Where Would you live ?
#26
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Thanks for mentioning the OBX, which is just a day's cycling and a ferry ride from where I live. We plan to make it a fall excursion. For everyday rides, though, the Inner Banks have many days of relatively mild winter. We're looking to do some week long-ish trips though, so where in VA do you recommend? Shenandoah county?
It seems to be a good fit for many types of bikes. From my time in that area, do NOT depend on cell service coverage, no matter which carrier. Yours may work OR it may not..
#27
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i would live happily ever after in an 800sf house situated app 1.5 miles from a cannabis shop and app 1.5 miles from the local organic market & local post office
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#29
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For me, retirement is either the Loire Valley of France, or winters in Brownsville, TX... summers in Minneapolis, MN... and riding in between. Hellmans, I'd consider it in 10 years if I wasn't married! Right now I'm bound to Atlanta by career. *shrug*
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#31
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I've been trying to talk my wife into the area around Loutraki in Greece. There is a great beach and mountains to either side, and the traffic isn't bad once you get out of town.
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#32
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I would choose to stay in Canada - specifically, Vancouver Island, BC where I can spend time cycling the Galloping Goose Trail and doing the other thing that I’m passionate about.
Last edited by Batstar; 02-25-20 at 10:12 PM.
#33
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Mackinac Island, MI it's my kind of pace and you don't have to deal with getting run over by motorists.
#34
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Missoula, MT.
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#36
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I just got home an hour ago from the OBX. I have a house down there that we spend time at when I can. I did a couple of great rides this weekend. My solution to the summer crowds is to fat bike on the beach and up on Jockey's Ridge really early. You can still road bike in the summer if it is not the weekend.
#37
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If the place I moved to still had all the 'bad' about it, then I struggle to think of a place I would want to move to for cycling.
Santa Rosa CA would be awesome due to the elevation, natural scenery, weather, and mix of paved and unpaved. It would suck due to the cost of housing, cost of living, fires, and gang/crime activity. Oh, and Pacific timezone is lame.
Somewhere in TN/MS would be great from a rural road dirt/gravel riding perspective and be good cost of living. It would suck due to the insufferable heat/humidity in the summer, and the socioeconomic struggles that hold the region back.
Bozeman MT or somewhere like that would be so great...except for the weather for much of the year.
If I had my life, but Santa Rosa's cycling benefits- thatd be awesome.
But since that isnt possible, I am happy to take a few months in total off of frequent riding and do other things with my time.
Santa Rosa CA would be awesome due to the elevation, natural scenery, weather, and mix of paved and unpaved. It would suck due to the cost of housing, cost of living, fires, and gang/crime activity. Oh, and Pacific timezone is lame.
Somewhere in TN/MS would be great from a rural road dirt/gravel riding perspective and be good cost of living. It would suck due to the insufferable heat/humidity in the summer, and the socioeconomic struggles that hold the region back.
Bozeman MT or somewhere like that would be so great...except for the weather for much of the year.
If I had my life, but Santa Rosa's cycling benefits- thatd be awesome.
But since that isnt possible, I am happy to take a few months in total off of frequent riding and do other things with my time.
#38
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First of all I would not live somewhere in a cold climate. Second of all I think the best option might be to have 2 places to live.
I would pick Moab for the summer time and Northwest Arkansas for my second house in the summer. Both places are at the top as far as biking facilities. Moab is crowded would be the negative but its not as crowded as some of the other really popular spots like Ashville, NC.
I also need gravel/dirt roads. As many miles as possible.
I also want good healthcare so I can actually choose what doctor I can go to if I crash and get hurt.
I would pick Moab for the summer time and Northwest Arkansas for my second house in the summer. Both places are at the top as far as biking facilities. Moab is crowded would be the negative but its not as crowded as some of the other really popular spots like Ashville, NC.
I also need gravel/dirt roads. As many miles as possible.
I also want good healthcare so I can actually choose what doctor I can go to if I crash and get hurt.
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#39
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With the only consideration cycling?
Santa Cruz, CA
Or maybe another location on the Monterey Bay.
I don't tolerate heat well.
Lived there, left about 2 decades ago. I'm probably priced out of the housing market now. Besides my kids are close here in PNW, so I'm staying put.
I'm a left coaster in my genes. Ocean, mountains, temperate climate and liberal humans suit me best.
Santa Cruz, CA
Or maybe another location on the Monterey Bay.
I don't tolerate heat well.
Lived there, left about 2 decades ago. I'm probably priced out of the housing market now. Besides my kids are close here in PNW, so I'm staying put.
I'm a left coaster in my genes. Ocean, mountains, temperate climate and liberal humans suit me best.
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#41
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I will be starting/ending another tour there in June. I have basically lived in Philly all my life. I am getting sick of the very large population, but I still want to have some semblance of city living. Variety of places to go out to. Convenient services that I can walk, ride or take public transit to. (My vehicle is almost 44 months old and just went over 9,900 miles last week.) But also a place that is surrounded closely by nice places to recreate. From downtown Missoula I can ride 22 miles to the start of Rock Creek Rd. and keep heading up into the forest along a blue ribbon trout stream to one of several Forest Service Campgrounds. That's just one example. I would love to be able to spend my weekends like that. There are also other opportunities that require only relatively short drives.
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#42
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Hmmm, I've been thinking about cycling friendly communities from a slightly different viewpoint. I'd like to be able to access many/most of dail needs by cycling (and walking) in addition to having great recreational road and off-road riding. So in addition to an acceptable community cycling infrastructure:
1. Reasonable housing costs (say median detached single family home price no more than $300k)
2. Local economy not dominated by one industry (don't want to pick on tourism, but definitely don't want an economy dependent on tourists)
3. Stratified population demographics
4. Middle-of-the-road politics (though I'm not sure this exists any more)
The list is incomplete but I'm not sure there's any place in the USA that meets them. My personal experience is limited, but as for cycling infrastructure and cycling in general, I can comment on several places. The area around Northampton, MA seems nice as it has a lot of colleges in the area and plenty of routes for road cycling. The youthful population of college towns seems to go with cycling. Memphis isn't great and I own property near the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi which has pretty good rural riding but there's not much of an economy there. Anchorage, Alaska is almost completely accessible by bike, at least during the summer months. I've visited and biked around suburban Austin and enjoyed the riding but not really knowledgeable about the greater landscape there. Bend, Oregon seems to have a lot to offer for cyclists, especially if you like hills but, again, my knowledge is limited due to my short stay there.
I'm interested in seeing what other respondents to this thread have to offer for locations.
1. Reasonable housing costs (say median detached single family home price no more than $300k)
2. Local economy not dominated by one industry (don't want to pick on tourism, but definitely don't want an economy dependent on tourists)
3. Stratified population demographics
4. Middle-of-the-road politics (though I'm not sure this exists any more)
The list is incomplete but I'm not sure there's any place in the USA that meets them. My personal experience is limited, but as for cycling infrastructure and cycling in general, I can comment on several places. The area around Northampton, MA seems nice as it has a lot of colleges in the area and plenty of routes for road cycling. The youthful population of college towns seems to go with cycling. Memphis isn't great and I own property near the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi which has pretty good rural riding but there's not much of an economy there. Anchorage, Alaska is almost completely accessible by bike, at least during the summer months. I've visited and biked around suburban Austin and enjoyed the riding but not really knowledgeable about the greater landscape there. Bend, Oregon seems to have a lot to offer for cyclists, especially if you like hills but, again, my knowledge is limited due to my short stay there.
I'm interested in seeing what other respondents to this thread have to offer for locations.
#43
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from reading posts on this forum, the only place I would not want to live is New Orleans
#44
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Colorado Springs. Quick access to climbs, and not too far away from the flat plains. Best of both worlds.
Last edited by friday1970; 02-28-20 at 03:55 PM.
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#45
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Amazing how each person wants something different. Its not the same 3 or 4 locations for everyone.
#46
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I live in upstate NY and love riding where I live. Beautiful empty low traffic roads, enough climbing, tons of gravel and parks, options to ride with fast of slow groups or alone.
I also rode in many other states in Northeast and Canada. I prefer smoother roads of NY state that other states in Northeast, less potholes, better maintenance, wider shoulder than in Canada. Winter could be rough with snow and ice, but there is always fat biking and Zwift. Also sometimes(winter) I need to take a break from cycling and hit the gym. I also can not ride when it gets too hot or humid.
I also rode in many other states in Northeast and Canada. I prefer smoother roads of NY state that other states in Northeast, less potholes, better maintenance, wider shoulder than in Canada. Winter could be rough with snow and ice, but there is always fat biking and Zwift. Also sometimes(winter) I need to take a break from cycling and hit the gym. I also can not ride when it gets too hot or humid.
#47
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Fair enough. Where in the world would you want to live? There are lots of places on my list of places I'd like to try for a month or two but I'm not sure any ONE spot would make me happy for long.
#48
Steel80's
Is that part of Delaware not good for cycling? I thought it was pretty flat, like eastern shore MD. My buddy just moved to Milton, I owe him a visit. Me, I like the Brandywine area, but haven't cycled there.
#49
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I can usually find a path.The dunes change quite a bit week to week. This last weekend, I was up on the dunes with my dog and the south side of the two bigger dunes was 10 degrees off of vertical and very soft. I had to change my route to get to the top and slid down on the return while sinking in up to my knees. After a good rain and low winds, I can make it across from East to West entering at Kitty Hawk Kites and exiting at the beach parking lot with only one or two falls. Most of my fall are from stalls on the climbs or catching a pedal while trying to zig-zag up the dunes. I'm just a few years away from retirement and this is where I want to be when I retire.
#50
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I can usually find a path.The dunes change quite a bit week to week. This last weekend, I was up on the dunes with my dog and the south side of the two bigger dunes was 10 degrees off of vertical and very soft. I had to change my route to get to the top and slid down on the return while sinking in up to my knees. After a good rain and low winds, I can make it across from East to West entering at Kitty Hawk Kites and exiting at the beach parking lot with only one or two falls. Most of my fall are from stalls on the climbs or catching a pedal while trying to zig-zag up the dunes. I'm just a few years away from retirement and this is where I want to be when I retire.
Especially the Grave Digger monster truck shop. The kids love it 👍