Thinking about retirement... bikes and boats... looking for suggestions.
 

I want to retire to a place where I can ride my bike on slow paced streets. Southern California is car-centric, and much of the west is too far apart thus the auto is king due to local type two lane hiways.

Thinking about someplace near water, so I can ride my bike down to my sailboat and enjoy the day at a non-motorized pace.

Would like to avoid harsh winters, don't need tropical days.

Would like village like atmosphere... artist communities would be great. This is for retirement, so nearby industry is not needed.

So where are the best biking cities around that are near water?

Perth, Australia.

Let us know when you find it.

Joe

Do you sail and bike... I was hoping that the combination was a bit unique... Uh oh.

I really have this thing for "simple machines," machines that may be in reality quite complex, yet work off of obvious basic levers, wheels etc... mills are a great example. Sailboats also fit the bill.

In US look at Eureka - Arcada Calif., Newport Oregon, Port Townsend or Bellingham Washington

In Canada look at Victoria BC

How about south of the border???

Anywhere in Cuba. Bikes get the right-of-way there.

Close to water? check.
Warm winter? check.
not too hot? well, not as bad as some islands
villages? yup.
artists? checkeroo.

Heh, I wouldn't suggest moving there though, unless you can speak spanish and want to live on food stamps the rest of your life...

if you are not opposed to the east coast

some of my favorites are

beaufort, nc : quaint (lots late 1700's/early 1800s houses) right at the bottom of the outer banks. lots of excellent restaurants/ little galleries etc but more expensive

new bern, nc: colonial capital of NC with a nice historical district, delightful small city with a vibrant little downtown and is affordable. on the neuse river/pamlico sound. a short sail to the atlantic with the advantage of the protected sound on windier days. my sister has settled there and loves it ...she has lived most of her adult life in asia or europe btw. has 4 seasons and winter is mild but summer is warm but not awful

georgetown, sc ... once the richest city in the world (300 years ago). another cool little coastal city with more amenities than you would expect from a city its size. "warm in summer"


bigger places: charleston sc, savannah, ga...both pretty hot in summer, but lots of culture although not cheap

Well, there is always good old St. Petersburg, FL where the bike club has rides every day, and sometimes morning and afternoon. We meet very close to where you would park your sailboat. AAMOF, the offshore sailing school uses my girlfriend's B&B for classroom, and the students stay there when they are in town for the vaious sailing courses offerred. Then again, you mentioned non-tropical.

If it werent for the harsh winters i would suggest lake tahoe, california. it's simply beautiful there. im sure anyone who has been there will agree. but you probably wont be doing much sailing and riding in the winter there.

Hey, why dont you get 2 retirement homes. one for winter in a tropical city and one for winter in a cool weather city.

i used to live in jacksonville, florida when i was in the military. great place. very friendly people, great weather, especially on amelia island. not a lot of traffic and right on the beach.

thats my 2 cents.

J

Table Rock Lake, Missouri is worth a look....

Ahhhh If I were only rich...

I suppose if they were only a snappy cycling distance apart...

Actually, if the full time home is in a place that is not warm enough, that is still no problem, as I could sail to distant shores. But I do have to be able to maintain the boat, so being able to cycle to it is important.

Charleston and Savannah are NOT good suggestions. Both are over sprawled and not bike friendly as much as you'd think. Georgetown and New Bern are good. Look into Pawley's Island, SC and Litchfeild Beach, SC. Beaufort, SC, my hometown, isn't so bad. I'd go carless if I worked here rather then Hilton Head Island.

There's a decent suggestion, Hilton Head Island, SC. Several marinas and 40 miles of pathways. The summers in any Southern locale are hot.

I have similar dreams. I have a R.E. agent looking for something in Beaufort SC area now. After vacationing in Hilton Head for several years I decided I like the area. But cost is nearly prohibitive for what I'd really like. Beachfront would definitely attract the kids back (is that a good thing?) but is way too expensive.

I like the idea of property on the intracoastal waterway. My ideal would be a long bike trail connecting to the intracoastal. I imagine a Boston Whaler with a bike rack on top. I could take long trips in either direction on the intracoastal and each stop along the way could be explored by bike.

Anybody know of places or property like this?

If you'd been paying attention... where I live. Sail, cycle. Cycle, sail. Great temperate climate. Fantastic cruising grounds. Magnificant scenery from the water. Validate it with bike touring. Friendly people. Good exchange rate. Oh yeah, just about to do 10 Days on the Island... a festival of art in all its forms.

I joke not. I have to toss up between sailing and cycling on some weekends.

Since I also enjoy motorcycling, Hiwassee, Georgia, comes to mind.

The winters are cold for about six weeks, but other than that, the climate is moderate and conducive to riding year round.

Several good lakes and reservoirs around, too.

Plenty of property available in Beaufort. The beach is 15 miles away, but not safe to ride to yet. Property on the intercoastal is high in this area, but there are several creeks that feed into the ICW that may be less costly. Your agent is looking out for his intrests as well, and may not be able find what you need.

Santa Cruz

Barcelona

You may want to spend some time in Chicago it has the lakefront path and the museums and nice beaches.

Have you been there?