Originally Posted by JeffAP60

The southwest is nice, (northwest no) but you want to find housing also over there, because RT485 (the beltway) is horrible to commute on.
There is a pleasant mix of condos through mansions to be found there, and you wouldn't be far from uptown.

If you want the job in Monroe I would look for housing in Mathews or Indian Trail area because you would be driving the opposite of rush hour traffic and there are nice neighborhoods there that are bike friendly.

While I'm not a fan of the NW, the town of Mt Holly is quite nice, and even has an Asheville feel.

Good Luck,
Jeff

Originally Posted by bampilot06

Charlotte and DC has a good cycling scene. Have cycled in both areas and can get you names and groups to look for. Drivers in CLT are pretty cycling friendly, you are 30 mins away from Pilot mountain and other elevation. Spartanburg is only 90 mins away which also has some awesome Cycling, and Asheville is only 2 hours away.

Houstin, I have frequented but didn’t get a feel for a cycling culture. They do have USAC sanctioned races vs Dallas, who has none.


Detroit. I overnight frequently there too, can’t say I have any interest ever riding a bike there.

Originally Posted by Jameth

I've been in NOVA for three years now and car free for nearly 10 years. This is my third stint in NOVA. DC has better public transportation than some other cities, but people in the suburbs have the boot heels of Big Oil and Big Auto firmly on their throats. Most major highways lack a paved shoulder and there are a lot of egotistical or even narcissistic drivers on the roads in grotesquely-sized SUVs. It's a wealthy area, and unfortunately a lot of people have their egos wrapped up in their princess carriages abd disentangling the two would require a witch doctor. There is a bit of infrastructure if you're inside the beltway or at least within close reach of the Metro. Expensive, though.

As far as Detroit...

I've never been, but I spent five years in nearby Indy car free. You really have to like the cold because winter is seemingly unending. You couldn't pay me enough to go back there in winter. The summers are beautiful and the roads are flat, but the SIX MONTHS of freezing cold and bare trees becomes intolerable. I would only choose this if you also buy a home in Houston for overwintering.

I'm from Louisiana myself, and I don't think I would want to deal with the heat in Houston. I began my car free journey in FL, and it's crazy how much sweat can come pouring out of your body on a short 5-mile commute to class at 8 in the morning. I would only choose this if you're okay with showering and changing 4 or 5 times a day. I can tolerate the heat, but it's no fun showing up everywhere feeling gross. Granted, Houston is a little drier than Louisiana or FL. And, you don't seem to be commuting, so maybe Houston would be ideal for you.

Charlotte seems like a similar choice to DC, but with slightly shorter winters and cheaper housing.

If you want another option for a thriving city, consider Nashville. It maybe isn't the most bike-friendly city either. I can't really attest to that. But, having spent decades in the area, I can attest to the fact that TN has arguably the most well-maintained highway system in the country. All major highways have wide, paved shoulders, and seem to get re-paved before they even really need it. All the time, I pine for those shoulders as I ride the dangerous highways here in VA. The motorists tend to be a lot more relaxed than somewhere like DC, too. It also provides a good mix of steep hills and flats, if that's your thing. Mountainous to the east, flat to the west. Good balance. It's another place to consider.

Originally Posted by Duragrouch

TN must have upped their biking game since I was last there a couple decades ago. Then, no wide paved shoulders, except in one place where the freeway, which you can't bike on, suddenly transitioned to a state parkway, with wide paved shoulder, lower speeds, and biking allowed.

I've heard that Chattanooga is a good town, I think also for biking. Litespeed titanium bikes was started there and I think is still their headquarters and manufacturing.