General Cycling Discussion - Best Place to Cycle and Live

I will be planning on moving out of the house. Right now I'm going to college but would like to plan ahead on maybe where I would like to live. I'm going to be a teacher so finding a job should not be much of a problem. I would like to be able to ride all year but would not have to. I do a mix of mountain and road but mainly road. It would also be nice if there were a lot of races, rides, or clubs in the area. Oh yeah I currently live in the Metro Detroit area.

Southern California has it all.

jeff

I lived in Southern California for 35 years AND LOVED IT but I can tell you it is NOT the best place to both live and cycle. Unless you are REALLY rich and have a TON of free time. It ain't bad but....

The Pacific Northwest has it beat hands down.

55/Rad

The Pacific Northwest has it beat hands down.

55/Rad


even with all the rain?

even with all the rain?
Rainfall totals in the PNW are less than in NYC. It's the biggest misperception. There are a lot of gray and misty days that contribute but it's not nearly as bad as the rest of the country thinks. Winters are mild, Summers are spectacular along with some of the prettiest landscape in the country. Not to mention the cycling and the housing market.

Don't get me wrong - I loved LA. Born and raised there. But my career required me to be on the LA Westside everyday and when my children were born, I realized my only options were to live in a tiny unaffordable house in a lousy undesirable "pocket" (you LA people know what I mean) or move out to Thousand Oaks, Santa Clarita or Orange County, where the one-way commute was 60-90 minutes.

I wanted something better.

55/Rad

Southern California has it all.

jeff

Southern California has it all..... if you can afford to live out here.

Northern California (Bay Area) is a better place to ride, IMHO. If you can afford to live on the Peninsula it is amazing how quickly you can get into fairly undeveloped areas. Of course, you've gotta like hills. I can get from my house to the ocean with no stop lights and three or four stop signs. You've also got lots of clubs. In addition to club-sponsored rides, there are the Noon Ride, The Valley Ride, and the Spectrum Ride. Most of the races are crits. If you want road races you generally have to travel out to the Valley.

Dont move to Floriduhhhh...
its too hot, no hills or mountains and the drivers here suck.
I am originally from the 4 corners area of NM and hope to move back soon.
NM has mountains, flats and great riding areas (trails depending on where in NM)
You can ride year round but be sure you have winter gear as it does get cold, and when it snows it doesnt last long... not to mention the education system in NM is better than Floriduhhhh in my opinion, Floriduhhhhhh consentrates too much on FCAT and the kids dont learn anything but FCAT...
Good luck

I'm in NYC and my answer would be... anywhere you can.

Boulder, Colorado

Boulder, Colorado
Ditto, gringorio. Mtb biking. Road biking. Cruiser-bike-on-extensive-dedicated-bike-paths-to-starbucks-biking. Bike-friendly-motorists-biking. Bike-friendly-public-transit-biking.

Pnw...for every reason mentioned above. And as for rain...whats that again. Seriously, it doesn't rain that often.

The Pacific Northwest has it beat hands down.

55/Rad

I second that

All I can say is NOT Hilo, Hawai'i :D

bkr

Southern California has it all..... if you can afford to live out here.

I can... well just barely :-)

jeff

Depends on what else your looking for in "living." If you want arts and a hoppin scene then CA is a good option. If you're looking to hide out and fish and hunt then I say Asheville, NC. Cost of living is low, job outlook is good, great biking, good rock climbing.

I'm more of a west coast guy myself. I'm applying for jobs in Oregon, CA and Colorado.

I guess I'll have to represent for Minneapolis and say it's a mighty fine place to live and bike. Endless trails, beautiful rivers to follow, great city. Being from MI you know how do deal with winter so that's no problem.

Dont move to Floriduhhhh...
its too hot, no hills or mountains and the drivers here suck.
I am originally from the 4 corners area of NM and hope to move back soon.


Hey, bub, that's 4 corners area of CO! :) I grew up in Cortez, CO (4th grade through HS) - where do you hail from?

Atlanta, N.Ga., North Carolina. Cost of living is moderate (especially compared to S. CA), quite few riders, clubs, races. And, you can ride almost 12 months a year.

Where are all the Minneapoites? Hey, we have many miles of paths that segregate the walkers from the riders. There is a fair number of cyclists, so we are pretty well seen. Crime is so low, that I don't always lock my bike if I'm running into a store or coffee house( depending on the neighborhood). Icebiking can be a blast-for those who like this kind of thing. People are pretty nice, generally.

As for the cities: we are culturally diverse, there are dozens of theater companies, a few good museums, good restraunts, more food co-ops than anywhere else, and housing affordability.

Davis CA is another place that I like for biking and access to culture( via Amtrak to Berkely and Sacramento). Nappa is just over a few hills too, for those who need a good bottle of wine and meal halfway through their allday ride.

I know we bought our home ten years ago, during the last home bust, so we are lucky financially..Can't afford it,can't live there...
But summer winter riding , comparably warm. Little rain. Blue skies in the afternoon at least 335 days a year. Rarely hot, never cold.. Lots to do..Events, activities all year llong...
Not born and raised here, but So Cal..Pretty darn nice..If you are dinks, like variety, desert, mountains, ocean. Hollywood glitz. If you can afford it, pleasant surroudings.
By the population growth... Coastal Southern California is be all and end all for the avid cyclists....No need for a trainer here.
When the rest of the world picks on SOuthern California..What I think..Jealously is a prime motivator of lots of criticism...
The down side.Yes, Population growth and urbanization...Will foul our own nest.

Well, I will put in something for FL. You could teach during the year in Florida. Lord knows, they need decent teachers down here and I suppose everywhere else come to think of it. You can ride year round in FL. You would want to be a little careful about where you go, some places have much much better cycling then others.

The thing is that since you are from Michigan you could potentially live in FL for the school year and escape the dreadful FL summer and go to Michigan for their cycling season. I lived in Michigan for a number of years and Michigan's summer cycling season is awfully hard to beat.

Austin, Texas