Where should we move so we can bike more???

We live in cold and snowy Wisconsin and want to move to a larger city now that our kids are in college. Bigger city, more job stability. While we are at it, we decided to look for a place where we could bike year round or almost year round.

We are northerners so I don't think we'd want a really hot humid summer place. We have moved a lot but we've never lived in a warm climate, might be nice but we know not to go to Houston!

We road bike and love to go on sponsored rides together. I have only gone as far as 50, my husband does centuries. I have to add that I don't think I'd want to live in a super hilly place but maybe I could learn to love hills. :confused:

We are looking at the following cities:

Austin, TX
Denver, CO
Louisville, KY
Nashville, TN
Milwaukee, WI
Chicago, IL
Tucson, AZ

Obviously, Milwaukee and Chicago are the safe close to home fall backs but we can't bike like we'd want to in either city.

The thought of leaving all of our friends and our daughters at the same time is a bit sad. Maybe our daughters will follow if they like where we go. :p

Thanks for any suggestions!

Not at all interested in the West Coast of USA?

I did forget the west coast didn't I?? We actually lived in San Jose for a bit right after we were married.

Portland
San Diego
?

Shootingstar, if we moved to Canada the kids would follow for sure. :)

Even though I really wish people would stop moving to Austin (I am a native and remember when it was sorta small)... It is a perfect city for year round cycling.

Remember though our summers can be the unbearable time and you might hate that. This summer was one for the record books with 20+ days over 100. That is not the norm but it does happen and most of our transplants complain quite a bit! On the flip side it was in the 70's today and our artic front moving through tomorrow is only supposed to drop it to 20 (low), 40 (high).

West Austin will test you on hills but NW and East is just gentle rollers. You can definitely get by being a hill weeny.

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Originally Posted by cobalt

Shootingstar, if we moved to Canada the kids would follow for sure. :)

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Interesting. :) Whatever their perceptions of Canada may be. :)

I'm curious to hear how San Franscisco fares during the winter for cycling since Seattle and Portland are similar to Vancouver in terms of the rain that we get in winter..but still can sometimes can cycle in between bouts of cold rain. Now if it weren't for the snow right now in our area...which is not typically white Christmas below the mountains here.

For totally biased reasons, and despite the rain, we do enjoy the west coast. Lots of clean snow is not far away ..in the mountains. Most winters we have been able to do decent snowshoeing up there.

But to let cobalt know, I was cycling to my art class on weekends last January. A flat 12 km. round trip. And of course our regular grocery shopping on bike.

And summers where we are on the coast, never get blistering nor soak-drenched humid hot like it did in southern Ontario. This most definitely you would love..

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

I'm curious to hear how San Franscisco fares during the winter for cycling since Seattle and Portland are similar to Vancouver in terms of the rain that we get in winter..but still can sometimes can cycle in between bouts of cold rain. Now if it weren't for the snow right now in our area...which is not typically white Christmas below the mountains here.

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It's similar...can get cold (30's-40's) and rainy with snow up in the mountains.

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Originally Posted by cobalt

Maybe our daughters will follow if they like where we go.

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It could happen! When I was in grad school (Athens, GA which is a super cool place and close to a big city), I was roommates with a woman from upstate NY. She moved back and it was cold and miserable. Met and got married to fellow upstater. When his family's business closed, she persuaded him to move down south and they moved to Raleigh, North Carolina.

They are absolutely loving it, and since they moved about 4 years ago her sister's family has moved from Buffalo and her parents retired and moved down to NC, too.

Although there's no 'big' city, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area is big enough to offer a lot of job opportunities.

I'm now living in Hawaii, but if I had the chance I'd move back to Athens, GA in a heartbeat.

Seattle (except for the few exceptions like right now - its SNOWING! and staying on the ground...) is very rideable all year round as long as you are OK with getting wet. We get very few extremes in temperature here - little extremely hot weather, even less humid weather, very little extreme cold and even less snow.

The best kept secret around here is that it is actually very dry from around June through September. We have really nice summers. Yes, we do have a good amount of rainfall, but it falls mostly Nov-April.

Flat however... not so much, but you can stay in some of the valleys and never encounter a hill. We have a 70 or so mile round trip that the worst hill is a bridge over a river. Of course venturing out into the hillier areas is rewarded with great scenery.

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Originally Posted by Eden

The best kept secret around here is that it is actually very dry from around June through September. We have really nice summers. Yes, we do have a good amount of rainfall, but it falls mostly Nov-April.

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Yeah, that's what someone keeps telling me ;)

Do NOT move to Sonoma county, CA. Come and visit, bring all of your disposable income. Leave the income there. Do not move. Sure, you'll want to, but please don't. See Aggie's wish for Austin.

It's too hot in summer after all. :cool: Forget Napa Valley, that's not wine county, feh! Sonoma coastline, Anderson Valley, Russian River, Valley of the Moon .... but do not move there.

Here are other TE'ers fave spots:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=13503

Oh, definitely Milwaukee...nothing like 14inches of snow shoveling to help you develop your core and force some time off of the bike :rolleyes: (and another 4-7 is right around the corner :eek: )

Before the latest weather shift we were riding year round in Milwaukee--there are always enough balmy (30-40F) weekends to let you get out and spin. But the last two years have had so much snow and not enough salt that it takes the fun out of the riding (great big ice ruts). But, Milwaukee has great cycling if you live on the SW (e.g., New Berlin) or NE suburbs (e.g., Cederburg). The roads are relatively quiet, the terrain varied, and there are enough roads to keep you from having to do the same 2 or 3 routes all the time.

That said, I dream of moving somewhere where I don't get all that shovelling "cross training". I really like Tucson for winter vacationing, but I wonder if you lived there whether you'd have enough variety of routes "right out your door" or whether you'd find there was really only one or two because there are only so many roads through the desert.

I live about 30 miles east of Nashville. What exactly do you want to know?

First, exactly what constitutes weather for year round cycling? Lack of snow? Almost any city in the southeast gets pretty darn hot in the summer. August here gets pretty miserable. We don't get much snow (and everything shuts down when we do), but we do get some cold weather. Tonight the low is supposed to be 11F.

ETA: We have hills. Lots of hills.

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Originally Posted by cobalt

We are northerners so I don't think we'd want a really hot humid summer place.

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Oslo? The roads aren't great, but we've got mtb-friendly forests up the wazoo ;) :D

Indianapolis has been very resilient through this downturn. Low cost of housing, diversified employment base, serious riding opportunities, serious riding hills just to the south (Brown County). Indy is a larger Nashville without the summer humidity. Winter has its moments though...

Also, unlike most other major markets, Indy is within a year of swinging into a tight housing supply...which may mean the time to buy is now.

You might give some thought to suburban St. Louis as well.

What are your careers?

Houston isn't the only large city in Texas, you know! And Fort Worth is not at all humid. I've been out in 104 degrees and since it is dry you make a nice cooling breeze while you ride....okay, don't think cool, but cooling....

Dallas and Fort Worth are pretty close together, and I have lived in both, but I prefer Fort Worth. Traffic is lighter, there is a great trail system (40 miles of paves trail for cycling, running, etc).

You have many club options here so finding a group that works for you should not be a problem and there are dozens of organized rides held around here every year. We are only a few hours from the famous Hotter Than Hell, as well as some really pretty rides to the south of us. Fort Worth is hillier than Dallas (hillier than people think of North Central Texas being), but not hilly by many people's standards.

Dallas/Fort Worth seems to be fairing better economically than some of the nation, and the cost of living is still really reasonable. No state income tax, but a fairly high property tax. You will not be offered the same kind of salary that you will see in the North East, but as a transplant I will say that the cost of living is in your favor here; I can live better here than I could in Mass.

Dallas/Fort Worth is a very dynamic area, maybe not as cool as Austin, but no matter what your interests are you can find them here. We are in the Bible belt; often the first or second question you will receive on meeting someone is "what church do you go to", but there are quite a few diverse communities as well. I had lunch at a Buddhist Monastery yesterday.

This is a very red state, so if you are a republican you will feel right at home and if you are a democrat we need you!...lol

Barbara Alys

If you're in tech, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill is a great place to be. We do get cold weather, but it's bike-able all year, really. We haven't had any ice in ~3 winters if I recall correctly (and when we get it, it doesn't stick around long). The downside is that we have very few bike lanes, and our drivers are not accustomed to cyclists (and can be downright hostile).

When we went to San Diego for a visit, we fell in love. Cyclists paradise based on what I saw. Flat rides if you want them, climbing if you want them, bike lanes everywhere. The problem is that the cost of living is probably 2x what it is in Raleigh-Durham. I think I like cold weather too much to move there, but the other major west coast cities are on our radar for long term places to live.

CA

For what it's worth, home prices have fallen considerably in the SF Bay area as well as the rest of California in the past year.

As for cycling in the SF Bay area, we can do it pretty much year round.

We've entered the rainy season now :p , and around here, when it rains, it pours! We don't so much get the steady drizzle that our friends in western OR and WA experience. Luckily for us (but, not necessarily for the water supply), the rains diminish come March and are pretty much over come April, and then they don't start up again until December. Roughly speaking of course.

Sometimes, like right now, temperatures in the SF Bay area can drop into the 30's but that's somewhat unusual. The farther inland you go they experience more winter-like weather, then of course a few hours east of us you have the ski areas.

Our summers don't get particularly hot, especially if you're right near the coast (where it can be downright chilly thanks to the fog blowing in from the ocean) although temperatures can get into the 100's the further inland you go. "But it's a dry heat".

And the cycling around here is great - you've probably seen some of our ride reports in the Northern CA forum.

Good luck in your search. :cool:

If you want to ride in 0-20 degree weather, sure, come to Denver!

It was a high of 27 for my ride of 90 minutes yesterday, and right now it is a whopping 12 degrees at 10 a.m. as I try to decide what to do today.

Don't believe that year-round riding is possible here!

I moved here from Montgomery, AL....great place for biking, low cost of living, and nice medium-size city. Tons of great routes in the countryside and hills. There I was doing centuries in JAN & FEB.

Sure, it was hot in the summer but so are lots of places. Check it out!
Laura

Cobalt,
do you need to actually live in a city in order to work?
Do you intend to bike to work, or use mass transit to commute?
Are you going to retire soon, or not for many years yet?
Do you intend to drive out of the city in order to go on bike rides, or are you wanting to ride from home?
These questions and more will have a big bearing on your decision.
You might want to consider factors like mass transit and gas prices/availability when thinking about all this. Right now, suburbs are rapidly going down in value because people no longer want to drive a lot to get back and forth to work, plus they can no longer afford a large house and high mortgage. Smaller urban dwellings are now becoming more sought after.
Just a few things to think about. :)

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Originally Posted by ilima

If I had the chance I'd move back to Athens, GA in a heartbeat.

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Funny, a few years ago I was looking to leave NYC and like you had my pick of locales. It was while on a biz trip to Athens, GA (one of the great little spots in America!) that I decided to move to Austin. Athens reminded me of everything I had loved about Austin.

I learned to cycle here so I have no basis for comparison - I'll leave that advice to all those far more experienced with cycling across the country. But it was because of the plethora of lycra here that I said, "Wow, what a beautiful sport - I have to learn to do that!"

I'm a complete non-athlete, but was captivated by the beauty of a body moving on a bicycle. One of these days (years), people will look at me grunting my way up a hill and say, "Man, I wanna learn to do what she's doing!" :)

Asheville, North Carolina. Oh, but there are hills. Great music, food, weather (not muggy in the summer), etc.

I live in Richmond and I love it. Riding all year round, rolling hills, close to the Chesapeake Bay, great river right downtown for kayaking and such--very outdoorsy. The cost of living is extremely reasonable, and you can easily get to Washington DC and NYC/Boston on the train.

What do you do professionally? That would seem to be a big deciding factor.

Wow, thanks! I am reading the replies to my fellow bikers. Trying to convince our best friends to go with us.

We are looking for general thoughts and then we will look in depth at the cities we think might work. I don't want to exhaust you!

Husband is in IT

We have two dogs so I suppose we'll have to be out of the city a bit but I'd rather be in a condo with my bike hanging on the wall. Would love to bike to work or take a train. Hate the thought of a chicago commute from a suburb.

WI cost of housing is may be much less than many of the cities we are looking at but I am not looking at that yet. If there's a will there a way etc

We would take a cooler winter over a hot, humid summer.

Barbara, we'd get along great. We could use you in WI too.

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Originally Posted by knapplaura

If you want to ride in 0-20 degree weather, sure, come to Denver!

It was a high of 27 for my ride of 90 minutes yesterday, and right now it is a whopping 12 degrees at 10 a.m. as I try to decide what to do today.

Don't believe that year-round riding is possible here!

I moved here from Montgomery, AL....great place for biking, low cost of living, and nice medium-size city. Tons of great routes in the countryside and hills. There I was doing centuries in JAN & FEB.

Sure, it was hot in the summer but so are lots of places. Check it out!
Laura

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The cold temps we have been having here have been a little out of the norm. We have had record cold temps. For the most part you can ride all year with exception to maybe 3-4 weeks. There are quite a few people that commute by bike year round. What is nice about the Denver area is that when is does snow it does not last very long with the sun. The snow is also a dry snow, not a wet snow like the NE. And once March comes the weather is awesome..temps in the 50s with the occ snow storm. The job market out here is still pretty good.

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Originally Posted by cobalt

Husband is in IT

We have two dogs so I suppose we'll have to be out of the city a bit but I'd rather be in a condo with my bike hanging on the wall. Would love to bike to work or take a train. Hate the thought of a chicago commute from a suburb.


We would take a cooler winter over a hot, humid summer.

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Austin would be good for his job.

Living in city- HAHA!! Unless you are very well off you will be in suburbia but I don't know your situation. Condos in the city (where practically zero IT jobs are) will cost you a lot. I have to say my commute from past suburbia (I cannot stand the urban sprawl of closer burbs) is not bad. It is 20 miles and takes about 40 minutes plus I have the luxury of biking from my house and being in ranch land with little traffic in 3 miles. Austin motorists are impatient and obnoxious, I wouldn't bike in city without some stronger nerves. I personally do not think our public transportation is up to par but maybe I am just cynical.

Hot summer, don't think you want to come here. Last summer was exceptionally hot but 90's and humid are a norm. I was born here and never left, most summers don't phase me but even last summer was enough to have me whining. By noon on a summer day in Texas you are back in the AC. Another thing transplants don't get- AC is a way of life don't bring a car without AC. That one never ceases to amaze me, the number of northerners that bring cars down with no AC and then quickly realize they can't sell it here to get one with AC. My 90 year old grandma doesn't have it but I think she is the last person in Austin to refuse it.

Still many transplants find themselves in love with Austin. Honestly I love Texas, I am a native Texan through and through. I cannot stand cold, hate winter and don't mind sweating like a pig all summer. I learned a long time ago what a river or lake is for. ;)

Don't forget findyourspot.com

Karen

Hey! Look, another Cowtown girl! Hi! I live on the southwest (aka cool!) side of town and agree totally w/ Barbara. FW is economically very very stable, quite attractive, and has great arts/museums and a kick *** trail system. If you live on the west side you have multiple neighborhoods that the trails meander through (mostly on the banks of the trinity river where people fish, there are ducks etc. so not a concrete jungle). I live in a walkable neighborhood and can get on the trail in 1.5 blocks. In the summer it is warm. True. But not humid. Plus, in the summer I get up and bike at 6 am and then am in a great mood for the rest of the day. Fall has been perfect with day after day of breathtakingly awesome riding. Winter is windy but we almost never have ice/cold that lasts more than a few days. There is great country riding just west of the city where you get more big hills than you can shake a stick at. The biking community here is also very active! On beautiful days I will see dozens and dozens of road bikers on the trails.

Did I mention that housing is cheap? You can get a loft in our thriving litte walkable downtown for 300k and up, a beautiful 1920s bungalow in a charming neighborhood for around 250k, and condos all over the city start around 100k.

Don't be scared off by whole red state thing. I know plenty of dems in the city and there are still lots of Obama bumper stickers on cars all around.

Having grown up near Austin I can't say enough how cool it is. However, Austin has terrible traffic, a smaller airport, and sky high property values. Fort Worth is much friendly in every on of those respects. :) Good luck!

Well, if you'd like a perpetual summer & don't mind travelling...you can always get a work visa for Australia. Darwin, Brisbane, Perth...

Just a thought....

I have to put in a plug for the Charlotte, NC area. I live about 30 miles north of Charlotte, but this whole area has quite an active bike culture. Even uptown Charlotte is becoming more bike-friendly with designated bike lanes. There are lots of organized events all year long with mutliple distance choices, and no shortage of people to ride with. The climate is absolutely heaven! I'm originally from Michigan, so I know what your winter is like. North Carolina is where I plan to stay!!! :)

As an added plus, this is one region where the economic downturn hasn't had as much impact as most of the country.

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Originally Posted by crazycanuck

Well, if you'd like a perpetual summer & don't mind travelling...you can always get a work visa for Australia. Darwin, Brisbane, Perth...

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When I was thinking about moving, my ideal was Scandinavia for half the year, and Oz for the other half. I'm sure you can guess which half would be where.

Well, I'm going to make a plug for the southeast region. Our weather is mild pretty much year round. The cost of living is lower and the lifestyle is a little more laid back. The downside is you may not have access to many bike friendly parks or paths, but there are many rural farm roads that make it nice to cycle. Oh, and if you don't mind living in tornado alley, or dealing with the humid, hot summers, then it's for you! :D

For what it's worth, Portland and Minneapolis consistently rank at the top of various "best places to bike" surveys. Of course though, Minneapolis can be a little on the chilly side come winter! But as they say, if you're dressed for it, no problem. I know many people who bike all year long here.

Norse, no way! Not because of the cold, we have too many relatives in the twin city area! :p

We lived in Holland and England for 3 years and would go back if we could. It is too $$. California is too $ for us since our 2,600 sq ft house would sell for $280K. That doesn't buy much but we want to downsize.

I took the test at findyourspot.com, thank you for the suggestion

It listed my top choices as:


Albuqueque
Portland, OR
San Diego
Milwaukee
San Francisco
Chicago

I hope this thread is as much fun for everyone as it is for me. I finally looked at a map and Austin is way down there!! I can't imagine myself anywhere near the humidity of Houston. My husband looked at me today as I was walking around the office in a coat and laughed. We work at the same place and it was cold outside and in as well. :)


In February we are going to go and visit one city, likely Portland.

Thank you all so much!