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

[Blueberry]

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

[jobob]

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 , 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.

[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

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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.

[solobiker]

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

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.