Best Cities to Ride

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Ken Marcet" <[email protected]> writes:
>
> "rcoder" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> 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.

I find rain a heck of a lot easier to deal with than
snow & ice. And in the warmer months, it can be
downright refreshing. Rain by itself is certainly
no obstacle.


cheers,
Tom

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[Gnarlito]

rcoder wrote:
> ...The only real downside is
> that we get rain for at least half the year. Win some, lose some, I
> guess.

Rain?? What's that? I live on the Oregon coast and haven't seen the
stuff for weeks. It's been like summer, only warmer and less windy.
Normally, we get about 6 feet of the stuff here from mid-October
through mid-June and maybe 1/4 inch from mid-June through mid-October.

I lived in Albuquerque for about 15 years, and for about 2 of those
years I got around exclusively on a bicycle. I cycle commuted
year-round while I lived there. I think it's a great place for cycling.
Sure, it just spreads and spreads up to the north and west, but the
climate is very well suited for year-around riding. There's a critical
mass (no, not the activist group) of cyclists, thanks mainly to the
University, and the town has a pretty solid racing heritage. Kent
Bostick and John Frey, both national-caliber competitors, were local
guys.

Bike paths have been built along several of the arroyos, so there is a
good car-free recreational path network in town.

I also lived and cycle-commuted in Salt Lake City. It might be mecca if
you like to ski untracked snow, but it's definitely not a
cycle-friendly town. There wre a grand total of two safe cross-town
(East-West) routes while I lived there, A couple of measly bike paths
down along the Jordan River, and lots of really wide roads that,
unfortunately, are totally unsafe to ride on.

On the other hand, the most cycle-friendly place I've ever been is
Eugene, OR. I live 90 miles from there. This past Saturday, I packed
my bike, drove over and spent about 3 hours cycling around town just to
get a dose of what's possible with a little foresight, planning, and an
engaged community. The bike route, lane, and trail system is superb,
the population is bike aware and friendly, and although it does rain a
lot in winter, the climate is mild.

 

[JoeD]

Peter,

I am from NYC and I do ride year round except when there is ice and snow
on the road although I don't have the clothing for temps below 25
degrees. I just want a warmer climate.

Peter Cole wrote:

>Ken wrote:
>
>
>>JoeD <[email protected]> wrote in news:lJ0Zd.2668$qf2.2314
>>@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net:
>>
>>
>>>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.
>>
>>
>
>Not really, lot's of people ride year 'round in nothern climates. It's
>just a matter of having the right clothes and equipment.
>
>
>

 

[JoeD]

I mention bike paths in my post because that implies a bicycle friendly
government.
I actual don't like them either. In NYC they attracted parked cars and
peds waiting for the light to turn green. I ususally take my chances
with the regular traffic.

[email protected] wrote:

>Matt O'Toole wrote:
>
>
>
>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.
>
>
>

 

[JoeD]

I was also thinking about Eugene Or. but couldn't get enough info on
their precipitation.
For me the statistic can be missing leading.
I not as concerned about the amount of rain but rather how many days a
year in rains.
I also wouldn't mind riding occasionally in the rain, if it's 80+ degree
and not a downpour.
I would probably be refreshing.

Gnarlito wrote:

>rcoder wrote:
>
>
>>...The only real downside is
>>that we get rain for at least half the year. Win some, lose some, I
>>guess.
>>
>>
>
>Rain?? What's that? I live on the Oregon coast and haven't seen the
>stuff for weeks. It's been like summer, only warmer and less windy.
>Normally, we get about 6 feet of the stuff here from mid-October
>through mid-June and maybe 1/4 inch from mid-June through mid-October.
>
>I lived in Albuquerque for about 15 years, and for about 2 of those
>years I got around exclusively on a bicycle. I cycle commuted
>year-round while I lived there. I think it's a great place for cycling.
>Sure, it just spreads and spreads up to the north and west, but the
>climate is very well suited for year-around riding. There's a critical
>mass (no, not the activist group) of cyclists, thanks mainly to the
>University, and the town has a pretty solid racing heritage. Kent
>Bostick and John Frey, both national-caliber competitors, were local
>guys.
>
>Bike paths have been built along several of the arroyos, so there is a
>good car-free recreational path network in town.
>
>I also lived and cycle-commuted in Salt Lake City. It might be mecca if
>you like to ski untracked snow, but it's definitely not a
>cycle-friendly town. There wre a grand total of two safe cross-town
>(East-West) routes while I lived there, A couple of measly bike paths
>down along the Jordan River, and lots of really wide roads that,
>unfortunately, are totally unsafe to ride on.
>
>On the other hand, the most cycle-friendly place I've ever been is
>Eugene, OR. I live 90 miles from there. This past Saturday, I packed
>my bike, drove over and spent about 3 hours cycling around town just to
>get a dose of what's possible with a little foresight, planning, and an
>engaged community. The bike route, lane, and trail system is superb,
>the population is bike aware and friendly, and although it does rain a
>lot in winter, the climate is mild.
>
>
>

 

[Veloise]

JoeD wrote:
> 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....

Someone's posted another "where to live" query (perhaps on these
same two NG), but he's looking for a place near Atlanta.

I wouldn't bother with a location having lots of bike paths and
lanes. The ones I've ridden in Eugene are aggravating--too much
patronizing separation from motor traffic coupled with goofy reactions
from drivers. "Why aren't you in the bike lane? We spent all kinds of
tax dollars on you to give you a bike lane, why don't you use it??"
Because I'm turning left.

You might want to check the websites and sources I suggested to that
other poster. And do some googling for local bicycle sites and groups.
I stumbled across a site that's a tribute to those who've been involved
in cycling crashes in Austin, and was appalled. (Don't have it right
here, sorry. It's easy to find.) Ironically, Austin regularly wins
awards from BuyCycling for its "bike friendliness."

Another award to avoid is the one from L.A.W./B. They hand it out to
places with bike paths and bicycle planners, but don't measure cycling
culture or motorist hostility or any other variables.

Also look up cycling clubs and tours. Places with lots of cyclists
would be preferable to the other kind.

I already bragged in that other thread, so I'll skip it here.

--Karen M.

 

[[email protected]]

Gnarlito wrote:
>
> I also lived and cycle-commuted in Salt Lake City. It might be mecca
if
> you like to ski untracked snow, but it's definitely not a
> cycle-friendly town. There wre a grand total of two safe cross-town
> (East-West) routes while I lived there, A couple of measly bike paths
> down along the Jordan River, and lots of really wide roads that,
> unfortunately, are totally unsafe to ride on.

Out of curiosity, what was it about those "really wide roads" that made
them totally unsafe?

In general, a reasonably wide road is all I need.

No, let me rephrase that. A road is all I need. But a reasonably wide
one is more pleasant.

 

[Mark Hickey]

"Matt O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Pat wrote:
>
>>> 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.

Naaah. "Ride COMFORTABLY"... yeah!

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Mike Latondresse]

[email protected] (Tom Keats) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Ken Marcet" <[email protected]> writes:
>>
>> "rcoder" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> 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.
>
> I find rain a heck of a lot easier to deal with than
> snow & ice. And in the warmer months, it can be
> downright refreshing. Rain by itself is certainly
> no obstacle.
>
Yeah when we get it. I haven't worn my rain gear since early Jan and
thats commuting every day.

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
Mike Latondresse <mikelat@no_spam_shaw.ca> writes:

>> I find rain a heck of a lot easier to deal with than
>> snow & ice. And in the warmer months, it can be
>> downright refreshing. Rain by itself is certainly
>> no obstacle.
>>
> Yeah when we get it. I haven't worn my rain gear since early Jan and
> thats commuting every day.

I finally took the rain cover off my helmet a couple of days
ago. But I still keep it at-hand along with the rain cape
on my rides. I've learnt not to trust the weather.

On the TV news last night they were talking about
impending drought. Maybe we're now /really/ in
the throes of climate change? All this dry weather
is definitely freakie.


cheers,
Tom

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[greggery peccary]

"rcoder" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
The only real downside is
> that we get rain for at least half the year.

not this year!

 

[Zoot Katz]

14 Mar 2005 11:32:20 -0800,
<[email protected]>, speaking of
Minneapolis/St. Paul, "bryanska" <[email protected]> concluded:

>This city is so beautiful for outdoors
>activities. It's the cold that keeps the assholes out.

For livable cities, Vancouver, BC is the top ranked city on this
continent... period. Third in the world, yet again.

It's not as cold as Minneapolis/St. Paul so let it be known that it
rains _all_ the time in Vancouver. All the time. (shhhhh!)

I love it. Rain keeps the air washed so you can breathe. It cuts down
on dust and makes things grow. Bikes are meant to have fenders. Most
riders I know carry or wear rain gear. Rain keeps the candy asses and
their spun-sugar bikes at home watching videos. They aren't missed.

Bicycles comprise ~2% of vehicular traffic entering the downtown core
and ~8-10% entering the UBC campus.
--
zk

 

[Rick Warner]

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 10:52:57 -0700, "Matthew"
<[email protected]> wrote:

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

Other than a bit of snow it is great. You can ride north to light,
turn left on Hwy 64 and make your way to the bridge over the Rio
Grande. Stop, sit a minute, and picture the 'wedding' of Mickey and
Mallory as the veil blows off her head and drops into the gorge you
are standing over ;-) Head further west and ponder if you will run
into Jim Chee or the Legendary Joe Leaphorn. If you head south from
the gorge you might picture a calla lily or a cow skull floating in
the sky over the red rock near Abiquiu. Or maybe go down past
Chimayo and think of the Milagro Bean Fields The area is full of
imagery.

- rick

 

[wafflycat]

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

>
> 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.
>

Got to thinking what place I'd move to if it was purely based on best place
to cycle. I have to say the country I've most enjoyed cycling in is France.
I fell in love with France & the French whilst cycling in Paris. It was a
joy. Cycling in the Bordeaux region was also wonderful. A close second is
Germany.

Cheers, helen s

 

[Matt O'Toole]

JoeD wrote:

> I am from NYC and I do ride year round except when there is ice and
> snow on the road although I don't have the clothing for temps below 25
> degrees. I just want a warmer climate.

You might find southern Appalachia very suitable then.

Matt O.

 

[Matt O'Toole]

Zoot Katz wrote:

> 14 Mar 2005 11:32:20 -0800,

> <[email protected]>, speaking of
> Minneapolis/St. Paul, "bryanska" <[email protected]> concluded:
>
>> This city is so beautiful for outdoors
>> activities. It's the cold that keeps the assholes out.
>
> For livable cities, Vancouver, BC is the top ranked city on this
> continent... period. Third in the world, yet again.

I spend a lot of time there every summer and I concur. If I could find a way to
make a good living there, I'd move there full time in a minute. I'm practically
in tears when I come home.

Geez, if I could just scrape three hundred thousand bucks together, the
Canadians would let me stay! I guess I could work under the table as a
dishwasher, like millions of other immigrants...

> It's not as cold as Minneapolis/St. Paul so let it be known that it
> rains _all_ the time in Vancouver. All the time. (shhhhh!)
>
> I love it. Rain keeps the air washed so you can breathe. It cuts down
> on dust and makes things grow. Bikes are meant to have fenders. Most
> riders I know carry or wear rain gear. Rain keeps the candy asses and
> their spun-sugar bikes at home watching videos. They aren't missed.
>
> Bicycles comprise ~2% of vehicular traffic entering the downtown core
> and ~8-10% entering the UBC campus.

The place where I really see bikes is Victoria. I've heard bike traffic is
around 10-12%, the highest of any city in North America.

I'm dying to do some riding on the island. Last year I saw dozens of riders on
the Galloping Goose Trail in Sooke, as well as the adjacent highway. Also on
the climb to Mt. Washington, which looked spectacular. The main roads on the
island seem narrow and busy, but I'm sure there are many that aren't.

Matt O.

 

[Raptor]

Gnarlito wrote:
> Back in the days, Brigham Young decreed that all the original roads in
> SLC had to be "wide enough for a team of four oxen and a covered wagon
> to turn around." That's 132 feet wide. The problem is that all 132
> feet of most of the primary roads are allocated to traffic lanes or
> parking. Instead of two wide lanes in each direction, you get two
> normal lanes and in-street parking or three tight lanes and cars
> zooming by in the curb lane. There are exceptions, such as up in the
> Avenues and thereabouts, where wide streets, a residential
> neighborhood, and relatively low traffic flow yield just what you think
> it should: a pleasant cycling experience, but this small quadrant of
> the city is not representative. In most cases here, wide doesn't imply
> safe. Safe cycling routes are just not a priority in this city.

And yet I log up to 1000 miles a year here without injury (so far) or
significant mishap.

But I would hesitate to call the SLC area "bike friendly." While there
are many serious cyclists on the roads, there are too many stupid
drivers. I typically encounter imminent danger at the hands of a dumbass
cager about once a month. And the governments tend not to care about
bikes, except for SLC itself which is pretty progressive.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

 

[Gnarlito]

[email protected] wrote:
> Out of curiosity, what was it about those "really wide roads" that
made
> them totally unsafe?
>
> In general, a reasonably wide road is all I need.
>
> No, let me rephrase that. A road is all I need. But a reasonably
wide
> one is more pleasant.

Back in the days, Brigham Young decreed that all the original roads in
SLC had to be "wide enough for a team of four oxen and a covered wagon
to turn around." That's 132 feet wide. The problem is that all 132
feet of most of the primary roads are allocated to traffic lanes or
parking. Instead of two wide lanes in each direction, you get two
normal lanes and in-street parking or three tight lanes and cars
zooming by in the curb lane. There are exceptions, such as up in the
Avenues and thereabouts, where wide streets, a residential
neighborhood, and relatively low traffic flow yield just what you think
it should: a pleasant cycling experience, but this small quadrant of
the city is not representative. In most cases here, wide doesn't imply
safe. Safe cycling routes are just not a priority in this city.

 

[Gnarlito]

You do have a point about Eugene. I was so flattered by all the little
toy road signs, lanes, and painted icons in the roads that were
intended for bicycles that I conveniently overlooked the fact that it
does sort of get in the way of just getting out and enjoying the ride.
But I think I could get over that if I lived there. I'd rather have
too much signage and patronizing "help" that I can filter out as needed
rather than too little.

I think the ideal urban cycling environment is one that is
unintentionally friendly. By that I mean that the place is bike
friendly without even being conscious about it. Albuquerque was like
this 25 years ago. It isn't like this any more. Imagine the urban
road-biking equivalent of Moab just before it became hip.
Unfortunately, these happy accidents of fate are, by definition, gone
almost as soon as the collective unconscious becomes aware of them.
(Whew, I can see it now: Carl Jung rides again).

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Gnarlito" <[email protected]> writes:

> I think the ideal urban cycling environment is one that is
> unintentionally friendly. By that I mean that the place is bike
> friendly without even being conscious about it.

I bet that would be cities which don't have
freeways or expressways cutting through them.


cheers,
Tom

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-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca