Best place to live (to cycle)
11-05-12, 04:04 PM
#26
You don't know me.
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: NY
Posts: 16
Bikes: Felt F85, Trek 1200, Schwinn Varsity, Nashbar AT-2
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
11-05-12, 04:17 PM
#27
Decrepit Member
We call our summer marine layer cool temperatures "natural air conditioning."
11-05-12, 04:32 PM
#28
Live to ride ride to live
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 4,896
Bikes: Calfee Tetra Pro
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
If I could afford it, I would live in Carmel or Ojai, California. Howerver, they are not the best places to live if you need to be near a big metropolitan area for work but would be paradise for cycling.
11-05-12, 04:44 PM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
San Francisco has a TOTALLY different microclimate than the South bay just 20 minutes south. Sounds ridiculous, but it's absolutely true. Sf proper is gray and dreary most of the year - last summer, the avg temp in the summer during the day was barely 65F - sweater season the entire summer. In contrast, where I live, just 35 mins south of SF, it's 300+ days of sun and avg winter temp of lo 60s during the afternoon.
Where do you live? I spent a year doing volunteer work in San Jose, used to take my bike up to Marin County.
11-05-12, 05:14 PM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Chattanooga
Posts: 1,154
Bikes: '93 Bridgestone RB-1, '91 Specialized Allez Epic, '85 Raleigh Team Pro, '78 Andre Bertin, early '90s F. Moser Leader AX , '85 Centurion Equipe, '98 Litespeed Tuscany, '89 Klein Quantum, '80 Nishiki Superbe, '83 Peckham, '84 Fuji Opus III
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times
in
9 Posts
Chattanooga.
J
J
11-05-12, 05:26 PM
#32
Portland, OR, USA
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: portland
Posts: 1,626
Bikes: kona paddywagon, trek 2.1, lemond nevada city, gt zrx
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Portland weather is not the best however, when you take that into account and prepare accordingly, the overall cycling environment in this city is pretty awesome. Here you will find true 4 season year round riding though you will need some good rain gear selections and fenders. Once you figure that out, then you will also find extremely accesible steep terrain, a very good in city bike route system, tons of bike shops, some close in mtn bike trails (not a ton) however there are free ride options at the ski resorts during the summer. If racing is your thing, we have a 9 month racing season and if you are indeed put off by rain and cold weather, id say really December and January are the worst of it. By February temps are already back to the 50's and there are alot of dryish days.
11-05-12, 05:42 PM
#33
Sore saddle cyclist
11-05-12, 06:10 PM
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,456
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 50 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Actually it doesn't sound ridiculous at all. San Francisco is on the coast, and the southern bay area is in the rain shadow of the coast range. I was just giving you a hard time with the Mark Twain quote.
Where do you live? I spent a year doing volunteer work in San Jose, used to take my bike up to Marin County.
Where do you live? I spent a year doing volunteer work in San Jose, used to take my bike up to Marin County.
11-05-12, 06:28 PM
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times
in
1,417 Posts
Discredited by multiple sources.
We call our summer marine layer cool temperatures "natural air conditioning."
We call our summer marine layer cool temperatures "natural air conditioning."
To answer OP's question: If I were going to recommend a NorCal location, I'd say either Winters or Auburn, depending on whether you wanted to be closer to the City or to the Lake.
11-05-12, 06:30 PM
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gulf Breeze, FL
Posts: 4,128
Bikes: Rossetti Vertigo
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 119 Times
in
70 Posts
Where is the best place to live for cycling? Taking all factors into consideration.
For me, I believe an ideal place would include these factors:
- Living near a big city but not in one. (jobs/activity)
- Good hills/mountains ( I can't stand flat)
- Good cycling community
- Good Mountain bike trails AND good-condition roads
- Low traffic in immediate area
For me, I believe an ideal place would include these factors:
- Living near a big city but not in one. (jobs/activity)
- Good hills/mountains ( I can't stand flat)
- Good cycling community
- Good Mountain bike trails AND good-condition roads
- Low traffic in immediate area
11-05-12, 07:25 PM
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: ?
Posts: 2,300
Bikes: i may have bike(s)
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 46 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
<s>Tucson</s>
Nevermind no real cycling here.
Nevermind no real cycling here.
Last edited by beatlebee; 11-05-12 at 08:45 PM.
11-05-12, 07:27 PM
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Cowan Heights, CA
Posts: 850
Bikes: Wizard, Eisentraut, Paramount, Litton, Turner, Surley, Trek, Kona, Landshark, Hujsak, Masi, Tesch, Holland, Retrotec, Spectrum
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Raleigh, NC. Excellent cycling community, both road and mountain. Hilly (I too hate flats). Close to real climbing-2 hours to the edge of the Smokey's. Great food. Micro brews. Four real seasons, none more than three months long. Great people. Business is diverse. Politics is diverse. Been here three years and will miss it when I leave after the first of the new year and return to SoCal.
11-05-12, 07:32 PM
#40
NotGettinMyLanceOn
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 88
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Philadelphia because: Bike paths are everywhere and still being added constantly; There are lots of parks with paved/dirt roads; Everything is accesible via bicycle; Drivers are fairly considerate of cyclists.
11-05-12, 07:55 PM
#42
Roadie
Having ridden my bike across the US, there are only 2 places I've found (but I haven't been to CA yet)
Asheville, NC - Amazing road biking and mountain biking. For road riding, you can ride right from town, or if you go north 20 minutes you can do 80 mile rides in the mountains and see less than 20 cars on flawless blacktop roads.
Traverse City, MI - No mountains, however there are tons of hills and tons of incredible views of the lakes. Biggest downside is winter
Asheville, NC - Amazing road biking and mountain biking. For road riding, you can ride right from town, or if you go north 20 minutes you can do 80 mile rides in the mountains and see less than 20 cars on flawless blacktop roads.
Traverse City, MI - No mountains, however there are tons of hills and tons of incredible views of the lakes. Biggest downside is winter
11-05-12, 09:01 PM
#43
In Real Life
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Down under down under
Posts: 52,152
Bikes: Lots
Mentioned: 141 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3203 Post(s)
Liked 596 Times
in
329 Posts
Where is the best place to live for cycling? Taking all factors into consideration.
For me, I believe an ideal place would include these factors:
- Living near a big city but not in one. (jobs/activity)
- Good hills/mountains ( I can't stand flat)
- Good cycling community
- Good Mountain bike trails AND good-condition roads
- Low traffic in immediate area
For me, I believe an ideal place would include these factors:
- Living near a big city but not in one. (jobs/activity)
- Good hills/mountains ( I can't stand flat)
- Good cycling community
- Good Mountain bike trails AND good-condition roads
- Low traffic in immediate area
Victoria, Australia ... just north of Melbourne.
or
Lower Mainland BC
__________________
Rowan
My fave photo threads on BF
Century A Month Facebook Group
Machka's Website
Photo Gallery
Rowan
My fave photo threads on BF
Century A Month Facebook Group
Machka's Website
Photo Gallery
Last edited by Machka; 11-05-12 at 09:07 PM.
11-05-12, 11:15 PM
#45
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: AZ
Posts: 190
Bikes: 05 Specialized Roubaix Comp
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I may live in one of the best areas for cycling that meets most of your criteria. Prescott, AZ!
11-05-12, 11:52 PM
#48
One legged rider
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Moraga, CA
Posts: 1,390
Bikes: Kuota Kharma, Surly LHT, CAAD9, Bianchi fg/ss
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Raleigh, NC. Excellent cycling community, both road and mountain. Hilly (I too hate flats). Close to real climbing-2 hours to the edge of the Smokey's. Great food. Micro brews. Four real seasons, none more than three months long. Great people. Business is diverse. Politics is diverse. Been here three years and will miss it when I leave after the first of the new year and return to SoCal.
granted, mostly I agree with you. My wife and I are sick and tired of California and now I'm job hunting in NC. Lots of stuff to love about California, but my wife and I make a combined total of $230,000 a year and still cannot afford a single family home with any expectation of having any spare money, with only one kid.
The SF Bay rocks in many respects, but it is so insanely expensive that you really have to wonder at the logic of living here...but here is where the jobs are.
11-05-12, 11:52 PM
#49
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Moraga, CA
Posts: 1,701
Bikes: 2008 Cervelo RS, 2011 Scott CR1 Elite, 2014 Volagi Liscio
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Grenoble, France. About 45 minutes to Alpe d'Huez, Col du Galibier, and col de la Croix, etc.
11-05-12, 11:57 PM
#50
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Lafayette, CO
Posts: 1,212
Bikes: MTB: Stumpjumper FSR, Road: De Rosa King 3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I currently live 15 mins east of Boulder, and it's pretty ideal. There's some snow in the winter, but also plenty of sunny days in the 60s, and I like getting the chance to change it up and xc ski for a few months. Denver is a huge metro area close by. The riding is amazing, bike culture is completely pervasive. The climbing is out of this world awesome. Can't say enough about it. If you live in Denver or Boulder, there are plenty of people who don't even own cars. Boulder itself is pricey, but 15 minutes out of it is much more affordable. Denver's pretty reasonable depending which neighorhood you pick, schools, etc. I find it's a lot easier to ride from my house here in Lafayette than when we lived in Denver. There, I usually ended up driving a little bit to ride.
Moved here from Tucson, where the riding was awesome, and true year-round riding was the case, so long as you didn't mind getting up early in the summer. Seriously, tho, there is no riding season. It just goes and goes and goes. The roads outside the city limits are mostly all new, and they all have great big bike lanes. It is *not* a city that you can get by in without a car, tho. Tucson is extremely affordable to rent or buy, tho it can be harder to find a job that pays well.
Before that, I lived in the the South Bay and a little ways up the peninsula in Menlo Park. I still go back there for work once a month. Also great year-round riding. It never gets too hot to ride, and is rarely too wet or cold in the winter. It is super super expensive. Unless you can do something that's valuable to the tech industry, it can be really hard to make ends meet here.
Moved here from Tucson, where the riding was awesome, and true year-round riding was the case, so long as you didn't mind getting up early in the summer. Seriously, tho, there is no riding season. It just goes and goes and goes. The roads outside the city limits are mostly all new, and they all have great big bike lanes. It is *not* a city that you can get by in without a car, tho. Tucson is extremely affordable to rent or buy, tho it can be harder to find a job that pays well.
Before that, I lived in the the South Bay and a little ways up the peninsula in Menlo Park. I still go back there for work once a month. Also great year-round riding. It never gets too hot to ride, and is rarely too wet or cold in the winter. It is super super expensive. Unless you can do something that's valuable to the tech industry, it can be really hard to make ends meet here.