brian416

What are some of the best places where you can live and make decent money as well as have some of the best biking out your back door? Things like nice size hills/mountains, views, good roads, none of that flat straight farmland stuff.

I'm lucky to live in an amazing place for biking but I'd like to hear some opinions since I'll be done with college in a year and am wide open for ideas.

Wested

Bah, probably the west coast is your best bet. SoCal is nice I hear. San Francisco bay area as well. Damn hippies. Jobs of course are pretty good out there.

Colorado has some insane mountains to climb, awesome scenery.

In the Northeast, the catskill area is nice in New York. Jobs aren't that good though. Vermont has great mountains, scenery. Damn socialists.

My favorite rides in the north east are in Maine. You have mountains in the north, relative flat lands in the central portions, and great riding hills on the coast. Awesome scenery. Few cars. Absolutely no jobs though.

Anyway you look at it, the economy is tanking, so it'll basically be slim pickins nationwide in a while.

scotch

hampshire/franklin counties, pioneer valley in western, mass.

do-well

This thread topic always leads to the same answers: Portland, Seattle, California coast, parts of NC, and a number of other places (Houston, Detroit, Compton, etc. )

Then again Louisville, KY was just named the most liveable city. "Whatever the h-e-double hockey sticks that means," says the dude from Louisville.

https://www.courier-journal.com/apps/...445/1008/rss01

RichinPeoria

Chicago is claiming on their cycling maps that they want to be the most bicycle friendly city in the US. It's a good place to live, eat hotdogs, ride bicycles...etc...as far as I can tell.

55/Rad

I hear Portland and the Northwest in general is pretty nice.

Wested

I honestly don't see Detroit as a happening cycling town. Hell, it's the auto manufacturing capitol of the world, eh?

RichinPeoria

...these kind of hotdogs...just in case you wanted to know..

woodduck

IMO the best places in the USA for cycling are around so-cal,Santa Barbara - San Diego and Colorado.

SD for the number of good riders to train with (maybe a bit different now) and Colorado for the same thing + the altitude and mountains.

I lived in Europe and the USA back and forth during 1989-1997 and spent most time in Colorado.

I went from NY down to florida, then across the bottom and back up to San Francisco. Austin, Texas was good but to flat and to hot for me. Somewhere in NY would be good to stay in too.

Machka 

Alberta, Canada

california

Los Angeles is a terrible place to ride bikes, and very much the best. You may get hit by a car going for milk, but you can also do Europe quality climbing loops from your front door. Of course the weather makes it possible to do this all year round.
It is a trap here, I want to live other places (like Chicago) but it is a hard place to leave.

Chicago, best flat big ring group rides. Alberta has some amazing riding for sure...

BillyD

Brooklyn.

drafters65

manhattan...nothing can wake you up in better than the smell of fresh fumes and work you out more than dodging taxis all day. youll go back to MI with catlike reflexes.

dalava

+1, especially if you live on the west-side or coastal. If you can get up early and get your ride done before 7:30, it's all good because nobody gets up that early around there. After that, forget about it, too many cars in too much of a hurry.

Richard_Rides

Hawaii might be good.

NuBiker

California Central Coast

otismedina

Southwestern wisconsin or NE

TexasRider

Another factor to consider is the cost of living. I'm in Seal Beach, CA (Orange Co) for two weeks to attend a class for my job. They have some great bike lanes and trails. However, the cost of homes out here is incredible (about three times the cost of homes in San Antonio). Austin is probably the most bicycle friendly city in Texas and is often put on the best places to live lists.

dark13star

I will never, ever, live anywhere but Colorado again. I regret the 27 years of my life I wasted elsewhere...

sax

I live in LA, griffith park is in my back yard with great climbs and descents. Car fumes for the few miles I am on the main roads suck...but at least I can do it all year...even in December. For my job I travel from LA up to San Luis Obispo and always take the bike. Great riding can be had in San Luis Obispo without the cars and smog! But for making the coin to spend...I need to be in Hollywood for now.

One day though I plan on moving somewhere up the coast a bit with a little more elbow room.

daoswald

I live in LA too. Traffic is hell here. But there are some nice rides available. Griffith park is actually where I met my wife (biking). I enjoy riding Topanga Canyon for some great hills, and a really nice reward half-way through the ride (arrival at the coast). You can ride the PCH for miles in both directions.

But "getting there" can be a real battle. Many of the roads are so busy, and so crowded, and so narrow, that drivers lose their patience, or just as easily lose their concentration, and if that happens, look out.

logdrum

Any place is good. Some people live in the most wonderful places in the US and hole up in their house watching Twin Peaks re-runs. So what if you don't have nice maintained switchbacks and it snows in May. If you are born to be a good rider you'll find a way.

NeelsGap86

To me, some of the best places are in the Appalachia's.

Here is my list:
1) Dahlonega, Ga
2) Athens, Ga
3) Asheville, NC
4) Boone, NC
5) Dalton, GA
6) Chattanooga, TN
7) Knoxville, TN
8) Greenville, SC

As you can see, most of those places I named are in or near the Appalachia's. They may not be near the ocean but if you love climbing, then they are the place to go.

If you are looking for a job in one of those places, your best bet will either be Greenville, Asheville, or Charlotte.

As of right now, the fastest growing cities in the nation are in North Carolina.

If you fancy hot babes, beaches, and the ocean life, then I suggest some places in Florida. Florida statistically has one of the highest rate of participants in competitive cycling in the Southeast. Georgia is second in that.

NeelsGap86

You said it!

Just make the most out of it. For a good ride, I'll go as far north as 20 miles just to get to the country. It's worth it every time!

jmechy

There is a reason why postal used to train in solvang and the Santa Barbara area. Good climbs, great weather year round, and plenty of different routes.