Best place for road cycling in USA?

[TiMan]

Any comments on what you might think is the best place for road cycling in the USA.....
Colorado Springs perhaps?
Redding California maybe?

I think the area should have good roads and lots of them, light traffic, good long climbs of at least 30 minutes and a decent climate....ya right he he he.


I live in Tucson and although we can ride all year long and also have a 20 plus mile 6 degree climb on the edge of town Tucson IS NOT my choice for the best place to ride/train because the traffic is UNREAL, the pavement and shoulders suck and the number of roads are quite limited.

 

[Woofer]

Thinking of moving?

Almost anywhere you can get a job to support your cycling lifestyle will have bad traffic in urban areas.

It's almost a given that any place putting money into maintaining good roads is getting a lot of traffic - otherwise how are they paying to put in a good road?

Any comments on what you might think is the best place for road cycling in the USA.....
Colorado Springs perhaps?
Redding California maybe?

I think the area should have good roads and lots of them, light traffic, good long climbs of at least 30 minutes and a decent climate....ya right he he he.

 

[TiMan]

Thinking of moving?

Almost anywhere you can get a job to support your cycling lifestyle will have bad traffic in urban areas.

It's almost a given that any place putting money into maintaining good roads is getting a lot of traffic - otherwise how are they paying to put in a good road?

It doesn't have to be in the vacinity of a large city....
ie: Durango Colorado
I have been to two areas that are really good....one is Redding California and the other is not in the USA, Victoria Canada.....both have tons of great roads, light traffic and decent climates....

 

[future racer???]

It doesn't have to be in the vacinity of a large city....
ie: Durango Colorado
I have been to two areas that are really good....one is Redding California and the other is not in the USA, Victoria Canada.....both have tons of great roads, light traffic and decent climates....

altoona PA was ranked with the higest, and the tour de toona is right there, the bigest pro event in the united states!

 

[Espada9]

altoona PA was ranked with the higest, and the tour de toona is right there, the bigest pro event in the united states!

The East Coast sucks ASS!

 

[TiMan]

The East Coast sucks ASS!

I have heard that too....due to the traffic, crappy roads and weather....

but on the map it looks like there would be some decent areas in the areas with good climbs....and away from the big cities.

 

[snyper0311]

I live in the Denver area and would have to say, "Denver is GREAT for cyclists." We have great paved bike paths that connect all the subburbs and there are pleanty great climbs within 20 minutes form the metro area (including a climb to 14K-Mt. Evans). Any type of training that you want, we have.

 

[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!

 

[TiMan]

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!

That sounds great!

 

[birdman23]

Utah is pretty awesome other than the weather. It's pretty unpredictable.

Any comments on what you might think is the best place for road cycling in the USA.....
Colorado Springs perhaps?
Redding California maybe?

I think the area should have good roads and lots of them, light traffic, good long climbs of at least 30 minutes and a decent climate....ya right he he he.


I live in Tucson and although we can ride all year long and also have a 20 plus mile 6 degree climb on the edge of town Tucson IS NOT my choice for the best place to ride/train because the traffic is UNREAL, the pavement and shoulders suck and the number of roads are quite limited.

 

[kennf]

Boulder -- in the 1970s and '80s. Not now.

 

[Cyclism]

The California bay area (between SF and SJ) I believe is the best. Year round riding/racing over any type of terrain. Hilly, flat, smooth, rough, long, short, busy, remote. It's all here.

 

[SpinWizard]

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

 

[future racer???]

photo from NY

 

[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.

 

[Espada9]

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.

 

[TiMan]

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?

 

[squirt]

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.

 

[pbook]

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.

 

[~LongRider~]

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.