scrublover

There isn't anything wrong with Boulder, it all just depends on where your priorities are.

Boulder is a great town if you like having to drive to get to the better riding, the better climbing, the better snow play, if you like high rents and high housing costs. If you'r job is there, awesome. If it's down south, you're gonna' have ****ty commutes. If you're all about getting training miles in year round, then yes, it's a freakin' awesome area. I love the climate and elevation. The trails that are close to town get crowded like mad, unless your schedule permits riding weekdays. Or, as said, you have to be willing to drive to stuff further out that is less crowded. Getting to 70 and into the mountains can be a total gong show, and more pain in the ass than it's worth. More trail user conflict and issues around the CO front range than any other place I've ever lived/ridden as well. If you're a roadie, it's freakin' awesome. Hardcore into dirt? Meh, I think there are far better places.

It's got some great food and cultural bits, but otherwise... The town prides itself on being this sort of free love type all welcome hippy-ville multi-cultural mecca. Um, no. It's really freakin' white there, and loaded with bigoted, monied, intolerant ******bags. YMMV, as this is merely my opinion after near seven years total having lived around the area.

If wifey and I had stayed, we've have either gone more north to FoCo area, or south into Golden. Closer to a real metro area and its cultural diversity, closer to 70 and getting out to the mountain area riding spots/Fruita/GJ/Moab. As well, lift access for summer or winter. If you're a lift/gravity junky, get used to a lot of driving to get your fix.

Take up some back country skiing and head north in winter, and head north to the areas off the P2P highway in summer/fall and you'll get better trail for riding, fewer users, and less drive-time than heading out 70.

I have more, closer, and far better technical riding within a half hour of me by car, and way more within a half hour by bike where I am now, and it's awesome.

lubes17319

Yup
Shhhh!
Nothing to see in Golden, people. Move along.

craigcraigcraig

Haha I like boulder so far. I will never cheer for the broncos because the cowboys take too much time already.

The area is a lot of environment loving bigots but just let them do their thing and I'll do mine.

samburger

Well where I live, it's a 30 minute drive to the nearest trail, over an hour to the nearest half decent trail, & about 3 hours to the good trails (good trails being similar to the trails you ride). The majority of the US is flat, so I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks Boulder would be a major upgrade in biking. Granted, real estate prices are crazy cheap here compared to Boulder, but speaking strictly of enjoyability of accessible mountain biking, it's better than most of the US.

Santaria

I'm over the barrel a little, personally. Other than surfing wind-chop, there is only one single-track here, that is flat and relatively unused for 9 months out of the year due to our near constant 95+ degree subtropical temperatures, combined with the drought.

My family wants to be more actively involved with being outside, and I'm looking at applying for my doctorate through CU|Boulder. We're into biking in general. We commute, mountain and road ride regularly. But there seems to be more, regionally, to offer for me in that area. I can teach my kids to kayak, snowboard, hike, camp, and enjoy four seasons. These are things you do not do here in Brownsville. Camping is non-existent, if it did exist, you'd actually be putting your life at risk of smugglers/drug runners in any area that would be "campable."
4 hours north
There is no "off-road" area and road biking is frowned upon as you are "taking up their turn lane" when you ride in the few dedicated bike lanes. The nearest region that probably is more bike-friendly is Corpus Christi, some four hours north of here, by car.

I don't believe we want to live in Boulder, based on what I've been told by many, many folks. But rather, we intend to live within commuting distance of the university.

Another big boon for us is that we like bouldering and trad climbing. I grew up in SoCal and got to enjoy climbing as a teen, my sons have all only experienced climbing in rockgyms. By moving to this region, they also get exposed to that hobby/sport.

I honestly look forward to moving the region. Thank you for the advice about looking into Golden, I'll have to check that out. Fort Collins is too far out of the area for commuting and lacks the one requirement my Bavarian wife required: Lots of snow

dminor 

Biggest advantage I can see to people flocking to Boulder and other CO locales is that they don't get any farther west . . . .

Santaria

Some of us already vacated the west coast. If I wanted to go back, I could have already

craigcraigcraig

I may be in Seattle early June to start another tour cross country and i will tear all of washing I can to pieces while I am there.

Santaria

Oh snap, thanks for reminding me! The oddest woman I ever had to work with also is moving to Washington St. with the Navy. She has been hit twice, in one year, on the same road - both times she was at fault because she forgot there was traffic and tried to cross against the flow of it. Both times she was hospitalized. Good times for you in Washington dminor!

bvfrompc

Golden, the awesome little college town Boulder still thinks it is. And I can bike a half block to N. Table from my garage and Apex, Chimney Gultch and White Ranch all a 15 minute ride away. And that lil bike company that made my bike is just on the other side of town.

https://www.schnauzers.ws/?p=1190

dminor 

Pretty unassuming 'World Headquarters' isn't it? And an awesome product that comes out of there.

Daspydyr 

Coors makes bikes????

dminor 

<minus rep for inference to Coors being an "awesome product."

craigcraigcraig

D you look like a robot in your picture while riding that coors

dminor 

Ya, between the black helmet and black Leatt, it does look a bit odd there.

Zephyr11

Gotta pimp those sponsors.

YamiRider1316

^^^ awesome

craigcraigcraig

This thread is getting good.

samburger

Ohh man I sure hope the next Halo game has a mountain bike!

craigcraigcraig

I rode the trek remedy 9 a couple days ago, it fits in above the Santa Cruz and specialized but below the reign.

Daspydyr 

Zgurl deserves an award for that photoshop job. I'm gonna make a poster outta it and hang it in the garage!