Road Cycling - Best College/Bicycle Town?

Ok... I know this an odd question being as most people look for the best education when choosen the college they wanna attend but w.t.f. I say. I am looking at this with a fiscal eye and am looking to ditch the old VW because insurance (being 19 + male) is way 2 much and I would realy like to live someplace close to school yet be in a town where I can bike to pretty much anything. So the question I ask you good folks is do you know of a bicycle friendly college town that a youngin such as myself could live without a car. Thanks a bunch for any feed back

Dennis

P.S. specifically a university please, already doing the community college thing for the first 2 years.

many, many students at UC-Berkeley go without a car. the bus system is good,
and for going to SF there is BART (metro). also, there is car-sharing which i know some folks use. car parking is scarce near campus, so a bike is the ideal mode
of transportation to classes. while the weather is conducive to year-round biking,
the urban setting likely makes bike-theft a bigger problem than at some other colleges.

plus, UCB ain't a bad place to study.....likely isn't cheap for out-of-state tuition though.

I go to Arizona State University. There are tons of bikes lanes around and you can easily get to at least 3 grocery stores <5 miles from campus. The school is pretty cheap too, compared to others at least, would be more for out of state of course. I live with my grandparents and only use there car to go to grocery stores. I bike to work (on campus) and to classes. I wouldn't use the car for groceries if I had another bike that I could put panniers on and felt a little bit more comfortable about leaving a bike locked up outside. If you have some more questions go ahead and ask but ASU is in a prime biking location. Additionally, there are good routes for biking all around. A very active local racing/riding scene. Mountains just next door but plenty of flats too if you just want to hammer!

Hmmm, thats another aspect I totaly forgot about... if I amlooking for a school I can use the bike to get around, I suppose the weather needs to be "OK" most of the year aye? Another thing to think about anyhow and as to the out of state tuition, I have pretty much said screw, I love Oregon but I realy wanna experience other parts of the country.

Dennis

just about any school in a big city will be ok for getting around w/o a car. you can combine bicycle and public transport. i went to school in chicago (on the south side) and had no problem getting around w/ the bike, and cta for bigger trips. now i work at a school in philadelphia and i get from center city to university city no problem on the bike. i don't even really take septa anymore. it's easier and faster on the bike. so, of the 2, i recommend philly.


*edit: i should specify: i recommend philly on it's bikeableness. as far as schools go, chicago>penn.
dan

Amherst (and Northampton) Massachusetts (U of Massachusetts) was the best bike town I ever lived in. Small quiet towns with lots of super-purty scenery. Very little car traffic. I biked Amherst 12 months a year whenever it wasn't too wet/icy, and when the weather gets nasty everything's within walking distance anyway and there's a great free bus system too. You can't lose. I became a bike person while I lived there happily car-free for many years. I think out-of-state tuition would be sky-high, though.

I was also in Boulder (U of Colorado) for a while - it's an OK bike town (good bike weather) but there's too much traffic in some areas. Also has a decent bus system. Some areas of Denver are OK, too. (CU-Denver/Metro State)

bkr

Hmmm, thats another aspect I totaly forgot about... if I amlooking for a school I can use the bike to get around, I suppose the weather needs to be "OK" most of the year aye? Another thing to think about anyhow and as to the out of state tuition, I have pretty much said screw, I love Oregon but I realy wanna experience other parts of the country.

Dennis

Add UC Davis to the list. I went there and had only a bike for the first 3 years. Lots of bike lanes, drivers that don't aim for bicyclists, and good year round weather. Plus, you can get a great education there.

I graduated from the Univesity of Texas in Austin and it was a very bike friendly campus...a large percentage of the student body rides around in bikes...traffic wise...since there are so many bikes around, drivers actually keep an eye out for cyclist...not like here in Dallas where I swear they aim for you ;)

might have been the Lance effect also... :)

I graduated from the Univesity of Texas in Austin and it was a very bike friendly campus...

Wouldn't you get all sopping wet with sweat on a bike there? :eek:

bkr

Wouldn't you get all sopping wet with sweat on a bike there? :eek:

bkr

it's that dry heat :D ....just joking...but you aren't really pushing hard on your way to class....unless you're running late....and in summer even if you're not riding a bike you get all sopping wet with sweat anyway...just the way it is... :)

...and in summer even if you're not riding a bike you get all sopping wet with sweat anyway...just the way it is... :)

True. Probably cooler to ride on the flat than to walk it at a reasonable speed. Less time spent outside between each air-conditioned oasis, too.

bkr

University of Colorado, Boulder. I graduated from there. Lots of bike paths, big sidewalks, lots of great hill training or flats right outside the city limits. Perfect bike riding environs...

Wouldn't you get all sopping wet with sweat on a bike there? :eek:

bkr
in the summertime: yes, one would. i only ride because its a 2 minute downhill jaunt to campus :D

im ditching my biking hobby for kayaking this summer :D

I can tell you one place you don't want to go... IUPUI in Indianapolis. This city is known for cars, and the roads around here reflect that long-held value. You really can't get close to campus on a bike, unless you want to take the greenways trails (which are packed with moms with strollers and wobbly kids on rollerblades). Avoid indy. Don't come here. They don't want your kind. Go elsewhere, yon biker kid!

University of Colorado, Boulder. I graduated from there. Lots of bike paths, big sidewalks, lots of great hill training or flats right outside the city limits. Perfect bike riding environs...

doesn't it get cold there? I'd rather be in extreme heat (>100) then have temps below 20 degrees regularly.

Tallahassee,Florida (florida state univ) is a pretty good cycling town.

UC, San Luis Obispo

University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon

Home of Bike Friday and Co-motion.

Nice on-road network, good school, but it does rain. But, of course, only wimps hide inside when it rains, right? :)

University of Wisconsin - Madison. One of the most bicycle friendly cities in the USA.

UC Santa Cruz was pretty alright.

I'll repeat... anywhere but Indianapolis. I mean, you can't even get near the campus on the roads that lead you there, unless you really enjoy taking your life into your own hands.

bpohl is right about Indianapolis. I attended IU-Bloomington and I would say it's a great environment for cyclists. However it does have a winter with snow!!

doesn't it get cold there? I'd rather be in extreme heat (>100) then have temps below 20 degrees regularly.

First: As far as I'm concerned it doesn't get cold in Boulder. (coming from a Minnesota/Massachusetts perspective) It's pretty unusual for Boulder to get below 20 for long, and the sun is intense there. What little snow Boulder gets usually melts in a day or two, or less. Also, the bike paths are religiously plowed at 5AM when necessary.

Second: Riding in the cold is MUCH MUCH better than riding in the heat. Protective clothing and very little sweating. Much more comfortable. I'm fortunate that my two biggest crashes were when I was wearing my winter coat or I'd have less skin than I do today. I'd rather ride in the "cold" any day. (I sweat buckets anytime it's above 70.)

bkr

Fort Lewis College - Durango, CO

Google Durango and Bicycles and you'll see.

doesn't it get cold there? I'd rather be in extreme heat (>100) then have temps below 20 degrees regularly.


Boulder gets real cold occasionally in winter. Boulder has 320 days of sunshine and its climate differs greatly from the common high-country rocky mountain climate people think of when they think 'Colorado'. 50-60 degree daytime highs are normal there in the winter. When it does snow, it is usually gone within a day or so. I find my current Rhode Island climate much more wintry than Boulder ever was.

I was an undergrad at Cal and rode my trusty Schwinn World Sport to class everyday and up Strawberry Canyon on the weekends. Until I was a Sr. and moved into a house on Durant Ave., a block from campus. Of course, I wouldn't leave a really nice bike on the street in Berkeley, but a cheap reliable bike like my old Schwinn was perfect.

Go Bears!

University of Illinois @ Urbana - Champaign... Sure, we sit in awe and wonder when others talk about these "hill" things, no really decent bike stores (Join the UI cycling team, and get nice cheap direct orders from manufacturers), but there's a bike path/lane to anywhere on campus, and there's something relaxing about just heading ten minutes south on bike from campus, and being on quiet back-country roads for an hour or two. Plus, the cycling team hosts a decent public group ride every weekend.

Oh, and for the most part, the bike lanes / paths are clear of peds, rollerbladers, and other members of the unwashed masses :)

Another vote for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Too good to describe from a riders standpoint...Try the Lighthouse Century, or Wildflower Tri or century to get a taste

Another vote for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Too good to describe from a riders standpoint...Try the Lighthouse Century, or Wildflower Tri or century to get a taste
I can honestly say, if I had to live my life all over again, I'd want to live it in the San Luis Obispo area, I would have loved to have gone to Cal Poly.

The University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). This town is completly dedicated to cyclist and a lot of folk on the campus do. The weather is perfect year round with temps rarely dropping below 45 and rarely going above 90 with the average being 74-perfect for cycling. And you have a large variety of places to cycle, from along the coast to up into the mountains. BUT, the expense of living there is outrageous due to being a coastal town and jobs don't pay well especially if your a student. Also that college is well know to be a party college, if that's your thing then great, but if your going to learn something pick a different school.

uc santa cruz is pretty awesome. 600ft climb across campus, but thats part of the fun.

It sounds like we should agree that any UC campus (except ucla) would be a fine choice for the student cyclist.

I would have to say Colorado State University. You get to enjoy the wonderful Colorado weather but avoid all the weird people in Boulder! There are great bike paths throughout town. Cheaper out of state tuition and cost of living isn't bad either. Great riding in the mountains too.

University of Illinois (Champaign), of course! Champaign is small and you have to like farmland.

Another vote for CalPoly-St Louis Abispo...

Barry College, Rome, Georgia!

Dzinck,
I am sure you have seen in numerous college guides where choosing a college based on a wish to live in another geographical area is not considered to be a wise decision..

NOT Appalachian State University. If you live far out at all you have to contend with fat, lazy tourists or the rednecks.

Dzinck,
I am sure you have seen in numerous college guides where choosing a college based on a wish to live in another geographical area is not considered to be a wise decision..

heh, thats exactly what I did...I only applied to colleges south of maryland...I'll be attending NC state this fall.

I know the original poster is interested in attending a university outside Oregon, but Corvallis, home of Oregon State Univ, is consistantly rated the best cycling city in Oregon. Better than Eugene and Portland, even. It's even won national recognition. Of course, it's much smaller than either of those two, so there's less traffic to deal with.

university of wisconsin-madison. period. look no further.

Ya ya I know OSU is a good college and junk and I know Oregon isn’t bad to live in but being 19 and haven lived here all my life I sure would like to live in a different region of the United States and for that matter... the world... but as the poster above showed its not all that smart to choose your college on what region of the US you want to live in, that’s not my only criteria but the ability to ditch the car and only use a bike is something I would love to do. Anyhow thanks a bunch for all the posts, the info is much appreciated

Dennis

does texas have anything?

As for getting your undergrad degree inside or outside Oregon, it worked well for me to do the Undergrad at U of O (3 years), and then do a graduate degree back East (Temple, for me). Overall, I think the graduate degree is more important in the long run, and having it come from a different region is important, even if in the long run you want to be back in Oregon.

Doing the undergraduate in another region would also have been good, but the cost difference was really significant...

Good luck!

DO NOT come to ISU (indiana state U) or Rose-hulman Inst of tech. neither of which have cycling.... at all

University of Wisconsin - Madison. One of the most bicycle friendly cities in the USA.

no kidding! i was up there for an alleycat and was blown away!!! great city, good school, great LBS...

also, Chicago is certainly up there...

does texas have anything?

UT's alright for the reason stated earlier (there are so many bikers that motorists have learned to look out for them), but most of the roads around campus (no bike paths, just bike lanes that arbitrarily start and stop in strange places) are very poorly maintained. plus the hills can make it very hard to get where you're going without ending up dripping in sweat.

UT's alright for the reason stated earlier (there are so many bikers that motorists have learned to look out for them), but most of the roads around campus (no bike paths, just bike lanes that arbitrarily start and stop in strange places) are very poorly maintained. plus the hills can make it very hard to get where you're going without ending up dripping in sweat.

which ut? anyone been to unt?

bpohl is right about Indianapolis. I attended IU-Bloomington and I would say it's a great environment for cyclists. However it does have a winter with snow!!

yeah IU is the place to be. The rolling hills of southern indiana are just minutes outside of the small college town. Its also one of the best pre-med/law schools (just ask lance about our cancer research), with a great business, music, and education school. and if you're up to snuff you can compete in the world's greatest college weekend, Little 500 (see the movie breaking away).

I'll put in another plug for UW-Madison. Ofc, I have no bias :D