petalpower

I figured I'd get more info here as the local forums seem somewhat quiet.

The wife has a possible job offer in New Hampshire, and things just haven't gone the way we'd hoped for here in Colorado. After 3 years, not much has changed, and I don't see things getting much better.

I know the riding season will be different, and maybe a bit shorter, but I guess what I'm looking for is the overall riding in the state, as well as the cycling scene? How long into the year do you guys normally ride? How is the racing scene?

I'm excited for a change, but hesitant to leave Colorado. The climate here, in the western part, is perfect for cycling. Nice roads, few people, and decent variety.

Thanks

chado445510

If you are planning to go to Southeast NH, it is great. I live in a small town near UNH and as far as location goes for regular activities, you are in a pretty good place. For biking, there are plenty of bike shops with very nice people. Group rides range from beginning, or entry level to a ride at Exeter that averages 25+. You can probably start riding in March if being cold isn't a problem. I could be riding now if it weren't for school. Sun sets at about 6:20. There are lots of residential roads that are great for riding, and as you go West, they become more sparse, but so do the people.. Racing probably won't be as common as in Colorado, but Connecticut has races pretty often. However, there are a few classics, like the Portsmouth Crit, and the Mt. Washington hillclimb (mwarbh.org). You should be good at that for continually being in the mountains . If you have any other questions just ask. Sorry for my unorganized thoughts, and hope to see you soon!

ridethecliche

Hope you like skiing in the winter.

petalpower

Well, being in Colorado, it's one of the reasons I moved here. The skiing wont be the same for sure, but the wife wants to be closer to family, and New Hampshire fits us the best.

Seattle Forrest

Where in the western part? When you move, can I have your apartment?

New Hampshire gets snow, which you're used to. The sun sets earlier than in Colorado in the winter, which can be depressing, but you get long summer nights as a reward. There are rolling hills everywhere you look.

I used to go cross country skiing as a kid up in New Hampshire.

fordmanvt

Having lived in VT all my life NH is a natural fit for me. The southern parts of both states are like MA, but the northern parts are more like the Adirondacks of NY or the majority of ME. If you like single lane roads, stay in the northern area.

It's a difference of as little as 15.0-9.0 vs 15.1-8.9
or as much as 15.4-8.6 vs 14.5-8.5

The loss of elevation will make a bigger difference in temperature than the amount of sunlight. If going to the coast the ocean will be an even bigger factor.

Chris_F

Depending on where you are in CO get ready for bad weather. Yes, you get snow in Co, but it's light and fluffy and deep. In NH it's heavy slush. What it lacks it depth it makes up for in sheer mass. Expect to snowblow and not shovel your driveway. You said Western CO, don't know if you mean like Grand Junction or Denver type area. If you're in Denver type area you'll need to get used to seeing a lot less sun. During the winter it's nearly always grey and snows every 2 weeks or so. The snow doesn't melt until spring. So, don't plan on riding much during the winter unless you can fit some studs on your bike.

There's a great variety of riding across NH but it's nearly all good. Even the "busy" part is pretty lightly populated (though not like Co). The roads are pretty well maintained and mostly all paved. There's also a lot of them (Co seemed nearly devoid of roads). They're also never closed due to snow (at least not the major ones) because the higher population density in NH means more snow plows per mile of road. So for road riding you have a lot of options. Also, drivers tend to be rather polite to cyclists (though there are some jerks).

I love mountain biking here. If the winter is mild you can get out on the single track with studs, but if there's a lot of snow you need to wait until after spring thaw (mud season) to ride the single track. It's wonderful, technical, rocky, rooty, stuff with a ton of variety. And the thick woods makes you feel like you're on another planet (the woods is much thicker here than in CO.)

Don't discount our mountains either. They may sound small in terms of elevation. The tallest tops at 6400 feet, but the base to summit isn't that bad. That 6400 footer is 6200 feet of vertical. The air is definitely thicker here too. Depending on where you are in the state you'll find varying degrees of hilly. There's very little to no flat.

The geology is totally different here. Rocks in this region are ancient, some of the oldest on the planet. Grey, granite, marble, basalt, that type of stuff. Most of the geology is covered in soil and grown over but thanks to the glaciers there are a ton of small surface rocks. Makes for interesting mountain biking.

Lifestyle wise it's probably a close match to CO. Lots of outdoors-y type people, lots of outdoor activities. The people of hewn from hardy stock, work hard, show humility, and are live and let live types. Very similar to the folks I met out in CO.