DieselDan

From my own experence (on no particular order):

Hilton Head Island, SC
Augusta, GA
Jacksonville Beach, FL
Camirillo, CA

Paniolo

I'll throw another Austin in ... like 2rodies said its the people. Not only those that ride but most of the people that live here are pretty good to bikes. Plus there is the whole running and tri culture not to mention thriving roadie and mtb comunities. Everytime I show up for a different group ride there is a whole different set of people there. The road my office looks out on has bikes going by all day long.

I don't have a lot to compare it to though.

edit: the only downside is the 100* summer heat, but that just makes you stronger and is offset by the mild winters.

Induray

Ah..Jacksonville...my favorite. Summertime 90 F at 80% humidity ...and that's at 6:00 AM! No need of protein bars...just open your mouth while riding and you'll ingest your share of bug protein(Crunchy!). And you know..like they say..in Fl..if you don't like the weather..wait..it'll get worse! You'll sharpen your bike handling skill by hopping over roadkills and dodging flying beer bottles. You will intensify your focus by having to shunt external distractions, such as gunshots, barking mad dogs on the back of pick up trucks, or barking mad idiots on the back of pick up trucks! Come to Jax...we will make a man out of you...with shaved legs!!!! :-)

pinky

New England
<plug> We even have a magazine for it (see my sig) </end plug>

terrymorse 

What Steve said (Steve leads a "B" ride every Saturday, which is a nice ride).

I want to add that access to the coast is very convenient, and one can find quiet rural roads to take you there. No need to ride on highway shoulders, next to high speed traffic. Drivers are generally courteous and pass safely. Lots of microclimates on the way to the coast: rolling grasslands, oak and madrone groves, fragrant eucalyptus and bay trees, pine, redwood, and coastal brush. Also, the weather is nearly ideal for 12 months of riding. It never gets very hot, and it never gets too cold. No snow, it only rains in Winter and early Spring, and even then there are sunny days between intermittent storms. And should you get caught in a downburst, you won't freeze to death. Finally, the humidity hovers around 50% year round.

The only thing we're missing is the truly high climbs. Mount Hamilton is the biggest climb, and that tops out at about 4200 feet in 20 miles. For altitude training, the Sierra passes are a 3-hour drive away.

sestivers

You guys are smoking crack about Seattle. It doesn't rain from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Yes, the winters are dreary for some people, but I think the actual amount of rainfall is less than most places in the US (it just rains a lot of days but very lightly). What will really kill you there are the steep hills!

snowy

I'm putting a plug in for good ol Colorado. Love this state. What other state can you bike to a brewery???? What state can you climb on your bike to some of the highest peaks(yea, forget about the fact that you can't breathe), what state can you find a town where they don't want their residents to drive, but want you to bike?? I love it here, the sweet smell of clear crisp air along with pinecones, I wouldn't ask for anything else.

KevinF

I'd have to put Vermont at the top of my list of cycling mecca's. With a few exceptions, a busy road in Vermont is what most people call "deserted". The natives are exceedingly friendly -- if you stop and pull out a map, the next car along will probably stop and offer assistance. There actually are flattish rides available for those who like that, and likewise, there are enough hills to satisfy a mountain goat for those who like that. And so long as you're not in one of the larger "cities" of Vermont, the place really does still look like a Norman Rockwell painting. Time has truly forgotten parts of Vermont.

smoke

don't come to ohio. as bike-unfriendly a place as i've ever been. glad i'm moving to new england in the next 9 months

went riding in italy last year. started in pisa and rode across the country to venice. great chianti, wonderful people, beautiful countryside, great chianti, awesome food.......and great chianti. the biking experience of my lifetime

johnny99

I always rate weather as the most important factor in a town's "bike friendliness". Cycling is just uncomfortable if the temperature is over 100F or below 30F, so I will not move to any town that has those conditions more than a few days per year. Do you want to miss out on a whole week of cycling just because the weather sucks? I don't buy those arguments "but it's a dry heat" or "finish your century ride before 10am". There are lots of nice towns with moderate year-round weather, e.g., almost any town along the Pacific Coast.

drunix

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Madison, WI yet. Very bike friendly for commuters, roadies, and off-roaders. Of course the weather is not always cooperative...

Dru

tanguy frame

wanna ride this afternoon?

woodcycl

Well, not that I have experience in other metro type areas. But, the Louisville, KY metro area is pretty nice. Why?

1. No fewer than 6 large bicycle shops with multiple brands, etc.
2. LOTS of hilly courses with enough flat roads to be a great mix of terrain
3. TWO Wheelmen clubs: Louisivlle Bicycle Club & Southern Indiana Wheelmen!
4. LOTS of great country roads in Southern Indiana (Floyd, Clark, and Harrison Co's) that lots of Louisville folks ride weekly.

Now, as far as bike friendly ... I think the majority of folks are. However, like any place, once you get the outskirts of town and are in rural areas ... you always have to keep an eye out for readnecks and dogs looking for bikes to crash!

BeTheChange

[QUOTE=SkiesAzure]One of the best places I've ridden in is outside of Boone, NC. Excellent roads, great climbs, and lots of other riders on the road as well. QUOTE]

Exactly the reason I'm now doing a double major. So now instead of one more year I get at least two more.

eviltangerine

I'm a big fan of seattle -- a whole lot of bike lanes, a bunch of bikers (I-90 is pretty full on nice days during the commute), and well, the weather is great for getting outdoors -- not too hot!

and yea, the rain can get in the way, but it's got a special place in my heart

55/Rad

It rains every 4th of July - which is well past Memorial Day. This year was the exception.

The big misconception about the Northwest is that it "rains less" here than it does in other places - like New York for example. This is true, but I would ask you this...

Would you rather have 50 days of harder rain or 100 days of lighter rain? The amount of rain here is reasonable. The number of dreary misty days can get unbearable.

55/Rad

mirona

Don't come to western MA. The other riders are snobs (yes, all of them!), the roads are terrible, the weather is hit or miss, the cars are hit or miss, and the roads are terrible.

Okay, it's really not that bad, but I've seen much better.

Doug-E-Fresh

On a per capita basis, Durango, CO. Great roads, tons of roadies, you can for for great flat rides in the valley, rolling rides to Vallecito or other locales, ride West up 160 for a nice moderate climb or go North to tackle mountain passes. The Tuesday night group rides are huge and offer everything from pro-class competition to the very moderate C groups, and there's awesome mounatin biking as well. Probably 330 days of sunshine, good access to the desert, and we have the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. Plus we only have to drive 30 minutes to ski at the resort in the winter and have some of the best backcountry skiing to be found.

Downside would be the lack of much racing, but the Tuesday night rides are pretty racy.

TexasGuy

I've only done a bit of riding in San Antonio but the San Antonio Wheelmen seem to be a pretty large group and have some pretty diverse maps. Would be nice if we had some nice rolling valleys that were not quite as dangerous as Kendalia

Bob Gabele

Fort Lauderdale!!!!!

I've lived here since'78 and have been a roadie since '86. Clearly no hills but we have some of the best oceanside routes I've experienced. What we lack for not having hills is made up by plenty of sea breeze that will keep you in the drops for half the ride, then turn around and get into big gears for the other, or vice versa. I frequently run into foreigners riding here and am told this is like riding in the Netherlands. Most of our roads have bike lanes and there are plenty of riders of all caliber. Plenty of bike shops too. I like the straight roads because I can see what's coming too, and they can generally see me as well.

Oh, and did I mention that the "Beach Scenery" is next to none? Actually, those spottings are some of the most hazardous (read: distracting) items on a ride, if you go when they're all flocking to the beach.

hattrick

As a native of Asheville, NC that is great to here! Boone is less than an hour away from where I live. From some of the best cross-country mountain biking into the country in Pisgah to road biking on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I don't think I have found an overall better place to ride. Furthermore, the people are great and Asheville itself is an ecclectic little city that houses many, many bikers. If I wasn't doing research here at college, I would be there riding in the mountains of Western North Carolina in a heartbeat.

bigdraft

hmmm...I wonder why no one has nominated N. County San Diego. Some of the best weather, terrain and cycling community around. One of my favs for sure.

Wildwood 

Weather has to be good:
Rainy northwest has to be out - Portland and Seattle
Hot, humid in the South - Texas, AL, GA, MS, SC are definately out, sorry Phoenix.
More than 2 months of snow is a disqualifier - sorry New England, MN, WI
Too much wind is not good - Not looking good for Boulder

Terrain needs some variety:
Only flat is not good - Davis, CA loses as does much of the mid-west.

My finalists would be:
Coastal central CA - Santa Cruz & Monterey counties
Parts of VA & NC - Mountain foothills
Western CO - Grand Junction is nice for a base
San Diego would be hard to beat, but sooooo many people since I left
Oregon east of the Cascades

gapowermike

I like South Georgia. What it lacks in climbing it more than makes up for in unpopulated countryside with very little traffic. And the State/(with Fed help) government spends a ton of money to keep the roads freshly asphalted.

jrennie

I'm going to nominate reno,nv.
1. bad roads
2. bad drivers
3. limited bike scene
4. 1/2 the year is to cold and the other half is to hot
5. nice 5000ft air

DAMN now that I am totaly depressed and I'm going to have to move