I've lived and worked in Irvine for years, the only downside is that accomodation is deffinately not cheap. There are always a lot of places to rent here on the Orange County section of Craigslist to give you some idea. Here's some City of Irvine Bikeways info the Streets are very well maintained with Miles of Bike Lanes, most Traffic Lights have special Cyclist Buttons which are handily located next to the kerb. You can get pretty much from one side of the City to the other via offroad paved Bike Paths. There are several fast rides from a few locations in Irvine. Feel free to PM me for more info. I'm sure you will really like Irvine, the Climate is awesome which makes Roadbiking awesome too!!