK (that honor will forever go to the Yorkshire Dales), but for the actual experience of mountain biking and speeding along the trails, Shropshire is my destination. More specifically, Church Stretton. The trails in the fabulous Long Mynd area seem perfectly designed: just the right gradient, suitable width, and an excellent riding surface.

The climbs are shorter — and therefore steeper — than the descents, presenting real challenges even for the most experienced riders. Fit riders won’t mind the gradients, but they might struggle on the technical sections. As for highly skilled riders, they’ll enjoy the technical bits, but more often than not, their legs or lungs might give out before reaching the top 😮‍💨

As for the descents… they’re simply perfect. My favorite ones all follow the same scenario: at the top, the trail is flat, wide, and covered with short grass — it’s best not to rush these sections, but instead enjoy the “calm before the storm” feeling. Suddenly, the trail funnels into a singletrack and dives left or right, and you’re all in — like cresting the peak of a rollercoaster… whoosh! 🚀 Most of the time, the trail is wide enough to let you fly at insane speeds (yet narrow enough to make you feel twice as fast). But every now and then it narrows, curves, or gets rocky — sometimes all three at once — and you have to deal with it. Panic or slam the brakes, and you’re in trouble. Commit with confidence, and your chances are much better. In short: you have to stay sharp and fully focused 😎

And even though the descents are intense and fun (or should I say… intensely fun? 😄), they still feel like they last a decent amount of time. Very rarely are they interrupted by gates or stiles (I can’t honestly remember any, but I might be wrong).

From the top of “Gliding Club” road down to Stretton-level, the ride is a nonstop mountain biking thrill 🔥 Some descents might last no more than five minutes, but with all the sensory overload and adrenaline, they feel much, much longer… almost like the slow-motion bullet-dodging scenes in The Matrix. If you haven’t ridden these trails before, I almost envy you 😎 I vividly remember the first time I was shown around here — it felt like I had finally found the riding I’d been unknowingly searching for since I started this hobby.

Even so, it’s always a huge thrill to take someone new to these trails and watch their reaction for the first time. It’s not slacking off — this is the work itself 😉 For the purposes of this feature, it was my duty to take Sim on a midweek ride in Church Stretton, hitting all the best trails there. Technically, we only needed to ride long enough to get some good photos, but there was no way I wasn’t going to ride from dawn till dusk and make the most of every moment.

One thing I always hate when someone shows me new trails is over-explaining them. It kills the thrill of riding “blind.” You only get one chance to ride a trail for the first time, and more often than not, it ends up being the best experience you’ll have on it — not the fastest, nor the cleanest, but the most intense and exciting 😮‍💨

Apart from the usual “watch out for walkers” warning, I left Sim with no expectations. I would glance back occasionally to check on him and could see he was handling things perfectly — much better than if I had planted doubt or worry in his head with warnings like “that rocky drop” or “that washed-out edge.”

We were exhausted by the time the light began to fade, but we’d ticked off a respectable number of trails 💪 It was genuinely satisfying to return the favor that had been done for me years ago. And now, we’re passing that favor on to you lot… lucky you 😉

📍 Locations and Postcodes for the Best Riding Trails

📌 Church Stretton – SY6 6DQ
The best starting point for Long Mynd trails and the surrounding areas

📌 Long Mynd – SY6 6ER
The most famous trail area, known for its fast and thrilling descents

📌 Yorkshire Dales – BD23 5HP
The writer’s favorite riding spot, though it’s not the location of the current ride