Originally Posted by
RupertCornelius
It's a common theme in many sports - skiing, running, rock climbing, etc that people seek out the best cities to live in to have the best places nearby, but I haven't seen the similar sorts of threads for cycling.
Where in the US has the best road cycling? I'd think maybe somewhere in California, where you get year-round rideable weather, not too hot summers but also no snow or cold in winter, along with ability to get up into mountains. Various places in the Rockies would be good for summer, but snowed in in the winter. Doesn't seem like anything east of the Mississippi would even be a contender, but maybe somewhere in North Carolina, Tennessee or Kentucky has the climate and topology, if it also had a local scene and safe roads.
So all things considered - year-round weather, terrain, roads, traffic, group rides, etc, where has the best cycling?
How about a city that has all of the above: Skiing, check. Running, check. Rock climbing, check. Road cycling, check. Mountain biking, check. ....but... you get snow in the winter, sorry; you're going to have to adapt to it.
Salt Lake City has all of this. Plus six national parks within a 5-hour drive (Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Arches, Yellowstone), rivers to raft, fishing, hunting (if that's your thing -- it's not mine), slickrock trails, Moab! a few hours away, hills to cycle up and down, or flats if you prefer that. Little Cottonwood canyon near my home goes from 5100 feet to 8800 feet in eight miles. But the big caveat is you have to get used to cold temperatures in the winter, and snow.
That said, for year-round riding, I really liked living in Los Angeles. And there are nice scenic rides available there too, plus thousands of miles of roads.
But cold temperatures aren't insurmountable. Today it was in the mid-30s, and I saw a 65 year old guy pedaling up the 11% grade near my house, in shorts. I see him every day. He can kick my butt on that hill, because I tend to lay off it and hit the gym when the weather turns cold. But I see road cyclists out every day except during snow storms. My road bike isn't optimal for winter, but my hybrid is outfitted with mudguards, 32mm GP 4 Season tires, and Bar Mitts to keep my fingers warm.