Pasadena vs Oakland vs Boston
#1
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Pasadena vs Oakland vs Boston
Hi all! I am super excited to be going off to grad school for the next long number of years. A very important thing to me is road racing (and of course being able to train), and I was really hoping to see if anybody has opinions on these three places? From what I have gathered so far, Pasadena is a great place for cycling, though it also has bad air quality during some parts of the year. I am also very interested in getting into track cycling, if anybody knows of that going on at any of these locations. Thanks in advance!
Last edited by palisader; 02-25-23 at 10:06 PM.
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pasadena for adjacent road, mtb and gravel options will be tough to beat. oakland doesn't suck. never sniffed boston but the navigable high point on the entire east coast is 6,600+ feet vs the rideable, nearish, navigable high point in
pasadena being approx 7,900 feet and nearish, navigable low point dropping down to sea level...you tell me.
for track, these are semi-nearby:
https://www.dignityhealthsportspark.com/velo
https://encinovelodrome.wordpress.co...ginners-guide/
you could always hit the regional forums on this site. if posts are to be believed, the boston area combines the best of the amalfi coast with a healthy dose of the alps/dolomites and sprinkling of the icefields parkway
with the traffic density of antarctica and the weather from the canary islands. your own research results may vary slightly from that.
pasadena being approx 7,900 feet and nearish, navigable low point dropping down to sea level...you tell me.
for track, these are semi-nearby:
https://www.dignityhealthsportspark.com/velo
https://encinovelodrome.wordpress.co...ginners-guide/
you could always hit the regional forums on this site. if posts are to be believed, the boston area combines the best of the amalfi coast with a healthy dose of the alps/dolomites and sprinkling of the icefields parkway
with the traffic density of antarctica and the weather from the canary islands. your own research results may vary slightly from that.
Last edited by diphthong; 02-23-23 at 11:08 PM.
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For cycling I'd pick Pasadena.
For life and living Boston. One of the greatest small cities in the country, by far. Low crime, ****-tons of young smart people, night life, arts, and it's waist deep in opportunities/networking.
This Boston-love assumes you can get student housing, otherwise the housing costs will keep you out of the fun-nice areas, or eat all your beans.
For life and living Boston. One of the greatest small cities in the country, by far. Low crime, ****-tons of young smart people, night life, arts, and it's waist deep in opportunities/networking.
This Boston-love assumes you can get student housing, otherwise the housing costs will keep you out of the fun-nice areas, or eat all your beans.
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I will apologize in advance for starting my response by answering a question you did not ask. I would choose the city with the best grad school that will grant you admission. The grad school and you position in the graduating class will follow you the rest of your life and open or NOT open doors for employment. Life lecture over.
I have lived in and raced all over CA. Road racing is the best and most extensive in NorCal with the Oakland location. And there is the Hellyer velodrome south of San Jose where I have raced as well as taught beginner sessions. Hellyer is a great 333 meter concrete track but not convenient to Oakland. Local racing association is the NCNCA where the racing schedule can be found. If I were choosing grad schools in NorCal, it would be Berkley or Stanford and both will have racing teams.
In the LA area, Pasadena has access to Mountains and that cycling can be excellent. I have raced there and did the climbs. Other routes are less great due to heavy traffic but there are the river trails to ride. The local racing association is SCNCA. Road racing is poor in SoCal. I train and race at Velo Sports Center indoor track. VSC is the only indoor, 250 meter, professional, indoor track in the US. This is a totally fun, fast track. However, traffic from Pasadena to VSC can be brutal. UCLA and USC are great choices for grad schools and have racing teams. I have not raced at Encino.
I cannot comment on Boston area.
I have lived in and raced all over CA. Road racing is the best and most extensive in NorCal with the Oakland location. And there is the Hellyer velodrome south of San Jose where I have raced as well as taught beginner sessions. Hellyer is a great 333 meter concrete track but not convenient to Oakland. Local racing association is the NCNCA where the racing schedule can be found. If I were choosing grad schools in NorCal, it would be Berkley or Stanford and both will have racing teams.
In the LA area, Pasadena has access to Mountains and that cycling can be excellent. I have raced there and did the climbs. Other routes are less great due to heavy traffic but there are the river trails to ride. The local racing association is SCNCA. Road racing is poor in SoCal. I train and race at Velo Sports Center indoor track. VSC is the only indoor, 250 meter, professional, indoor track in the US. This is a totally fun, fast track. However, traffic from Pasadena to VSC can be brutal. UCLA and USC are great choices for grad schools and have racing teams. I have not raced at Encino.
I cannot comment on Boston area.
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#6
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as maybe the only boston area currently active member, it's a good place to live and ride. of course, I think the key is first picking the best school, the riding will take care of itself. there is a velodrome up in NH, but I don't do track so I couldn't tell you the schedule or anything. I live just north of the city and generally ride west. I grew up on the southern coast of MA and there are some awesome routes down there in southern MA/RI. Obvs weather can be an issue. Best of luck!
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hellyer is only about a 30 minute ride from the new north san jose bart station; not as inconvenient from the east bay on a bike as it used to be.
and it's not a velodrome, but a 10-20 minute BART ride from oakland and a 5 mile ride up the wiggle and through golden gate park itself gets you to a 1,000m public free public cycling track. really fun for working on your form, doing super specific intervals, testing out new gear, cda/rr sensitivity testing etc etc. it is not open to cyclists 24/7/365 but plenty of days/times/seasons.
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More NorCal bias here. Tons of great road racing here, and the East Bay is so much warmer than Boston in winter, and so much cooler than Pasadena in summer.
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Hi all! I am super excited to be going off to grad school for the next long number of years. I very important thing to me is road racing (and of course being able to train), and I was really hoping to see if anybody has opinions on these three places? From what I have gathered so far, Pasadena is a great place for cycling, though it also has bad air quality during some parts of the year. I am also very interested in getting into track cycling, if anybody knows of that going on at any of these locations. Thanks in advance!
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As a lifetime resident of the Pasadena area, I can tell you that the smog issues of the past are pretty much gone. It can get damn hot in the summer, though.
There is are a lot of racers and other fast folks in the Pasadena area, and there are high-level group road rides in the area happening 5 days/week, all year long. The racing scene is pretty strong, but I don’t have experience with the other areas you’re considering, so I have no basis for comparison.
I agree 100% with the post above that recommends making your choice based on the school, rather than the bike scene.
There is are a lot of racers and other fast folks in the Pasadena area, and there are high-level group road rides in the area happening 5 days/week, all year long. The racing scene is pretty strong, but I don’t have experience with the other areas you’re considering, so I have no basis for comparison.
I agree 100% with the post above that recommends making your choice based on the school, rather than the bike scene.
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#11
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You've exactly described my situation. I'm leaning towards Cambridge for now, but will be visiting each place. As for the snow, I do happen to love winter sports as well.
My other option is Chicago. But I must admit I did not even bother asking about the cycling there. I have a feeling I won't be super fond of the city after 6 years.
My other option is Chicago. But I must admit I did not even bother asking about the cycling there. I have a feeling I won't be super fond of the city after 6 years.
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Re Chicago, there’s a velodrome in Northbrook, pretty far from Hyde Park though.
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As a lifetime resident of the Pasadena area, I can tell you that the smog issues of the past are pretty much gone. It can get damn hot in the summer, though.
There is are a lot of racers and other fast folks in the Pasadena area, and there are high-level group road rides in the area happening 5 days/week, all year long. The racing scene is pretty strong, but I don’t have experience with the other areas you’re considering, so I have no basis for comparison.
I agree 100% with the post above that recommends making your choice based on the school, rather than the bike scene.
There is are a lot of racers and other fast folks in the Pasadena area, and there are high-level group road rides in the area happening 5 days/week, all year long. The racing scene is pretty strong, but I don’t have experience with the other areas you’re considering, so I have no basis for comparison.
I agree 100% with the post above that recommends making your choice based on the school, rather than the bike scene.
summer does get hot. start earlier/get some lights. any of those roads mentioned just above are magical just after sunrise (and just before sunset but sunrise has less traffic). hit 'em at night with appropriate lights (esp in summer) and previous recon for some blessed and probably deserved relief.
Last edited by diphthong; 02-26-23 at 05:28 AM.
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I lived in Sacramento for a long time and spent a lot of time in the Bay Area. I grew up Maine, so I've been to Boston a fair bit too. I can't see how Oakland isn't the best choice here. Oakland/SF are both amazing cities; I'd argue SF is the coolest city in the US. Beyond that, the climate in Oakland would be the best and riding/racing scene and terrain are amazing.
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You've exactly described my situation. I'm leaning towards Cambridge for now, but will be visiting each place. As for the snow, I do happen to love winter sports as well.
My other option is Chicago. But I must admit I did not even bother asking about the cycling there. I have a feeling I won't be super fond of the city after 6 years.
My other option is Chicago. But I must admit I did not even bother asking about the cycling there. I have a feeling I won't be super fond of the city after 6 years.