Originally Posted by 531phile

Wasn't Portland Oregon considered most bike friendly city in USA? Some negatives though is that it isn't very diverse population wise and the economy there isn't as robust as some other cities. And major ding is the fact that rain was invented in that region.

San Diego is cycling heaven in most areas. It has very diverse terrain, flat in some areas and hilly in others. Has Mount Palomar for your climbing needs. Riding on the PCH is a treat. Best year around weather I've ever experienced in my life. There's some nice shops there. There even a bunch of performance bike for cheap tubes and parts.

Nor Cal(Bay Area) isn't as awesome weather wise but it is still in California has very mild winters so you can bike year around if you really wanted to. It does have a rainy season but so does San Diego surprisingly just a bit more so make sure to buy get some fenders. I've found the summer weather in the East Bay to be supremely consistent 80-90 degrees and sunny on the dot almost always. What's not to like about that? There's good shops as well here. The scenery and terrain seems to be a hair bit better than San Diego.