Originally Posted by
prendrefeu
I don't think this is a question of which cities are the most cyclist friendly (because it's either Seattle, Portland, or Davis ftw on that) - but the question was more posed as which area in the country offers the best cycling overall.
That's California: flats, climbs (MOST of the best to be found in the US), diverse geographic terrain (deserts to oceans to the Sierras to the Giant Redwoods and more...), urban riding that isn't boring (our cities don't have a monotonous grid-system, and it isn't flat), and overall fantastic weather YEAR ROUND.
Racing? California racing is some of the most competitive and toughest in the country.
Pro Racing? Tour of California - have you seen which teams are coming this year? Yeah, there's a damn good reason for that - it's a great tour.
Where do many pro cyclists come to train during the off season? California.
It's California, FTW.
Although your answer is quite spirited in nature, you don't so much offer specifics beyond "California."
The square mileage of CA, for the record, is around 160,000 square miles. That's one heck of a capital. I'm going to go circle my favorite 160,000 square mile riding area and I'll get back to you.
Also, I think you overly discount the value of a city being bike-friendly. The terrain's not worth much if you don't feel comfortable taking advantage of it. Interestingly, your post seems to arrive at the exact opposite conclusion of 55/Rad (post right above your's).