Page 2 - Best place for road cycling in USA?

04-02.-2005, 03:22 AM

#16

Espada9

Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2004

Location: California

Posts: 133

Re: Best place for road cycling in USA?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdraft

I would have to say North County San Diego. It has probably the most consistently nice weather and varied roads to ride on of anywhere I've ridden. It also has a very good cycling community too.

I moved to Oceanside last June and the riding here is great.
The drivers seem more patient than where I moved from (Thousand Oaks) but I still miss the coastal mountains between Malibu and Ventura!

Nor Cal has some incredible riding.
I spent 4 months in Longmont CO (just N of Boulder) back in 99’ working on a project and brought my road and MTB.
The altitude kicked my ass at first, but the riding was epic!
Even for a non-climber like me.

07-02.-2005, 08:22 AM

#17

TiMan

Registered User

Join Date: Sep 2003

Location: Recovery is the Golden Fleece and almost nobody gets it right

Posts: 484

Re: Best place for road cycling in USA?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpinWizard

Arkansas is great for climbing and beautiful country roads. Less traveled roads and no street lights. Also the weather is great.

I have heard that Arkansas is great as well......and affordable too which is another plus. I like California but housing is through the roof

Wondering where the best climbs are in Arkansas...near hot Springs perhaps? Any long 30 plus minute grinders?

08-02.-2005, 01:23 PM	#18
squirt Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 9	Re: Best place for road cycling in USA? I'd have to agree that the bay area, specificly the penninsula is a great place to be a cyclist. Every day of the week there is a race-pace group ride. Southern Oregon is nice as well, with a combination of mtn and road terrain.

11-02.-2005, 08:42 AM	#19
pbook Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 24	Re: Best place for road cycling in USA? Well since you ask: Sonoma County I believe is the best (I'm biased I live here). You can have any type of ride you want. You can ride 50 miles and climb 10k feet or 100 miles and hardly climb at all. You can go from a hot inland oak covered valley to the cool and incredibly scenic redwood lined coast in a single ride. Little towns like Cazadero, Occidental, Point Reyes, Middletown, Calistoga and Booneville litter the map and they are all very unique. Obviously all the vineyards will have you feeling that you are in Italy or Spain but there's no language barrier, with the exception of Boonville which has it's own dialect. That extends into all the neighboring counties, Napa, Lake, Mendocino and Marin. Several local frambuilders and inovaters in the area, and a mostly bike friendly culture For what ever reason most of the Nor Cal racing is pretty far away in the Central Calif Valley or Sierra foothill (not bad riding there too). So if racing is what you are into you will be traveling. Many pro and armature teams train or have held camps here. Motorola, 7-11 and National Teams from many countries. Levi says it's the best place to ride at least in the US so did Greg Lemond I believe. The downside is the price of housing which is completely astronomical.

22-02.-2005, 09:22 AM	#20
~LongRider~ Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 12	Re: Best place for road cycling in USA? Either northern Arkansas or Southern Missouri would be great. There are tons of mountain roads, and not alot of traffic. Cost of living is cheap. Country roads are endless. Springfield, MO is a good sized city, and only minutes from great riding in all directions. Look online for the Ozark Mountains.

03-03.-2005, 04:01 AM

#21

cannonman

Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2005

Posts: 15

Re: Best place for road cycling in USA?

Quote:

Originally Posted by future racer???

where i live in upstate NY they are finishing a paved bike path from nigria falls to albany, like 350 miles. its 90% done now, but some people are complaining about it going through there back yard. it should be done by '06 i have ridden about 50 miles of it, and its a nice ride. the trafic is only bad in the city, in the country the most you will find is a tractor with spreader. i took a 200mile bike ride to scroon lake and hit trafic for only about 20 miles, and if i would have gone the longer hilly way, there would have been none!

gotta agree with upstate NY! Im from the fingerlakes area and theres plenty of hills in and out of the valleys with long steep climbs not uncommon plus long flat stretches along the length of them. The weather is nice for riding with long cool springs and falls, and the traffic is a few pickups and tractor every now and then, although i am a little biased due to my lack of riding experience elsewhere. Just thought id put in a shout for CNY...

03-03.-2005, 04:08 AM	#22
future racer??? Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 12	Re: Best place for road cycling in USA? do yourself a favor and ride to scroonlake and lake placid, its just awsome up there too.

03-03.-2005, 04:13 AM

#23

cannonman

Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2005

Posts: 15

Re: Best place for road cycling in USA?

Quote:

Originally Posted by future racer???

do yourself a favor and ride to scroonlake and lake placid, its just awsome up there too.

It just so happens that ill be up there this year to watch my dad compete in his first ironman so im sure ill get out a few times that week!

03-03.-2005, 06:52 AM	#24
future racer??? Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 12	Re: Best place for road cycling in USA? awesome good luck!

03-03.-2005, 10:15 AM	#25
snyper0311 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 262	Re: Best place for road cycling in USA? Just a quickie to say that "I'll be riding Mt. Halayaka-Maui, Hawaii in June." To me, even Colorado would be second best.(If I spelled Halayaka wrong, I'm sorry) Anyway, paradise and my bike, what could be better?

04-03.-2005, 03:59 AM	#26
graf zeppelin Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Saratoga Springs, NY Posts: 297	Re: Best place for road cycling in USA? While I'm not going to promote it as best, I'm going to second or third the opinion that upstate NY is at least very good. Right out of my door I can ride out into nearly endless rolling hills and farm country in one direction; heading vaguely north I can easily get into the lower Adirondacks either around Sacandaga Lake or the previously mentioned Lake Placid and points north for decent climbing. I dont see much in the way of traffic once I go the 3-5 miles out of town. Roads are very well kept. The problem, if there is any, is that the riding season is pretty much April through October with May through September being best. You can ride in March and November with minimal cool weather gear though. I like it that I dont have to get in the car and drive and park to start a ride. North Carolina around the Blue Ridge Parkway was amazing. Something like Asheville maybe, if you like it there and can get a job there to support you. I dont think I could have lived there, but the cycling was good. Weather was better year round (certainly compared to NY) and the mountains were something truly special. North of San Diego, provided you could get out of the city easily enough, seems ideal to me. The few times I have been there (unfortunately without my bike) it seemed you could find whatever sort of ride you wished and the weather is literally cycling friendly all year round. Seriously thinking about moving there if the opportunity presented itself.

10-03.-2005, 04:19 PM	#27
OLMO Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Victoria, Canada Posts: 53	Re: Best place for road cycling in USA? Lots of interesting ideas here. I wish I could travel the U.S. and try out some of these roads. Being a Canuck, I must second the vote for Victoria, BC, however. Beautiful, scenic roads, bike lanes everywhere, temperate climate, and cycling-friendly drivers for the most part. Great cycling and triathlon following here as well.

21-11.-2006, 02:54 PM

#28

BiggMakk

Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2005

Location: New York City

Posts: 52

Re: Best place for road cycling in USA?

Quote:

Originally Posted by graf zeppelin

While I'm not going to promote it as best, I'm going to second or third the opinion that upstate NY is at least very good. Right out of my door I can ride out into nearly endless rolling hills and farm country in one direction; heading vaguely north I can easily get into the lower Adirondacks either around Sacandaga Lake or the previously mentioned Lake Placid and points north for decent climbing. I dont see much in the way of traffic once I go the 3-5 miles out of town. Roads are very well kept. The problem, if there is any, is that the riding season is pretty much April through October with May through September being best. You can ride in March and November with minimal cool weather gear though. I like it that I dont have to get in the car and drive and park to start a ride.

North Carolina around the Blue Ridge Parkway was amazing. Something like Asheville maybe, if you like it there and can get a job there to support you. I dont think I could have lived there, but the cycling was good. Weather was better year round (certainly compared to NY) and the mountains were something truly special.

North of San Diego, provided you could get out of the city easily enough, seems ideal to me. The few times I have been there (unfortunately without my bike) it seemed you could find whatever sort of ride you wished and the weather is literally cycling friendly all year round. Seriously thinking about moving there if the opportunity presented itself.

I did a search for "Adirondacks" and found this thread. Yes my question is 18 months too late. I am originally from CNY and did a lot of camping as a kid in the Addies. Now that I am nearing middle age, I want to go ride the Adirondacks on my road bike. A long weekend is all I can take off. Can you suggest any 50 miles rides? I like long hills. Thanks.

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21-11.-2006, 10:28 PM

#29

NomadVW

Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2005

Location: Japan

Posts: 432

Re: Best place for road cycling in USA?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BiggMakk

I'd recommend the trip around the Sacandaga Lake (IIRC it nets around 75 miles). I grew up on the northern most part of the lake and would love to go around it again some time. It's on my list of rides the summer after I return to the states in 2008.

As far as 50 milers go, you could safely pick any point inside the park and go anywhere and get a gorgeous ride. Kinda cold this time o' year!

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22-11.-2006, 12:30 AM

#30

BiggMakk

Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2005

Location: New York City

Posts: 52

Re: Best place for road cycling in USA?

Quote:

Originally Posted by NomadVW

Thanks for the post. I am setting up 5 or 6 rides 'key rides' for next year. If I don't plan it now and add it to my calendar, I will never end up doing it. I also want friends to join me and they need forewarning, etc. Other rides I am considering are New York State Wine Country, Berkshires, Vermont, New Hampshire - all places easily reached from NYC by car. Good luck in your travels.

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