Best Cities to Ride



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



I regret that almost everyone who has posted has ruled out the "snowbelt."
Your own posts show that the alternatives aren't so attractive. A paradise
like San Diego is crowded. Most warm weather places are beastly hot in the
summer. Some are humid as well. Those that attract retirees have accident
problems. Your life is more endangered by an old man who doesn't see you
than by a discourteous bully - of which I've seen few. That stereotype far
outruns the reality.

Cold weather towns in the US' NE quadrant have fewer snow problems than you
might expect. Among other things, plows and salt trucks are ubiquitous and
arterial roads rarely stay impassable for long. I live in Milwaukee and,
since 1998, haven't lost a single day to bad roads, or anything else except
for one 23 day stretch recovering from an accident, and one day due to
travel. From what I've seen of NYC, I suspect you could do as well there.

Nor is cold a controlling issue. Dress for the weather and I suspect you
can better acclimate yourself to riding in 0F than in 110.
 
Definitely Raleigh, NC.

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

>I'm a native San Diegan but I have relatives in Phoenix. From my
>experience riding there I have to say that you are correct. The only
>place I disagree with you is about it getting worse. It was horrible
>20 years ago and its still horrible.


There must be some awful places to ride in Phoenix, but from my
experience (4.5 years in the east valley), this is one of the best
places to ride among the urban environments. No comparison at all to
anywhere I ever rode in the northeast US (eeek), or even Florida
(where I lived in a much less populous area).

The bike facilities in my area are as good as any I've seen anywhere
except Beijing (and quite a bit less crowded than that!). Many 6'
(2m)+ wide lanes, well marked and normally clean. The vast majority
of drivers are also very accommodating - often annoyingly so (refusing
to go through a four-way stop if they see you coming the other way,
for example).

The combined population of the east valley cities (not including
Phoenix) is around 1 million, so we're not talking low density... but
considering everything, I'm very happy with the riding here.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame
 
Sacramento, CA. A great bike trail along the American River, 33 miles
dedicated trail _one way_ with essentially no cross traffic. Foothills are
13 miles away and safe to get to. Davis, CA is 13 miles or less from the
other side of the city. It gets hot 20 days in the middle of summer though
so ride in the morning.. For me, the only place weather wise, in the US, I
can think of that is better is San Diego...


">
>
> I regret that almost everyone who has posted has ruled out the "snowbelt."
> Your own posts show that the alternatives aren't so attractive. A
> paradise like San Diego is crowded. Most warm weather places are beastly
> hot in the summer. Some are humid as well. Those that attract retirees
> have accident problems. Your life is more endangered by an old man who
> doesn't see you than by a discourteous bully - of which I've seen few.
> That stereotype far outruns the reality.
>
> Cold weather towns in the US' NE quadrant have fewer snow problems than
> you might expect. Among other things, plows and salt trucks are
> ubiquitous and arterial roads rarely stay impassable for long. I live in
> Milwaukee and, since 1998, haven't lost a single day to bad roads, or
> anything else except for one 23 day stretch recovering from an accident,
> and one day due to travel. From what I've seen of NYC, I suspect you
> could do as well there.
>
> Nor is cold a controlling issue. Dress for the weather and I suspect you
> can better acclimate yourself to riding in 0F than in 110.
>
>
>
 
Tue, 15 Mar 2005 10:48:35 -0500, <[email protected]>,
"Matt O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> 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.


It rains less there.
--
zk
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Tom Keats) writes:
>
> I finally took the rain cover off my helmet a couple of days
> ago


.... and now it's raining. So I just now reinstalled the
rain cover. It'll probably stop raining shortly. Maybe
the durn thing is imbued with magical weather-controlling
powers.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
 
"Tom Keats" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] (Tom Keats) writes:
> >
> > I finally took the rain cover off my helmet a couple of days
> > ago

>
> ... and now it's raining.


At last! Any more sunshine, and I would have been driven insane.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> writes:
> "Tom Keats" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> [email protected] (Tom Keats) writes:
>> >
>> > I finally took the rain cover off my helmet a couple of days
>> > ago

>>
>> ... and now it's raining.

>
> At last! Any more sunshine, and I would have been driven insane.


Yeah, it's actually quite a relief. Trouble is, do I
risk making the rain stop by leaving the cover on, or
am I doomed to having wet hair?


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
 
"Tom Keats" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> writes:
> > "Tom Keats" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >> In article <[email protected]>,
> >> [email protected] (Tom Keats) writes:
> >> >
> >> > I finally took the rain cover off my helmet a couple of days
> >> > ago
> >>
> >> ... and now it's raining.

> >
> > At last! Any more sunshine, and I would have been driven insane.

>
> Yeah, it's actually quite a relief. Trouble is, do I
> risk making the rain stop by leaving the cover on, or
> am I doomed to having wet hair?


We really need the rain -- they've already declared a drought -- so please
keep the cover off, at least for a little longer.

Today I'm at home, nursing a minor cold. It just started to hail like
gangbusters, at the exact time I would have been riding my bike at home.
There's a certain amount of satisfaction in being at home with an afghan on
one's lap and a cup of tea, rather than out there with little balls of hail
going ping-ping-ping, bouncing off of one's jacket.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky
 
In rec.bicycles.misc Gnarlito <[email protected]> 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.


I'm happy to say that SLC proper has improved a lot of late. Bike
racks on all buses, bikes allowed on light rail, and at least four
cross-town bike routes last time I checked. Thanks due to Mayor Rocky
Anderson, one of the state's paltry handful of democrats.
The suburbs still suck, though.

Bill

__o | SUVs are the reason gas costs $2 a gallon.
_`\(,_ | Bicycles are the reason it isn?t $3.
(_)/ (_) |
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> writes:
> "Tom Keats" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> "Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> writes:
>> > "Tom Keats" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> > news:[email protected]...
>> >> In article <[email protected]>,
>> >> [email protected] (Tom Keats) writes:
>> >> >
>> >> > I finally took the rain cover off my helmet a couple of days
>> >> > ago
>> >>
>> >> ... and now it's raining.
>> >
>> > At last! Any more sunshine, and I would have been driven insane.

>>
>> Yeah, it's actually quite a relief. Trouble is, do I
>> risk making the rain stop by leaving the cover on, or
>> am I doomed to having wet hair?

>
> We really need the rain -- they've already declared a drought -- so please
> keep the cover off, at least for a little longer.


Well, after that last post I donned my rain cape and covered helmet
and took the bike outside. It had stopped raining, and blue sky
was beginning to poke through the clouds. So I doffed the rain cape,
but left the helmet cover on, and rode down to the manpower office to
look at the job bank. When I left there, it was a little drizzly,
there was a good, stiff breeze kicking up, and a large dark cloud
loomed threateningly above. I thought we were in for a thundershower.
On returning home, as I coasted into the back yard I noticed it was
half-assedly trying to hail. I guess we got the edge of your hailstorm.
Now there's a glorious azure sky with puffy, mashed-potato clouds.

So I'll take the helmet cover off again.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
 
Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:30:09 -0800, <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Tom Keats) wrote:

>Now there's a glorious azure sky with puffy, mashed-potato clouds.
>
>So I'll take the helmet cover off again.


Thank you. We really do need more rain.
I think I'll wash my bike and hang out some laundry.
--
zk
 
In article <[email protected]>,
Zoot Katz <[email protected]> writes:
> Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:30:09 -0800, <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] (Tom Keats) wrote:
>
>>Now there's a glorious azure sky with puffy, mashed-potato clouds.
>>
>>So I'll take the helmet cover off again.

>
> Thank you. We really do need more rain.
> I think I'll wash my bike and hang out some laundry.


The cover is off and the sky is overcast again.
This thing is getting scary. Maybe I should burn it.
It looks dorky, anyways.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
 
Although, I avoid riding in the rain here in NYC ( I hate having to
cleanup the bike), if I did get caught, I wouldn't have a wet hair
problem cause I shave my head clean. :)

Tom Keats wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
> "Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> writes:
>
>
>>"Tom Keats" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>
>>
>>>In article <[email protected]>,
>>>[email protected] (Tom Keats) writes:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I finally took the rain cover off my helmet a couple of days
>>>>ago
>>>>
>>>>
>>>... and now it's raining.
>>>
>>>

>>At last! Any more sunshine, and I would have been driven insane.
>>
>>

>
>Yeah, it's actually quite a relief. Trouble is, do I
>risk making the rain stop by leaving the cover on, or
>am I doomed to having wet hair?
>
>
>cheers,
> Tom
>
>
>
 
Claire Petersky <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Today I'm at home, nursing a minor cold. It just started to hail like
> gangbusters, at the exact time I would have been riding my bike at home.
> There's a certain amount of satisfaction in being at home with an afghan on
> one's lap and a cup of tea, rather than out there with little balls of hail
> going ping-ping-ping, bouncing off of one's jacket.


:p

Well, at least they were *little* balls of hail. The previous time I
was out in hail cycling it was larger (about pea sized).

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
Most rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who
can't talk for people who can't read.
-- Frank Zappa
 
In article <[email protected]>,
JoeD <[email protected]> writes:

> Although, I avoid riding in the rain here in NYC ( I hate having to
> cleanup the bike), if I did get caught, I wouldn't have a wet hair
> problem cause I shave my head clean. :)


I've actually been considering that. But at 51+ and no hint
of male pattern baldness, I figure I might as well flaunt my
luxurious (although increasingly salt & pepper) locks.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
 
At 57+, It's tooooo late for me. :-(

Tom Keats wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
> JoeD <[email protected]> writes:
>
>
>
>>Although, I avoid riding in the rain here in NYC ( I hate having to
>>cleanup the bike), if I did get caught, I wouldn't have a wet hair
>>problem cause I shave my head clean. :)
>>
>>

>
>I've actually been considering that. But at 51+ and no hint
>of male pattern baldness, I figure I might as well flaunt my
>luxurious (although increasingly salt & pepper) locks.
>
>
>cheers,
> Tom
>
>
>
 
Ron,

I am thinking of leaving NYC for a number of reasons. Outside of the
extra cold days like below 25 or the snowy and rainy ones, I don't have
a problem riding here. Since I just retired, I would "prefer" a warmer
climate in a state with lower health insurance and taxes and a city
where I can feel as safe as I do in NYC traffic.


Ron Wallenfang wrote:

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

>
>
>I regret that almost everyone who has posted has ruled out the "snowbelt."
>Your own posts show that the alternatives aren't so attractive. A paradise
>like San Diego is crowded. Most warm weather places are beastly hot in the
>summer. Some are humid as well. Those that attract retirees have accident
>problems. Your life is more endangered by an old man who doesn't see you
>than by a discourteous bully - of which I've seen few. That stereotype far
>outruns the reality.
>
>Cold weather towns in the US' NE quadrant have fewer snow problems than you
>might expect. Among other things, plows and salt trucks are ubiquitous and
>arterial roads rarely stay impassable for long. I live in Milwaukee and,
>since 1998, haven't lost a single day to bad roads, or anything else except
>for one 23 day stretch recovering from an accident, and one day due to
>travel. From what I've seen of NYC, I suspect you could do as well there.
>
>Nor is cold a controlling issue. Dress for the weather and I suspect you
>can better acclimate yourself to riding in 0F than in 110.
>
>
>
>
>
 

Similar threads