agoodale

Murrieta, CA (just north of Temecula, CA)

10th safest city in CA , 42nd in the USA (with population > 100k)
Excellent public schools
Affordable housing
Year round cycling weather (I don't even own a cycling jacket)
New wide roads with bike lanes
5-10 miles gets you out of town into country riding with little or no traffic
Flat and/or Climbing routes everywhere

San Rensho 

Berkeley/Oakland Ca. have by far the most challenging, winding, climbing, descending roads I have ever been on. Just an absolute blast and some of the most beautiful views ever. The ride starts 10 minutes from the nearest BART (commuter train) station. So if you live anywhere in the bay area, you are riding in about 1/2 hour from your house.

I currently live in Miami, and if you want to race or ride with big groups, its really good here. Every week there are 4 training rides which are really training races, with 2 tempo rides in addition. Many 1/2/pros. But alas, its complaetely flat, so it really only works for criterium racers.

datlas 

OP check-in... I am getting all this. Thanks for the tips, obviously cycling is only part of the equation....cost of living, public schools, "diversity"/culture, etc. all have to be factored in....my instinct tells me California is best for everything except cost of living...and NM/CO might be good runners-up. We shall see.

SushiJoe

My bro moved to Temecula from Murrieta, actually. Both are better for cycling than Nebraska. Yes, I am master of the obvious.

BigSean

There is a reason its cheaper in Florida. Oh and Im in Northern California, todays temps low 70's. I have ridden ouside year round for the past 4 years. Our 90's are not humid. Pack yer bags!!!! Oh yeah, there are hill and mountians right out the door.

rydaddy

These days, the Sacramento area is very affordable.

Machka 

Canada: lower mainland BC (Vancouver area), Vancouver Island, and possibly also southern BC (Osoyoos, Kamloops, etc.) ..... yes, they've had a bit of snow this year, but particularly in the lower mainland BC and Vancouver Island areas, snow is relatively rare.

Australia: pretty much anywhere. I'm moving to the state of Victoria this summer, but may move around a bit after that. The temps are going up to about 40 degrees in Victoria this week ... that's 104F.

woodduck

I have not lived for more than 6 months or so, but I have been pretty much in every state and done a lap of the usa twice.

I'd pick Colorado, Sothern California or Texas. I think these areas have good riding, plus they have the main thing which is good riders/bunches to train with.

probably pick LA or SD in so cal first if I had to move to the USA for good. Otherwise southern Europe would be my first choice.

Carbon Unit

Sorry but I have to disagree, God would choose San Bernardino County.

YOJiMBO20

We don't have winter in San Diego, we have four summers: the coolish summer, the wetish summer, the hot summer, and the dry summer. It's 87* right now, and we're in the coolish summer.

I wish I was riding and not doing homework.

EDIT: I find it funny that I typed this and then looked at my avatar of me riding on my trainer in snow in my front yard.

julz

australia.

SushiJoe

I hate you out of jealousy.

mattm

CO has great mtns and all, sure - but a winter cycling mecca? (a few have suggested it here)

did i miss something about CO weather in the winter? (when i was skiing in breckenridge a few years go)

Blade-Runner

Spain!!!

YOJiMBO20

I hate you out of your name making me want sushi every time I read one of your posts.

rogerstg

Riding the long, straight, flat, rarely changing landscape of Florida IS like riding a trainer.

Of course there are the added challenges of dodging the snowbirds hell bent on getting to their early bird specials.

Jay Andriot

My vote is for Santa Barbara CA. I lived there for 4 years, what a great time.

GP

I rode in a neighborhood a couple of weeks ago off Clinton Keith but I forget what it was called. Lots of hills though.

I ride pretty regularly in De Luz, Rainbow and Fallbrook. We'll stop in Old Temecula and pose at the Starbucks now and then.

scorpio516

And it'll be high 60s-low 70s tomorrow .

When I moved here to metro Sac 2.25 years ago, cost of living was almost identical to metro Detroit (where I was living before) - houses were going for the same prices where you actually wanted to live.

Since then, houses in Sac have depreciated by 25-50% depending on the area (they've depreciated about that much in Detroit too but not because they were as overpriced as is the case here). This week I'm supposed to take a look at a 3/2, 1500+ house in Roseville priced under 150,000. When I moved here, that house would have been in the 300-350 range...

All in all, the central valley probably has alot of what your looking for: good weather year round, affordability, and a 20 mile ride could have no climbing or 2000'+ of it . Depending on how rural your looking, there alot of almost empty roads too.
From where I live, it's 20 miles to downtown Sacramento where its almost sea level and 10 miles to Auburn where its over 1000 feet. Takes an hour to get to Tahoe, an hour to get to a good BART station, an hour to get to Napa, about 2 hours to get to Yosemite or Lassen.

merlinextraligh

Ask the folks that chose to relocate from Santa Barbara to Jacksonville. (remember that tax thing).

agarose2000

1. San Diego

2. Palo Alto & Bay Area

Both are $$$$. Palo Alto is probably more expensive than SD, but has the best schools and other surrounding multicultural locale. If you can afford it (BIG if!) both are incredibly nice places to live for outdoor sports.

jasandalb

When the "big one" hits and southern cal is now a province of mexico...............oh wait it already is.........then you'll see the prices come down!

merlinextraligh

and 110 degrees in August.

rydaddy

I just got home from my 16 mile commute.... wearing summer gear

H.A.W.G.

PA? if so no. I just moved here for an internship, and I am not impressed. The really wide shoulders are nice, and its a great place to bike, but everything else is awful.