What is the best location in the USA for year-round riding, racing, touring and general bike related activities? I consider weather, cost and quality of living, job opportunities, local interest in bikes, and the quality of local riding important. Flat land riding is boring, and West Virginia style hills can be too much. Is the best place Gainesville, FL, Austin, TX, Yuma, AZ, San Diego, CA, or some other city. What's your choice and why?
Best City in USA for Biking
StillRiding
21 - 40 of 56 Posts
Joined
·
50 Posts
When it's NOT raining/ Misting/ Drizzling........Portland is awesome- I grew up there. But for user-friendly non-gortex riding, SACRAMENTO has gotta be up there in the ranks. The American River bike trail goes for 30 miles along a scenic parkway / no stopping, traffic, potholes. Did not use a trainer this winter- nice enough to ride 140+ miles per week in January! In the summer months you do have to watch for rattlesnakes (did a "fly-by" on 4 last year). Spring through fall, it's an hour and 1/2 to Lake Tahoe for epic altitude riding. If you take the rain out though, Portland rules!
san diego best place i've been
great weather, lots of long routes with dedicated bike lanes along the road, other paths. nice rolling hills inland to more serious climbs, it is only flat on the coast. easy drive to (or long ride to) julian where there are good hills, great mtn biking there and in the in the surroundig 1-2 hour area such as idyllwild area where the old 24 hr race was, etc.
i'd also have to agree the DC area is amazingly good IF you pick your routes well. MUTs all over--but i dislike them for serious riding, but several routes have great shoulders or bike lanes, and i found the areas in the montgomery county area full of great routes with respectful drivers--especially the poolesville area. It is easier to ride through DC than drive--and i mean the area with monuments, tidal basin, etc--nothing better than an early monring weekned ride when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. it gets cold, but it is not that wet or snowy--i rode year round.
jim
great weather, lots of long routes with dedicated bike lanes along the road, other paths. nice rolling hills inland to more serious climbs, it is only flat on the coast. easy drive to (or long ride to) julian where there are good hills, great mtn biking there and in the in the surroundig 1-2 hour area such as idyllwild area where the old 24 hr race was, etc.
i'd also have to agree the DC area is amazingly good IF you pick your routes well. MUTs all over--but i dislike them for serious riding, but several routes have great shoulders or bike lanes, and i found the areas in the montgomery county area full of great routes with respectful drivers--especially the poolesville area. It is easier to ride through DC than drive--and i mean the area with monuments, tidal basin, etc--nothing better than an early monring weekned ride when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. it gets cold, but it is not that wet or snowy--i rode year round.
jim
and that list can't be right
carmel indiana gets a bronze--i grew up in that county, still ride there when i visit relatives. no way--carmel is full of big SUVs, the real orange county mentality, most roads have no shoulder and there are several dangerous highways and roads to cross. i always ride the opposite direction out toward pendleton where there is nice rolling farmland, and very little traffic.
i did go to palo alto when i did wildflower--was only there overnight but looked like a bike friendly area--also not sure where you could afford to buy a house there
carmel indiana gets a bronze--i grew up in that county, still ride there when i visit relatives. no way--carmel is full of big SUVs, the real orange county mentality, most roads have no shoulder and there are several dangerous highways and roads to cross. i always ride the opposite direction out toward pendleton where there is nice rolling farmland, and very little traffic.
i did go to palo alto when i did wildflower--was only there overnight but looked like a bike friendly area--also not sure where you could afford to buy a house there
Joined
·
815 Posts
I'd love to live and ride in Southern California, but who can afford it?
Homestead, FL? I was born in Miami, and have been known in past years to do a lot of winter training in that area, but it's flat, flat, flat, and I don't speak Spanish.
Washington DC? I live in Annapolis now, and I've worked and ridden in DC. I'd pay to get away from there. Nice rides in VA and MD suburbs, but the weather stinks.
Forget any place where the average winter highs drop below 60 and the typical 3 bed/2 bath house costs over half a million.
I'm looking up Copperas Cove. Never heard of it.
Homestead, FL? I was born in Miami, and have been known in past years to do a lot of winter training in that area, but it's flat, flat, flat, and I don't speak Spanish.
Washington DC? I live in Annapolis now, and I've worked and ridden in DC. I'd pay to get away from there. Nice rides in VA and MD suburbs, but the weather stinks.
Forget any place where the average winter highs drop below 60 and the typical 3 bed/2 bath house costs over half a million.
I'm looking up Copperas Cove. Never heard of it.
Yes, California is expensive, but some jobs have much brighter career paths in California than elsewhere, so the cost of living may be worth your while. Most of the California coastal areas (San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco) never get snow, don't get real hot during the summer, and don't get much rain either.
Joined
·
32 Posts
I have to throw a vote in for Spokane with the many bike trails and great weather from April through October. Winter months it definately is not the place, but Once the weather turns it is great- very bike friendly town.
Joined
·
77 Posts
All those places sound great. Don't come to Greenville. It sux here.:wink5:
Joined
·
599 Posts
Lehigh Valley, PA
I'm going to be so bold as to throw my hat into the ring here. The Lehigh Valley (specifically Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown) has some great road riding. Nice country roads, good climbing over the Blue Ridge Mts and in central NJ, and one, soon to be two, velodromes in the area. Not to mention any number of great MTB areas within an hour (Jim Thorpe, French Creek).
Yes, we have a winter, but it's not unbearable. Personally, I like the variety of some snow on the ground once in a while.
I would definitely give a big thumbs-down to Pittsburgh and Cleveland. I've lived both places, and you have to ride waaaaay too far to get out of the rat race.
I'm going to be so bold as to throw my hat into the ring here. The Lehigh Valley (specifically Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown) has some great road riding. Nice country roads, good climbing over the Blue Ridge Mts and in central NJ, and one, soon to be two, velodromes in the area. Not to mention any number of great MTB areas within an hour (Jim Thorpe, French Creek).
Yes, we have a winter, but it's not unbearable. Personally, I like the variety of some snow on the ground once in a while.
I would definitely give a big thumbs-down to Pittsburgh and Cleveland. I've lived both places, and you have to ride waaaaay too far to get out of the rat race.
Argentius said:
as much thumbs up p-town gets, it's not nirvana here. I get all kinds flack for riding here. I love the bike lanes, but still have to deal with motorist crossing into the lane as well as turning in front of the bike lane. We have advocacy here, and that is the true difference, but motorists still drive w/ their heads up their arse. Cyclists get run over by cars here too.
Joined
·
13,390 Posts
Tucson.
Joined
·
536 Posts
worcester ma
'cuz that's were me, my family, and my bike are. lots of good racing for road, cross & multisport. There is a race everyweekend and all of 'em are 2 hours of here, most within 45 minutes drive. recreational cycling is decent to the immediate west, glorious in the berkshires & around the quabbin, but sketchy to the east. commuting... well, let's not talk about commuting. put it this way... I had to look up what MUT means.
'cuz that's were me, my family, and my bike are. lots of good racing for road, cross & multisport. There is a race everyweekend and all of 'em are 2 hours of here, most within 45 minutes drive. recreational cycling is decent to the immediate west, glorious in the berkshires & around the quabbin, but sketchy to the east. commuting... well, let's not talk about commuting. put it this way... I had to look up what MUT means.
Joined
·
815 Posts
Here's the list so far, along with average January high temperature, median 2006 4th quarter home value in thousands of dollars, median income by state and rate of violent crime per 100k population. The last number is my score by my own arbitrary rating system described as follows: Score one point for every degree above 50 in January. The average ratio of house value to income is about 5.44. Score one point for every 0.1 below the average ratio. The national average rate of violent crime is 475. Score 2 pts for every 100 below average. And here are the winners and losers along with comments. If you don't agree, too bad, do your own survey.
Austin, TX - 60 - $175.2 - $49.769 - 462 - 29 pts (and ride with Lance)
Yuma, AZ - 69 - $215.0 - $51,458 - 629 - 28 pts (300 days of sunshine)
Copperas Cove, TX - 58 - $170.0 - $49,769 - 662 - 24 pts (where?)
Greenville, NC - 52 - $150.0 - $49,339 - 570 - 24 pts (maybe a well kept secret)
Greenville, SC - 50 - $150.0 - $48,100 - 620 - 20 pts (or maybe they meant here?)
Gainesville, FL - 66 - $211.5 - $50.465 - 1035 - 17 pts
Tucson, AZ - 66 - $239.4 - $51,458 - 915 - 15 pts
Spokane, WA -33 - $189.2 - $60,077 - 585 - 3 pts
Albuquerque, NM -48 - $187.5 - $44,097 - 947 - 1 pts
Homestead, FL - 77 - $366.8 - $50,465 - 980 - minus 1 pts (no hablo Espanol)
Boulder, CO - 46 - $363.1 - $62,470 - 225 - minus 3 pts
Sacramento, CA - 55 - $365.1 - $61,476 - 777 -minus 6 pts
LeHeigh Valley, PA - 35 - $249.7 - $55,904 - 602 - minus 8 pts
Portland, OR - 46 - $285.4 - $52,698 - 813 - minus 11 pts
Worcester, MA - 31 - 274.7 - $71,655 - 877 - minus 11 pts
San Diego, CA - 66 - $579.8 - $61,476 - 578 - minus 25 pts (just too damned expensive)
Santa Ynez, CA - 66 - 586.5 - $61,476 - 550 - minus 26 pts (same as above)
Boston, MA - 36 - $388.0 - $71,655 - 1216 - minus 29 pts (only crazy people live here)
New York, NY - 39 - $498.4 - $59,686 - 734 - minus 45 pts (same as above only worse)
Let the arguments begin.
Austin, TX - 60 - $175.2 - $49.769 - 462 - 29 pts (and ride with Lance)
Yuma, AZ - 69 - $215.0 - $51,458 - 629 - 28 pts (300 days of sunshine)
Copperas Cove, TX - 58 - $170.0 - $49,769 - 662 - 24 pts (where?)
Greenville, NC - 52 - $150.0 - $49,339 - 570 - 24 pts (maybe a well kept secret)
Greenville, SC - 50 - $150.0 - $48,100 - 620 - 20 pts (or maybe they meant here?)
Gainesville, FL - 66 - $211.5 - $50.465 - 1035 - 17 pts
Tucson, AZ - 66 - $239.4 - $51,458 - 915 - 15 pts
Spokane, WA -33 - $189.2 - $60,077 - 585 - 3 pts
Albuquerque, NM -48 - $187.5 - $44,097 - 947 - 1 pts
Homestead, FL - 77 - $366.8 - $50,465 - 980 - minus 1 pts (no hablo Espanol)
Boulder, CO - 46 - $363.1 - $62,470 - 225 - minus 3 pts
Sacramento, CA - 55 - $365.1 - $61,476 - 777 -minus 6 pts
LeHeigh Valley, PA - 35 - $249.7 - $55,904 - 602 - minus 8 pts
Portland, OR - 46 - $285.4 - $52,698 - 813 - minus 11 pts
Worcester, MA - 31 - 274.7 - $71,655 - 877 - minus 11 pts
San Diego, CA - 66 - $579.8 - $61,476 - 578 - minus 25 pts (just too damned expensive)
Santa Ynez, CA - 66 - 586.5 - $61,476 - 550 - minus 26 pts (same as above)
Boston, MA - 36 - $388.0 - $71,655 - 1216 - minus 29 pts (only crazy people live here)
New York, NY - 39 - $498.4 - $59,686 - 734 - minus 45 pts (same as above only worse)
Let the arguments begin.
Joined
·
22,031 Posts
The 3 best places for pure riding I've ever been are:
-San Diego.....Mountains, flats, great scenery, good bike lanes, great weather.
-DC......Uber access to both the city and the surrounding countryside. Winter's pretty short......
-Ashville NC & Surrounding areas......It's great riding.
I ridden considerably in Austin...you couldn't pay me enough........Drivers are the worst in the country.
Len
-San Diego.....Mountains, flats, great scenery, good bike lanes, great weather.
-DC......Uber access to both the city and the surrounding countryside. Winter's pretty short......
-Ashville NC & Surrounding areas......It's great riding.
I ridden considerably in Austin...you couldn't pay me enough........Drivers are the worst in the country.
Len
ut: :lol:
Joined
·
815 Posts
I live near DC, and have ridden extensively in the area. The facts that you would even want access to the city and that you claim the winters are pretty short shoot your credibility all to hell.Len J said:
21 - 40 of 56 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
