Serendipper 

I'm visiting my mom for the holidays, and haven't clocked anywhere near the mileage that I am used to at home in the mean streets of the big city. I feel kind of sluggish, my post count is ridiculous, and what is that?!! A mini-gut of man flesh is accumulating somewhere in my abdomen.

So, in tribute to my current state of mind, I decided to give things a bit of a 'kick'.

So, I'm hosting the very first online no-holds barred cage match between the Suburbs and , er... the Urbs!

Who will win? What's more fun, dodging buses full of witless onlookers, or bombing large swathes of pavement in front of hapless schoolkids??? YOU DECIDE>

(This is not a Pay-per-View Event, but a BikeForums Exclusive!!!!!!)

Let the games begin!

Accident

definetely city riding is more exciting, the burbs have cars passing you, in the city you pass them.

onetwentyeight 

I kinda miss smooth pavement sometimes.

Zurich

I know it's all trendy and urban to go with the city on this one, but I'll ride in the burbs any day of the week. Just don't really want to live there. Trade off? I think so.

s_9

If I had to ride in the 'burbs, I'd probably get a mountain bike & ride through people's yards. I don't think I'd be able to stand the lack of obstacles.

$0.00/Gal

When I rode my bike in the burbs 2 weeks ago it was the scariest riding I have done in ages.

I guess I'd need to know if you're talking about inner or outer ring suburbs. Traditional or cul-de-sac, big box type sub-divisions.

cooker

Burbs tend to have quiet cul de sac or bay residential streets, in semi-enclosed clusters that don't go where you want; and jammed high speed multi-lane through streets, that lead to the mall. So if you want to meander, ride through the burb neighbourhoods. If you are going to a specific destination, I prefer the city.

In Absentia

Which holidays? Your family must be really into May Day and Memorial Day!

I'll take the city any day. I'm so out of shape that I wouldn't be able to make it anywhere in the suburbs. Plus I'd be much more worried about being run over by soccer moms in Suburbans on their cell phones while looking behind them to reprimand their kids. They probably wouldn't even notice when they ran me over.

In Absentia

I prefer to meander through the city. The scenery's better and you never know what kind of weird drama you'll happen upon.

IchbinJay

I've been a suburban bomber my whole life and I love it. In south eastern MA you have a big variety of terrain as opposed to the oppressive hub of Boston. Most towns have a somewhat traditional town center that gives it the New England feel. Then there are also miles and miles of cranberry bogs and tons of ocean roads as well.

It's definitely good territory for non-competitive cross riding.

Aeroplane

Live in the burbs. When I rode in NYC, I felt WAY safer. Plus, more lights = more trackstand practice. The city rules for having fun, but burbs are good training grounds.

gboy

I live in exurbia, commute to suburbia, and love riding in the city.

sers

my commute takes me through both. i have to say i feel a lot safer riding in city traffic than any moderately busy street in the burbs.

drolldurham

i live in the quintessential burbs, and it can definitley suck. i'm lucky that arlington has an awesome bike trail network, but it can still really suck to have to work around roads that are virtually un-bikeable, i.e. cars parked parallel everywhere with hummers going 45 all around. not un-bikeable i guess, just really lame.

zorak8me

OP- please clarify.

Is this before or after the **** goes down?

Cause if its before, then def city.

After, burbs.

Jerseysbest

aerobic in the burbs, anaerobic in the urbs, embrassing myself in both. Depends on my mood, if I just want to ride and barely pay attention, nothing beats a long straigt road in the suburbs, but if wanna scare the **** outta myself which is my favorite part, the city is where its at

griffin_

i ride almost exclusively in the suburbs and everytime i go in the city all i want is to be on my bike zipping through traffic
suburbs are relaxing but boring

Serendipper 

Visiting me mum for mother's day, Sherlock. Ever hear of it? Right, then.

Look out the window, the **** is going down.

UPDATE: In an impressive display of power, the Suburbs unexpectedly slam the City over the head with a chair!!! Wait!!! The City's gettin' up!! The City's getting up, I don't know how it got up after that blow...Man, That is one tough customer!! This thing could go either way,folks!!!!

12XU

What about the country? I live in a college town dropped in a cornfield and there is much riding to be had, although it's mostly straight hills with rolling terrain. Very relaxing and certainly not as fixed friendly as the city or even the suburbs.

pixel

I lived out in Western Massachusetts after I graduated and I feel much safer riding in Boston/Cambridge. People in the city are more patient (suprisingly) and are at least aware that you're allowed to be in the road and give you some space most of the time.

brunop

city. 'burbs suck and are for cars.

drbianchi

City, by far is better for riding than the burbs. Not only is the style of riding better but you don't have a bunch of dumbass rednecks/whitetrash/meth addicts throwing stuff at you.

fatbat

Yup. I feel much safer riding in boston as compared to the hartford burbs. There are just as many latte slurping knee-driving cellpone talking inattentive drivers in either place, but they're doing 15mph in traffic boston, and buzzing you at 50mph in the suburbs.
Also, as pixel said- the people in the city expect to have bikes around.

However, if you want to put serious miles in, you've got to go out of the city.

wildrobot

[$0.00/Gal][/When I rode my bike in the burbs 2 weeks ago it was the scariest riding I have done in ages.
]

I agree give me western ave full of crazy cabbies and bus drivers over those suburb high speed two lane death traps full of suv soccer moms on the way to big box stores anyday.

Grunk

+1