Aarchie: Greenville is an awesome area, but selecting where to plunk down $200k for a nice home based solely on bicycling is a bit one dimensional. I'll give you my opinions as best I can, but I am sure to be countered by other riders. No problem there, not a thing wrong with multiple perspectives.

Downtown: If you like the notion of living close to downtown, the Swamp Rabbit trail runs right through downtown and north to Travelers Rest and will eventually run south to Conestee. The Swamp Rabbit is not a head down heart thumper at all, but rather a great place to take a leisurely ride as there are dog walkers, joggers and families on wheels. It is a very relaxing ride which leaves you with a great sense of community. The closer you get to downtown, the more community you feel and the more walkable Greenville becomes. If you have a lot of money to throw at a great older home, consider the Augusta Road area, where old Greenville lives.

Generally, as you move north of Greenville, (Travelers Rest) things get hillier, and there are roads that you can get on with serious hills and very little traffic. Don't look for much in the way of shoulders anywhere. The cycling culture here values hills, even if they take you right to crush depth. Paris Mountain is close, farther off is the Table Rock area, then foothills and all the hills you could ever want.

As you move south, things get flatter, but certainly not Indiana flat. Rollers and countryside. I live in Neely Farm, on the southern end of Simpsonville, and if I leave the 'hood straight south, I have about a mile of light to moderate traffic and then very light for miles and miles. I rode to Columbia last year.

The Spinners large group summer rides start and end at Donaldson Center, (it has been renamed, I just cannot recall) which is close to Simpsonville and Mauldin, but not a burden from anywhere. Getting to the rides, which start at 6PM can be a challenge if you get out of work late and have to slug through I-85 traffic. (If you are from Atlanta, my traffic remark is a joke)

Greenville, Greer and Spartanburg are eventually going to grow together, so cycling out of Greer will require popping north into the hills, and may require a bike rack to get out of town. Same is true for a lot of Simpsonville.

Greer is growing with BMW and its associated supply chain. From a commute standpoint, if you live in downtown and work outside downtown, you are in much better shape than the other way around.

Got kids? Check the ratings, but Riverside/Eastside?) is a winner on the public high school side, (that moves you toward Greer) and St Josephs and Christ Church on the private school side. Both of those drive you to Mauldin.

Woodworking? Check out the Greenville Woodworkers Guild. Mauldin.

Greenville is a happening area. I'm not a city person, but if I were moving in again, I'd give downtown a second look. There is a lot happening there.

Happy Hunting!