Originally Posted by
timtak
I am trying to find the criteria that makes somewhere fantanstic
What are "rolling roads"?
"fantastic roads" meaning smooth, pot hole free? Or scenic? Or traffic free? Or?
Is "rural" good in itself, or good because the surroundings are natural, or because there is less traffic?
I think I like semi rural, villages or the edges of cities, markets, parks, sports grounds, temples because I like to look at the doings of people, without too much traffic. I think that I might like to ride through citiies if it were not for the traffic. That said, and speaking of Taiwan, I once bought a cheap bike in Taipei and rode around it for a few days. It was wild!
I keep going back to Winthrop, WA with my bike. I've traveled a lot of places with my bike but I keep coming back to this one.
It's rural but that's not enough, there are plenty of rural places I could be riding. Low traffic density and unusually polite drivers are fantastic touches, but also not the whole story. The scenery is fantastic, it's both jaw dropping and varied. There are good hotels, and good restaurants. All the people in town are very friendly and welcoming. Many of the roads lead to some of the best hiking and skiing trails, so there's a nostalgia to them. The area has a mix of flat, rolling, and endlessly climbing terrain, so you can do a hard ride one day and an easy one the next.