Best Cities to Ride

JoeD <[email hidden]> wrote in news:lJ0Zd.2668$qf2.2314
@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net:

Quoted message said:

I live in NYC and am thinking of moving out of this area in the future.
I am starting to look now for any city that would be bicycle friendly.

To me, "bike friendly" means you can ride every day of the year. That rules
out the snow belt. Some people would also rule out the humidity belt (aka, the
southeast and gulf states). The west coast has pretty good year-round weather.
There are lots of college towns in California with excellent bike route
systems.

"JoeD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I live in NYC and am thinking of moving out of this area in the future.
I am starting to look now for any city that would be bicycle friendly. I
am leaning towards the Southwest of the country like NM, with its warmer
climate and cheaper health insurance but I am open to any suggestions.
I use my bike to, commute to work (20m RT), local shopping, long day
trips and just getting around even though I have a car. I average about
5k a year.
Either because I have been careful, plain lucky or a bit of both, I have
never had a serious problem in my 45 years of riding in the streets
competing with the cars, trucks, cabs and the dreaded pedestrians. I am
mentioning this because I am not afraid of city traffic. Highway traffic
is whole nother story since I want to live to ride another 45 years.

Would anyone living in or knowing about bicycle friendly cities, want
another cyclist sharing the roads with them. I would promise to say "Hi"
as I pass you or vice versa.

Interesting, I live in Florida, and was thinking about the southwest also.
Somewhere in the neighborhood of AZ, NM, NV or southern CA.

Ken

When I meant bicycle friendly, that means the city government provides
bike lanes, proper signs, bridge access, law enforcement etc. and the
driving public generally respects a cyclists right of way. I've already
mentioned that I am leaning towards the SW because it is warm. Riding
year round is nice but not a requirement. I do want dry weather at least
9 to 10 months a year. The land needs rain for things to grow so rain
is ok sometimes but not all the times. Cold doesn't bother me too much.
I ride to work in 25 degrees with wind chill factor of 10 to 15 so if
the mornings and evenings drop to 40 or 50, that's ok, if I'm dressed
for it.

Love to hear from some of you with concrete city (not state) suggestions.

JoeD said:

Hi,

I live in NYC and am thinking of moving out of this area in the
future. I am starting to look now for any city that would be bicycle
friendly. I am leaning towards the Southwest of the country like NM,
with its warmer climate and cheaper health insurance but I am open to
any suggestions.
I use my bike to, commute to work (20m RT), local shopping, long day
trips and just getting around even though I have a car. I average
about 5k a year.
Either because I have been careful, plain lucky or a bit of both, I
have never had a serious problem in my 45 years of riding in the
streets competing with the cars, trucks, cabs and the dreaded
pedestrians. I am mentioning this because I am not afraid of city
traffic. Highway traffic is whole nother story since I want to live to
ride another 45 years.

Would anyone living in or knowing about bicycle friendly cities, want
another cyclist sharing the roads with them. I would promise to say
"Hi" as I pass you or vice versa.

Ken Marcet said:

"JoeD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Would anyone living in or knowing about bicycle friendly cities, want
another cyclist sharing the roads with them. I would promise to say
"Hi" as I pass you or vice versa.

Quoted message said:

Interesting, I live in Florida, and was thinking about the southwest
also. Somewhere in the neighborhood of AZ, NM, NV or southern CA.

As a lifetime resident until recently, I can say southern CA has pretty good
biking if you already live there, but I wouldn't move there for it. Roads are
generally wide and there's a good network of bike paths, but to me it's
unaesthetic and boring from a road rider's perspective. I enjoyed the mountain
biking a lot more, but again, I wouldn't move there for it. That said, San
Diego has arguably the best climate in the world, and probably the best biking
in southern CA. Triathletes, etc., flock to San Diego so they can train all
year.

Almost anywhere you'd want to live in CA is expensive and crowded.

I can't say enough about the biking where I live now, in southwest VA. Although
we have winter, there are just a few days a year where it's below freezing
during the day. It's rare the weather and roads are bad for cycling for more
than three days in a row. There are times where it's cold and snowy for a week
or so, but it's just one or two episodes a year. This winter we've been spared
completely. So while fewer people ride all year, there's no reason not to.
I've lived in Blacksburg for a couple of years now with no car. My bike is my
primary transportation. Except for (or because of) the hills, the town is
perfectly stuited for it. Blacksburg has been featured many times in "best
places to live" articles.

For anyone who wants to sample the biking in Southwest VA, the perfect
opportunity is our club's Mountains of Misery and Wilderness Road Ride
doubleheader:

http://www.mountainsofmisery.com/

The MoM ride in particular follows some of the most beautiful roads in the area,
through Giles and Craig counties. Coincidentally I asked a couple of riders
today how the Mt. Mitchell ride compares to the MoM. They all agreed the MoM
double metric is probably harder, but more interesting. But there's also a
regular century, with two big climbs instead of four, over mostly the same
roads. The WRR has something for everyone, from an easy spin around Radford to
a pretty demanding 70 miler.

Another good one, especially for a flatlander, is the Burke's Garden century in
August. It's the same beautiful Appalachian landscape, but the route follows a
valley most of the way. It does climb a couple thousand feet but it's steady
over the whole route, with the return trip being downhill. Many people do this
ride with over a 20 MPH average, but of course you can take all day if you want
to.

We're also just a half hour's drive from the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the best
cycling roads in the country. Also nearby is the New River Trail, a 57 mile
rail trail following the New River. There's plenty of mountain biking around
too, within easy riding distance.

So, come do one of our rides! If you want to come ride another time, our club
has several rides going on every week, and plenty of friendly people to show you
around:

www.nrvbike.com

Feel free to email for more info.

Matt O.

"JoeD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

When I meant bicycle friendly, that means the city government provides
bike lanes, proper signs, bridge access, law enforcement etc. and the
driving public generally respects a cyclists right of way. I've already
mentioned that I am leaning towards the SW because it is warm. Riding
year round is nice but not a requirement. I do want dry weather at least 9
to 10 months a year. The land needs rain for things to grow so rain is ok
sometimes but not all the times. Cold doesn't bother me too much. I ride
to work in 25 degrees with wind chill factor of 10 to 15 so if the
mornings and evenings drop to 40 or 50, that's ok, if I'm dressed for it.

Love to hear from some of you with concrete city (not state) suggestions.

JoeD said:

Hi,

I live in NYC and am thinking of moving out of this area in the future. I
am starting to look now for any city that would be bicycle friendly. I am
leaning towards the Southwest of the country like NM, with its warmer
climate and cheaper health insurance but I am open to any suggestions.
I use my bike to, commute to work (20m RT), local shopping, long day
trips and just getting around even though I have a car. I average about
5k a year.
Either because I have been careful, plain lucky or a bit of both, I have
never had a serious problem in my 45 years of riding in the streets
competing with the cars, trucks, cabs and the dreaded pedestrians. I am
mentioning this because I am not afraid of city traffic. Highway traffic
is whole nother story since I want to live to ride another 45 years.

Would anyone living in or knowing about bicycle friendly cities, want
another cyclist sharing the roads with them. I would promise to say "Hi"
as I pass you or vice versa.

Well, I have started to get used to the cycling around the Dallas Forth
Worth area in Texas.
The winters are mild, but the summers can get hot and humid, hydrate youself
a lot.
And although it has it's problems, good days and bad days, the riding is
actually pretty good.
A number of cities in the metroplex have posted bike routes on the regular
roads and they have still built pretty good bike paths too.
The bike paths they build are not the "lame crappy painted on the side of
the road" bike paths you see in California either, they actually
go to the trouble to pour reinforced steel concrete paths. So you can have
the choice of braving the roads and traffic or taking a path without a lot
of traffic.
But I wish the cities could get together and have more interconnected bike
paths though.
Also a big plus the police generally cut you a lot of slack if you run a
stop sign too, unless you hit something like a car. But be safe doing it as
they could give you a ticket if they want to. You still have to obey the
traffic laws like a car.
Last Saturday, I went on a MS150 training ride in Cedar Hill Texas, where we
rode down and around Joe Pool Lake, and there were many many cyclists out
riding all over too, not just on the training ride. It was a good killer
road ride, something like 8 miles of going uphill on the way back.
Basically south of Dallas it gets hilly and North of Dallas it is more flat.
I haven't tried it yet, but they also say the bike riding down in Austin
Texas is pretty good too.
You still encounter the idiot or moron car driver, but for the most part all
the car drivers are pretty nice, and many will slow down or yeild the right
of way to you.
Your welcome to the area, I'll say hi if I see you around and about.

Ken said:

JoeD <[email hidden]> wrote in news:lJ0Zd.2668$qf2.2314
@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net:

Quoted message said:

I live in NYC and am thinking of moving out of this area in the

future.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am starting to look now for any city that would be bicycle

friendly.

Quoted message said:

To me, "bike friendly" means you can ride every day of the year.

That rules

Quoted message said:

out the snow belt.

Not really, lot's of people ride year 'round in nothern climates. It's
just a matter of having the right clothes and equipment.

: To me, "bike friendly" means you can ride every day of the year. That
rules
: out the snow belt. Some people would also rule out the humidity belt
(aka, the
: southeast and gulf states). The west coast has pretty good year-round
weather.
: There are lots of college towns in California with excellent bike route
: systems.

Well, then, you had better rule out the Midwest and Texas--and maybe
Arizona, too, because we get this god-awful wind that will blow you over if
it catches you broadside....

Pat in TX

As others have said, the SW has some issues, at least in the major
cities. I have lived in Arizona, NM, and Texas and none of the big
name cities are particularly "bike-friendly" under any stretch of the
imagination or any defininition with the possible exception of Austin.
Phoenix is "LA east" and suffers from many of the same problems and
more of its own making. If I had to choose a southwestern 'city' the
short list would be Austin, Albuquerque, and Tucson.

Some of the smaller towns are fine, at least the attitudes are better
though the concessions like bike lanes may be lacking.

Don't think the SW is all sun and warmth. I have lived all across the
country and the coldest place I lived was just outside of Flagstaff,
AZ. From Oct to April it rarely got above freezing and night-time
temps would frequently be in the -30 to -45F range. The snowplows
cleared on the major roads, and then only the auto traffic lanes. By
mid-Dec most of the roads were lined with banks of snow 5-10' high and
the lanes had just enough room for a car. Point is - if you are
looking for year-round cycling you probably want to focus on locations
under 7000' elevation.

- rick

JoeD said:

When I meant bicycle friendly, that means the city government provides
bike lanes, proper signs, bridge access, law enforcement etc. and the
driving public generally respects a cyclists right of way. I've already
mentioned that I am leaning towards the SW because it is warm. Riding
year round is nice but not a requirement. I do want dry weather at least
9 to 10 months a year. The land needs rain for things to grow so rain
is ok sometimes but not all the times. Cold doesn't bother me too much.
I ride to work in 25 degrees with wind chill factor of 10 to 15 so if
the mornings and evenings drop to 40 or 50, that's ok, if I'm dressed
for it.

Love to hear from some of you with concrete city (not state) suggestions.

JoeD said:

Hi,

I live in NYC and am thinking of moving out of this area in the
future. I am starting to look now for any city that would be bicycle
friendly. I am leaning towards the Southwest of the country like NM,
with its warmer climate and cheaper health insurance but I am open to
any suggestions.
I use my bike to, commute to work (20m RT), local shopping, long day
trips and just getting around even though I have a car. I average
about 5k a year.
Either because I have been careful, plain lucky or a bit of both, I
have never had a serious problem in my 45 years of riding in the
streets competing with the cars, trucks, cabs and the dreaded
pedestrians. I am mentioning this because I am not afraid of city
traffic. Highway traffic is whole nother story since I want to live to
ride another 45 years.

Would anyone living in or knowing about bicycle friendly cities, want
another cyclist sharing the roads with them. I would promise to say
"Hi" as I pass you or vice versa.

JoeD <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I live in NYC and am thinking of moving out of this area in the future.
I am starting to look now for any city that would be bicycle friendly. I
am leaning towards the Southwest of the country like NM, with its warmer
climate and cheaper health insurance but I am open to any suggestions.
I use my bike to, commute to work (20m RT), local shopping, long day
trips and just getting around even though I have a car. I average about
5k a year.
Either because I have been careful, plain lucky or a bit of both, I have
never had a serious problem in my 45 years of riding in the streets
competing with the cars, trucks, cabs and the dreaded pedestrians. I am
mentioning this because I am not afraid of city traffic. Highway traffic
is whole nother story since I want to live to ride another 45 years.

Would anyone living in or knowing about bicycle friendly cities, want
another cyclist sharing the roads with them. I would promise to say "Hi"
as I pass you or vice versa.

Everything in the Southwest is spreadout; you're going to have to get over
your fear of highways or find a different area. My top choices if you manage
to get over the highway fear:

Silver City, New Mexico
Fort Davis/Marfa/Alpine, Texas

Highway traffic in both areas is relatively light most of the year.

Pat said:

Quoted message said:

To me, "bike friendly" means you can ride every day of the year.
That rules out the snow belt. Some people would also rule out the
humidity belt (aka, the southeast and gulf states). The west coast
has pretty good year-round weather. There are lots of college towns
in California with excellent bike route systems.

Well, then, you had better rule out the Midwest and Texas--and maybe
Arizona, too, because we get this god-awful wind that will blow you
over if it catches you broadside....

Flagstaff may be more temperate but most of AZ is too hot to ride half the year,
unless you like to ride at 5AM.

Matt O.

Rick Warner said:

Quoted message said:

Don't think the SW is all sun and warmth. I have lived all across

the

Quoted message said:

country and the coldest place I lived was just outside of Flagstaff,
AZ. From Oct to April it rarely got above freezing and night-time
temps would frequently be in the -30 to -45F range. The snowplows
cleared on the major roads, and then only the auto traffic lanes. By
mid-Dec most of the roads were lined with banks of snow 5-10' high

and

Quoted message said:

the lanes had just enough room for a car. Point is - if you are
looking for year-round cycling you probably want to focus on

locations

Quoted message said:

under 7000' elevation.

I don't know if we define "frequently" the same but that sounds awfully
cold.
But sure, Flag has real winters. That's why so many teams hold their
winter camps down here in Tucson.

However you want to define it Tucson is a great cycling city. Local
goveernemnts are bike friendly and there is great weather and ride
options ranging from flat to extremely hilly. Also, there is a large
cycling community with many cycle clubs so you can easily find a fit
with your interests/personality.
The only down side is having all the super fit retirees that cycle hard
every day and just blow you up :-)

JoeD <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

When I meant bicycle friendly, that means the city government provides
bike lanes, proper signs, bridge access, law enforcement etc. and the
driving public generally respects a cyclists right of way. I've already
mentioned that I am leaning towards the SW because it is warm. Riding
year round is nice but not a requirement. I do want dry weather at least
9 to 10 months a year. The land needs rain for things to grow so rain
is ok sometimes but not all the times. Cold doesn't bother me too much.
I ride to work in 25 degrees with wind chill factor of 10 to 15 so if
the mornings and evenings drop to 40 or 50, that's ok, if I'm dressed
for it.

Love to hear from some of you with concrete city (not state) suggestions.

With this additional info you can add Taos, New Mexico to my list. There are
more "bike lanes" and signage in this area but still you would need to get
over the highway fear thing. Try a vacation out this way and see what you
think.

Rick Warner said:

As others have said, the SW has some issues, at least in the major
cities. I have lived in Arizona, NM, and Texas and none of the big
name cities are particularly "bike-friendly" under any stretch of the
imagination or any defininition with the possible exception of Austin.
Phoenix is "LA east" and suffers from many of the same problems and
more of its own making. If I had to choose a southwestern 'city' the
short list would be Austin, Albuquerque, and Tucson.

LA at least has older neighborhoods where the sprawl model isn't as bad. Places
like Glendale and Pasadena are as pleasant as urban communities get, if you can
stand the heat and smog.

Quoted message said:

Some of the smaller towns are fine, at least the attitudes are better
though the concessions like bike lanes may be lacking.

Don't think the SW is all sun and warmth. I have lived all across the
country and the coldest place I lived was just outside of Flagstaff,
AZ. From Oct to April it rarely got above freezing and night-time
temps would frequently be in the -30 to -45F range. The snowplows
cleared on the major roads, and then only the auto traffic lanes. By
mid-Dec most of the roads were lined with banks of snow 5-10' high and
the lanes had just enough room for a car. Point is - if you are
looking for year-round cycling you probably want to focus on locations
under 7000' elevation.

This is true. Lower elevations are generally too hot, and higher elevations too
cold. I didn't realize winter was that harsh in Flagstaff, or that it was that
high. Our winters here in the Southeast are much milder than that.

In southern CA too, once you're just a few miles inland, it's sweltering from
May to October. If you're lucky enough to live by the coast it's great, but...

Matt O.

Matt O'Toole said:

This is true. Lower elevations are generally too hot, and higher

elevations too

Quoted message said:

cold. I didn't realize winter was that harsh in Flagstaff, or that

it was that

Quoted message said:

high. Our winters here in the Southeast are much milder than that.

In southern CA too, once you're just a few miles inland, it's

sweltering from

Quoted message said:

May to October. If you're lucky enough to live by the coast it's

great, but...

Seems to me some diligent work with a good atlas might tell us a lot
about where the climate is good.

What would we want? Relatively low summer temperatures, relatively
high winter temperatures, fairly low humidity, no killer winds, maybe
rolling terrain (instead of super-steep hills or dead flat). Oh, and I
prefer not being by a coast. It takes away 50% of your roaming
territory, unless you pedal a boat.

What else would we want?

Personally, and a little off-topic: My favorite would be a fairly
small town in an old farming area of the country, preferably with
minimal sprawl. I prefer a tight network of small country roads to
explore, and a human-scale town where the vehicle speeds are low.
Ideally, the town would be large enough to have decent cultural
amenities, but small enough that I can get to the countryside in
reasonable time.

To me, this is much more important than bike paths or bike lanes - both
of which I tend to dislike. Put such a town about 30 miles from a
larger city, and I think it's about perfect.

I am SHOCKED nobody from Minneapolis/St. Paul has spoken up. This is an
outstanding bike town.

First, the cities and their suburbs spend MILLIONS on bike paths. Some
shared, and some gloriously bike-only. Almost all of the famous
sparkling lakes are ringed with both, and the people-watching is second
to none. Minnesota has been turning old railroad beds into bike paths
for years, so you can go to many towns on these gorgeous, tree-canopied
crowned roads. The downtowns have lanes everywhere, much respect, and a
healthy messenger culture. Surly bikes is based in Minneapolis.

Second, the metro area here is fairly tiny. Ten minutes' drive puts you
in the burbs, and twenty minutes' drive lands you smack dab in
gently-hilly farm country. Small towns dot the landscape. You can ride
to Duluth, rural Wisconsin, North Dakota, and all around the metro on
paved paths.

Third, winter riding is immensely popular here, even among sporadic
riders. College kids and city commuters ride bikes year-round. Surly
Bikes even has a new frame, the Pugsley, specially designed for snow
and ice riding. (Think huge tires and a fork like a Texas rider's
stance.) With all the frozen creek beds, a good ice bike can take you
anywhere. And the best part is, you're not alone - it doesn't seem half
as cold if five other people are out there on the lake at midnight too.

Fourth, a practical and left-leaning culture in the Twin Cities fosters
a bike-friendly lifestyle. The city buses have bike racks. There are
shops everywhere. And if you've ever seen a northern city's populace
decide to "wake up" all at once on the first warm day, you know they
don't sleep until December: rollerbladers, pedestrians, coffee-shop
junkies, bicyclists, sand-castle freaks, kayakers, joggers, yoga and
Tai Chi nuts in the park... This city is so beautiful for outdoors
activities. It's the cold that keeps the [censored] out.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

What would we want? Relatively low summer temperatures, relatively
high winter temperatures, fairly low humidity, no killer winds, maybe
rolling terrain (instead of super-steep hills or dead flat). Oh, and I
prefer not being by a coast. It takes away 50% of your roaming
territory, unless you pedal a boat.

What else would we want?

Personally, and a little off-topic: My favorite would be a fairly
small town in an old farming area of the country, preferably with
minimal sprawl. I prefer a tight network of small country roads to
explore, and a human-scale town where the vehicle speeds are low.
Ideally, the town would be large enough to have decent cultural
amenities, but small enough that I can get to the countryside in
reasonable time.

To me, this is much more important than bike paths or bike lanes - both
of which I tend to dislike. Put such a town about 30 miles from a
larger city, and I think it's about perfect.

Wow. Except for the temperature extremes we sometimes experience and the
steep mountains nearby - which is actually a plus IMO - you've just
perfectly described Carson City, NV. It really is a nice place to live if
you ride, for both road riding and mountainbiking.

Cheto

Well, I'm not sure how much the climate would be to your liking, but
Portland, Oregon is almost rediculously bike-friendly. There are bike
lanes/trails throughout the metro area, bike racks on the buses and
commuter trains, non-profit repair and resale collectives, (as well as
dozens of excellent "regular" shops) and an extremely active bike
culture.

Also, you're within a day-ride of the coast, Mt. Hood, the central
Willamette Valley wine country, etc., etc. The only real downside is
that we get rain for at least half the year. Win some, lose some, I
guess.

"bryanska" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am SHOCKED nobody from Minneapolis/St. Paul has spoken up. This is an
outstanding bike town.

First, the cities and their suburbs spend MILLIONS on bike paths. Some
shared, and some gloriously bike-only. Almost all of the famous
sparkling lakes are ringed with both, and the people-watching is second
to none. Minnesota has been turning old railroad beds into bike paths
for years, so you can go to many towns on these gorgeous, tree-canopied
crowned roads. The downtowns have lanes everywhere, much respect, and a
healthy messenger culture. Surly bikes is based in Minneapolis.

Second, the metro area here is fairly tiny. Ten minutes' drive puts you
in the burbs, and twenty minutes' drive lands you smack dab in
gently-hilly farm country. Small towns dot the landscape. You can ride
to Duluth, rural Wisconsin, North Dakota, and all around the metro on
paved paths.

Third, winter riding is immensely popular here, even among sporadic
riders. College kids and city commuters ride bikes year-round. Surly
Bikes even has a new frame, the Pugsley, specially designed for snow
and ice riding. (Think huge tires and a fork like a Texas rider's
stance.) With all the frozen creek beds, a good ice bike can take you
anywhere. And the best part is, you're not alone - it doesn't seem half
as cold if five other people are out there on the lake at midnight too.

Fourth, a practical and left-leaning culture in the Twin Cities fosters
a bike-friendly lifestyle. The city buses have bike racks. There are
shops everywhere. And if you've ever seen a northern city's populace
decide to "wake up" all at once on the first warm day, you know they
don't sleep until December: rollerbladers, pedestrians, coffee-shop
junkies, bicyclists, sand-castle freaks, kayakers, joggers, yoga and
Tai Chi nuts in the park... This city is so beautiful for outdoors
activities. It's the cold that keeps the [censored] out.

Well you know I thought about that area, but then I thought about the
weather AKA the extreme cold!

"rcoder" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Well, I'm not sure how much the climate would be to your liking, but
Portland, Oregon is almost rediculously bike-friendly. There are bike
lanes/trails throughout the metro area, bike racks on the buses and
commuter trains, non-profit repair and resale collectives, (as well as
dozens of excellent "regular" shops) and an extremely active bike
culture.

Also, you're within a day-ride of the coast, Mt. Hood, the central
Willamette Valley wine country, etc., etc. The only real downside is
that we get rain for at least half the year. Win some, lose some, I
guess.

I have heard all of those things about Portland, and it has the mountains as
a nice backdrop.
slightly on the damp side with above average rainfall, or so I have read.