endless

Considering moving to north or south Carolina pretty soon, any suggestions or opinions on where or where not to look? I like living just outside the city and having about an equal distance drive to the beach and mountains. The cities I've been looking at are charlette, Greenville, Spartanburg, Winston-Salem etc. Also need to live close to a costco which is where I work. What do you all think???

BurnNotice

My vote would be Greenville, SC area. There is a Costco and great restaurants. Just 45 minutes from the mountains and maybe 3 hours from Charleston, SC. And housing is cheaper than here in the mountains.

GamecockTaco

bring costco to Columbia with you. Then you could have job and be 2 hrs from either mountains or the beach.

And, then I'd have a costco nearby.

jppe

I live in Charlotte and have lived near Winston and Greenville, SC. My vote would probably also be Greenville. Greenville and Spartanburg are probably a toss up in terms of areas to ride as both have easy access to the mountains. There are good bike clubs in both cities. There is some terrific riding north of both towns. HOwever, Greenville is a little larger and has more amenities to chose from-feels a little more vibrant than Spartanburg right now.

Winston is also a really nice place but you're a little further from the mountains and beach-but it would certainly do.

Charlotte is a big city. It's getting more and more difficult to get out to good roads to ride on.

The good news is you have choices and any will do-but Greenville would be my pick of the litter. The cost of living will be a little less in SC as well.

tulip

Another vote for Greenville, SC (not NC--that's a different Greenville). There's a sizable cycling community, good road and mountain biking, 1.5 hours drive from Asheville and a couple hours from the beach. It's a neat town.

ahsposo 

I lived in Salisbury, NC for about five years and really liked it. Classic small town (25,000) but with all the stuff I needed. Close to Charlotte but a lot less expensive and no traffic. Winston and Greensboro just up the road. Raleigh just a little further away. I-77, I-85, I-40 all right there.

Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway is about two hours away. Pamlico Sound about three hours. Savannah and Charleston about four.

I chose it mainly because of the riding possibilities. Rolling Piedmont terrain. I could leave my garage and in three directions be in the country in 5 to 15 minutes. I had what I consider great loops of 25 to 75 miles on not too bad a surface. I lived near the city park and if I was pressed for time I could do loops of about a 3/4 mile around it. Each loop contained about 400 feet of climbing and being a figure 8 set up had some variation in course. There was an annual race and some avid local riders. It's been about five years since I lived there so I don't know whats changed.

jppe

A lot of my rides take me over and around Salisbury so would agree it is a terrific riding area. In fact, there is a group that comes down from Canada towards the end of winter every year that stay a week in Salisbury to so some training. They still have the crits there every August. Also, there are a number of very strong and talented riders that live in Salisbury.

Porter20

My vote is for Greenville, SC also. I relocated from there about a year ago & it is a great place. The city really has poured a lot of money into the city building a new minor league stadium & upgrading the West End & Main Street areas of town. It is a great little city: Big enough that you get stuff like National Act Concerts & major traveling productions shows; but small enough that they can close down Main Street for weekly concerts & festivals where you will see people you know. Plus you have that Southern Hospitality that they are famous for. And I was a huge fan of the Costco there. In fact, because of Costco; it's why I drive 30 minute across town vs using one of the other places which is only 2 miles away.

As far as a cycling scene, it is great. George Hincapie lives in Greenville & brings a lot of exposure & support to cycling. The roads are much more biker friendly than what you have in Florida. What's great is you ride south out of town & ride the rollers or the flats or you can turn north & go climb some mountains. In the north part of the city is Paris Mt which is a 2 mile / 890 ft climb; so if you only have an hour or so; you can get some good quick work. There are century rides in the area about every other week, if that is your thing. All the bicycle shops there lead several rides weekly & the Greenville Spinners is a good club. On Tuesday night, a lot of cyclist head over to the Donaldson Airport facility for organized rides of all skill levels. During the winter the Upstate Winter Bike League offers some fast rides to help keep you legs firing in the off season. Big George even comes to lead some rides!!!


Here are a couple websites to look at: www.greenvillespinners.org & www.uwbl.net

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.

DieselDan

I second that. I met them and rode with them once for about 6 miles before I was dropped like I had never been dropped before or since.

vtgreg

If there aren't any other dependencies then I would also vote for Greenville, SC. If you need a larger city for more job opportunities then Charlotte is great also. It doesn't have the same type of bike scene as Greenville but there are plenty of areas to ride and it doesn't take long to get out to some nice country roads. I currently live just outside of Charlotte and have no problem finding good routes with minimal traffic.

wolfpack 

I don't even live in Greenville, SC, but I give my vote for it. Beautiful city, great riding.