Best states (west of great lakes) for cycling

[Just A User]

[email protected] wrote:
> Just A User wrote:
>
>> Well I am moving to get away from the over crowded feeling of the east
>> coast and to get away from the excessive humidity that is here in
>> Florida and a certain mold spore that is more prevelent in the southeast.
>
> The Colorado Front Goathead Preserve
> is plenty crowded, imo, but I'm just going
> to throw this out there -- Fort Collins. Small-mid
> university city, about an hour north of
> Denver. If you want to go car free or at
> least use your bike as your primary
> transportation, the Fort would be very
> hard to beat. It is incredibly easy to ride
> a bike around that town. They have created
> and continue to create a remarkable
> infrastructure for transportational cycling.
> The road riding in surrounding areas varies
> from fantastic to ho-hum -- if recreational
> cycling is your main thing you might consider
> Boulder, which is the home base for many of
> the great road rides in Colorado. Boulder is
> expensive, and hard to take in many ways,
> however. Fort Collins is more low-key.
>
> Oh yeah -- Bring some REMA patchkits, and
> follow the directions in the box.
>
> Robert
>
Well the only city in CO thats on my list so far if Colorado Springs.
But my list is still evolving so some cities that are on there now are
going to go away, while others will probably be added, so those you
mentioned may yet make my list.

Ken

 

[Dane Buson]

[email protected] wrote:
> Just A User wrote:
>
>> Yeah but that law is for those under 16 years of age, I am in my 30's.
>
> And it's not like these laws are enforced anyway.

Correction: Those laws are enforced, simply capriciously. You know, if
you're doing something the police don't like but can't cite you for. Or
they don't like the look of you in general.

--
Dane Buson - [email protected]
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased
at the price of chains of slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!
I know not what course others may take, but as for me,
give me liberty, or give me death!!" -Patrick Henry

 

[Just A User]

Dane Buson wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>> Just A User wrote:
>>
>>> Yeah but that law is for those under 16 years of age, I am in my 30's.
>> And it's not like these laws are enforced anyway.
>
> Correction: Those laws are enforced, simply capriciously. You know, if
> you're doing something the police don't like but can't cite you for. Or
> they don't like the look of you in general.
>
Yeah or if the cop is bored enough from doughnuts and needs something to
keep them awake and sees a cyclist without a helmet and thinks well it's
stupid but it gives me something to do.

Ken

 

[[email protected]]

On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 10:56:21 -0800, Dane Buson <[email protected]>
wrote:

>[email protected] wrote:
>> Just A User wrote:
>>
>>> Yeah but that law is for those under 16 years of age, I am in my 30's.
>>
>> And it's not like these laws are enforced anyway.
>
>Correction: Those laws are enforced, simply capriciously. You know, if
>you're doing something the police don't like but can't cite you for. Or
>they don't like the look of you in general.

Perhaps an even better reason to campaign for their repeal.

 

[[email protected]]

Just A User wrote:

> Well the only city in CO thats on my list so far if Colorado Springs.

CS is my hometown, born and raised.
Beautiful setting. Good road riding, great
trail riding. Lots of solar radiation. Not
terribly expensive. Some would say there are
too many wacky right-wingers there. There are
also plenty of old hippies, witches
and Sons of Silence. The path system is
awful compared to the useful MUPs in
Denver. IMO the nice parts of town are
central and west; old CS is surrounded on
three sides by the worst sort of suburban
hell which is to be avoided at all costs.
Ghettoes in the suburbs, it surely is the
wave of the future.

Good luck, whatever you decide. And if
you decide to come to Colorado, welcome.

Robert

 

[greggery peccary]

"Just A User" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] wrote:
>> Just A User wrote:
>>
>>> Yeah but that law is for those under 16 years of age, I am in my 30's.
>>
>> And it's not like these laws are enforced anyway.
>>
>> The only significant MHLs for adults that I know of are
>> King County, Washington (Seattle metro) and Dallas.
>> Fair reason for a cyclist to avoid moving to those areas, imo,
>> even though Seattle is otherwise a sort of Disneyland
>> for cyclists, with some of the more considerate drivers
>> to be found in the US.
>>
>> Robert
>>
> Yeah thats what my quick research seemed to indicate. Bellevue WA is on my
> list of cities I am considering.
>
> Ken

i think the seattle area is great for cyclists and will be even more so in
the future because the cars cant move. there are way too many of them for an
area hemmed in by water and political gridlock. but be informed except for
the climate, Bellevue (east side) is not seattle, in fact culturally it's
more like Scottsdale, AZ or Ft Lauderdale, FL.

 

[Veloise]

Ken wrote:
> I am giving very serious consideration to re-locating and this is
> important to me. So the questions is for those that have lived in areas
> west of the Great Lakes, which states provide the best areas for
> cycling, I have already checked on the rails to trails site and found
> that some of the areas I am considering have local trails, so how about
> regular road riding?

What you got against the Great Lakes??

Michigan has a ten-cent bottle deposit law. Many of us resident riders
notice that flats are more prevalent in unenlightened commonwealths,
and it's fun to collect and cash them in near state lines.

HTH

--Karen D.
in Grand Rapids

 

[greggery peccary]

"Just A User" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Roger Zoul wrote:
>> Just A User wrote:
>> :: I am giving very serious consideration to re-locating and this is
>> :: important to me. So the questions is for those that have lived in
>> :: areas west of the Great Lakes, which states provide the best areas
>> :: for cycling, I have already checked on the rails to trails site and
>> :: found that some of the areas I am considering have local trails, so
>> :: how about regular road riding?
>> ::
>> :: Ken
>>
>> Why so far away? SC & NC are great places for cycling. As is GA.
> Well I am moving to get away from the over crowded feeling of the east
> coast and to get away from the excessive humidity that is here in Florida
> and a certain mold spore that is more prevelent in the southeast.
>
> Ken

if you wanna get away from mold, i would count the NW out.

 

[oilfreeandhappy]

+1 on Colorado. The towns mentioned are great. But don't count out
Denver either. They have some great bike trails that extend all the
way through the city in a number directions. They continue to expand
their Light Rail as well.
----
Jim Gagnepain
http://home.comcast.net/~oil_free_and_happy/

On Mar 10, 10:48 am, [email protected] wrote:
> Just A User wrote:
> > Well I am moving to get away from the over crowded feeling of the east
> > coast and to get away from the excessive humidity that is here in
> > Florida and a certain mold spore that is more prevelent in the southeast.
>
> The Colorado Front Goathead Preserve
> is plenty crowded, imo, but I'm just going
> to throw this out there -- Fort Collins. Small-mid
> university city, about an hour north of
> Denver. If you want to go car free or at
> least use your bike as your primary
> transportation, the Fort would be very
> hard to beat. It is incredibly easy to ride
> a bike around that town. They have created
> and continue to create a remarkable
> infrastructure for transportational cycling.
> The road riding in surrounding areas varies
> from fantastic to ho-hum -- if recreational
> cycling is your main thing you might consider
> Boulder, which is the home base for many of
> the great road rides in Colorado. Boulder is
> expensive, and hard to take in many ways,
> however. Fort Collins is more low-key.
>
> Oh yeah -- Bring some REMA patchkits, and
> follow the directions in the box.
>
> Robert

 

[catzz66]

[email protected] wrote:
> Just A User wrote:
>
>
>>Yeah but that law is for those under 16 years of age, I am in my 30's.
>
>
> And it's not like these laws are enforced anyway.
>
> The only significant MHLs for adults that I know of are
> King County, Washington (Seattle metro) and Dallas.
> Fair reason for a cyclist to avoid moving to those areas, imo,
> even though Seattle is otherwise a sort of Disneyland
> for cyclists, with some of the more considerate drivers
> to be found in the US.
>
> Robert
>

I live in Dallas, and if there is a helmet law, it does not seem to be
enforced. I see a fair amount of people without. I wear a lid anyway
and always have, so it is no big deal to me one way or the other. I
would check it out if that is a concern for you. I think most of the
big bike groups and all organized rides I have done require some kind of
lid. Weather in North Texas is good for riding all year round, if you
can tolerate temps into the twentys and over 100. It is usually fair
and there are plenty of places to ride especially if you don't mind
going solo which is what I do all but three or four times a year. I
ride nearly every day and am grateful for the mild weather we have most
of the time.

 

[[email protected]]

On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 10:42:27 -0600, "Pat" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>>
>> Arizona, California, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana,
>> Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin
>> all have mandatory helmet laws in part or the whole of the state (so
>> does Alaska, but although that is "west of the Great Lakes" I presume
>> it was not under consideration).
>>
>> The above list may not include all states; MHL's are becoming more and
>> more popular with American governments, and there may have been more
>> passed since last time I checked.
>
>I wasn't aware Texas had a mandatory helmet law FOR ADULTS.

It doesn't.

Yet.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

On Mar 10, 11:48 am, [email protected] wrote:
> Just A User wrote:
> > Well I am moving to get away from the over crowded feeling of the east
> > coast and to get away from the excessive humidity that is here in
> > Florida and a certain mold spore that is more prevelent in the southeast.
>
> The Colorado Front Goathead Preserve
> is plenty crowded, imo, but I'm just going
> to throw this out there -- Fort Collins. Small-mid
> university city, about an hour north of
> Denver. If you want to go car free or at
> least use your bike as your primary
> transportation, the Fort would be very
> hard to beat. It is incredibly easy to ride
> a bike around that town. They have created
> and continue to create a remarkable
> infrastructure for transportational cycling.
> The road riding in surrounding areas varies
> from fantastic to ho-hum -- if recreational
> cycling is your main thing you might consider
> Boulder, which is the home base for many of
> the great road rides in Colorado. Boulder is
> expensive, and hard to take in many ways,
> however.

50 square miles surrounded by reality....I wouldn't have it any other
way. I wouldn't live anyplace else except for maybe SoCal...for the
weather, after getting snowed under this winter but ..70 degrees
Monday!!

Boulder is a decidedly blue section of CO surrounded by 'red'
politics. Stay away from Colorado Springs unless 'Focus on 'your'
Family' is your 'thing'.

Fort Collins is more low-key.
>
> Oh yeah -- Bring some REMA patchkits, and
> follow the directions in the box.
>
> Robert

 

[Pat]

>>
> Yeah or if the cop is bored enough from doughnuts and needs something to
> keep them awake and sees a cyclist without a helmet and thinks well it's
> stupid but it gives me something to do.
>
> Ken

I don't believe this would happen for a second! When I was living in
Maryland, I used to see numerous cars with only one headlight. Sometimes, I
would count 23 and up just driving home! Finally, I asked a local cop if it
wasn't illegal to only have one headlight. He said, "Yeah, but I don't see
them unless they are going the other direction, and it's too much trouble to
turn around."

bicycle laws? no way! If they were going to enforce them, they would start
with the wrong-way riding or the crossing against the light or the sidewalk
riding. But helmets? not in a jillion years!

Pat in TX

 

[Pat]

>
> Michigan has a ten-cent bottle deposit law. Many of us resident riders
> notice that flats are more prevalent in unenlightened commonwealths,
> and it's fun to collect and cash them in near state lines.
>
> HTH
>
> --Karen D.
> in Grand Rapids

Did you just mean to say that you collect bottle while riding a bicycle?

Pat in TX
>
>

 

[[email protected]]

On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 08:08:40 -0600, "Pat" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>>>
>> Yeah or if the cop is bored enough from doughnuts and needs something to
>> keep them awake and sees a cyclist without a helmet and thinks well it's
>> stupid but it gives me something to do.
>>
>> Ken
>
>I don't believe this would happen for a second! When I was living in
>Maryland, I used to see numerous cars with only one headlight. Sometimes, I
>would count 23 and up just driving home! Finally, I asked a local cop if it
>wasn't illegal to only have one headlight. He said, "Yeah, but I don't see
>them unless they are going the other direction, and it's too much trouble to
>turn around."
>
>bicycle laws? no way! If they were going to enforce them, they would start
>with the wrong-way riding or the crossing against the light or the sidewalk
>riding. But helmets? not in a jillion years!
>

The fines for not wearing a helmet (which ARE applied in places, abeit
sometimes capriciously), can be onerous. I'm sure that were you to be
fined for this offense, you would not be so cavalier.

 

[Claire Petersky]

"greggery peccary" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Just A User" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> [email protected] wrote:

>>> The only significant MHLs for adults that I know of are
>>> King County, Washington (Seattle metro) and Dallas.
>>> Fair reason for a cyclist to avoid moving to those areas, imo,

To me, this would be a bizzare reason not to move to some place, but to each
his own.

>>> even though Seattle is otherwise a sort of Disneyland
>>> for cyclists, with some of the more considerate drivers
>>> to be found in the US.

>> Yeah thats what my quick research seemed to indicate. Bellevue WA is on
>> my list of cities I am considering.

Downtown Bellevue is not bicycle-friendly, but the rest of the city is OK.

> i think the seattle area is great for cyclists and will be even more so in
> the future because the cars cant move. there are way too many of them for
> an area hemmed in by water and political gridlock. but be informed except
> for the climate, Bellevue (east side) is not seattle, in fact culturally
> it's more like Scottsdale, AZ or Ft Lauderdale, FL.

Bellevue's the 'burbs, but more diverse than say, Sammamish.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

 

[Dane Buson]

Pat <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> bicycle laws? no way! If they were going to enforce them, they would start
> with the wrong-way riding or the crossing against the light or the sidewalk
> riding. But helmets? not in a jillion years!

I know multiple people who have received helmet tickets. At least one
person has collected two. I only know one person who has received a
red-light ticket.

--
Dane Buson - [email protected]
I went into the business for the money, and the art grew out of it. If
people are disillusioned by that remark, I can't help it. It's the truth.
-- Charlie Chaplin

 

[Bill Sornson]

Dane Buson wrote:
> Pat <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> bicycle laws? no way! If they were going to enforce them, they
>> would start with the wrong-way riding or the crossing against the
>> light or the sidewalk riding. But helmets? not in a jillion years!
>
> I know multiple people who have received helmet tickets. At least one
> person has collected two. I only know one person who has received a
> red-light ticket.

Unfortunately for your side, personal anecdotes are not admissable evidence
of anything. (Just ask anyone who submits that a lid saved him or her a few
stitches or a concussion, much less more.)

 

[Dane Buson]

Bill Sornson <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dane Buson wrote:
>>
>> I know multiple people who have received helmet tickets. At least one
>> person has collected two. I only know one person who has received a
>> red-light ticket.
>
> Unfortunately for your side, personal anecdotes are not admissable evidence
> of anything. (Just ask anyone who submits that a lid saved him or her a few
> stitches or a concussion, much less more.)

I wasn't aware I had a side, much less one of my very own. Perhaps I
should think up a fetching name for it, perhaps buy it a nice outfit for
long rides in the country.

More seriously, do you understand the difference between assertion of
fact versus supposition?

--
Dane Buson - [email protected]
An ancient proverb summed it up: when a wizard is tired of looking for
broken glass in his dinner, it ran, he is tired of life.
-- Terry Pratchett, "The Light Fantastic"

 

[Dane Buson]

Claire Petersky <[email protected]> wrote:
> "greggery peccary" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> "Just A User" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> [email protected] wrote:
>
>>>> The only significant MHLs for adults that I know of are
>>>> King County, Washington (Seattle metro) and Dallas.
>>>> Fair reason for a cyclist to avoid moving to those areas, imo,
>
> To me, this would be a bizzare reason not to move to some place, but to each
> his own.

That was my thought.

>>>> even though Seattle is otherwise a sort of Disneyland
>>>> for cyclists, with some of the more considerate drivers
>>>> to be found in the US.
>
>>> Yeah thats what my quick research seemed to indicate. Bellevue WA is on
>>> my list of cities I am considering.
>
> Downtown Bellevue is not bicycle-friendly, but the rest of the city is OK.

Eh, a lot of the rest of it does have that terrible superblock grid
setup. Living near Crossroads, I grew to loathe it in pretty short
order. Would it have killed them to make it possible for pedestrians
and cyclists to cut through?

--
Dane Buson - [email protected]
"I eat to ride, I ride to eat. At the best of moments, I can achieve
a perfect balance, consuming just the right amount of calories as I
fill up at bakeries, restaurants, or ice cream parlors. On the road,
I can get about twelve miles to the quart of milk and a piece of
baker's apple ****." -Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles (1973)