# Best place to live to ride



## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

Where is the best place in the lower USA 48 to live for MTB riding. Criteria loosely would be trail quantity & quality, weather, cost of living, social life, support items like bike shops, hospitals, restaurants, etc..., and lastly work.


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## btadlock (Oct 3, 2005)

Front Range Colorado, close to a ton of trails and close to Denver metro for the job market.


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## Jessep (Dec 1, 2004)

How's the winter riding in CO?


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## EscourtU (Aug 15, 2006)

Denver is a hole in the wall. Been there done that. Nothing like looking at the city and seeing a mass of black air engulfing the city every single day. Yes Bruce I noticed that it does start raining just after noon a lot. But it is always about the same time. You can almost set your watch by it.


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*zip*



Jessep said:


> How's the winter riding in CO?


There isn't any. It's covered in 3-19 feet of snow and it rains constantly. Everybody knows that since the entire state is covered in mountains. 

I lived in Fort Collins for about a year and a half. During the winter, the lower elevations (<6k) are normally not covered in snow. I had my riding interrupted twice by snowfall. Often by 2-3 PM, the trails were clear/dry enough to ride. Single-digit humidity will do that to moisture.

The west side is probably a little better for winter riding though.

Bruce


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## Lucky 7 (Oct 20, 2005)

The best city to ride is the one you already live in. I stole that from Dirt Rag, but I think it has some validity. Wherever you go, nothing has the same impact as the trails you know and love.:thumbsup:


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

Would you move back to Ft. Collins?

I also have never loved Denver but have never spent much time there.


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## Maida7 (Apr 29, 2005)

I live in Asheville, NC

Best trails on the East Coast. People come from all over to ride Pisgah
Great weather for year round riding never too hot nor too cold. A bit too humid and rainy sometimes
Hip small city, lots of hippies and new age wierdos mixed with southern baptists keep things balanced. 
Fantastic bike shops and big riding comunity
Medical hub for the region.
lots of pubs and cool resturants downtown.
decent nightlife
Bluegrass music
Cost of living is low compared to the nation but high compared to the region
It's the kind of place people go for vacation or to retire.
I think it's just perfect.

I grew up and lived in New York City previously.


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

Yeah Asheville is one of my top locals as well. Have not been their in a while and have heard that prices have really shot up. But that is true everywhere. Is there much in the way of townhouses or nice appartments close to downtown?


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## Maida7 (Apr 29, 2005)

Yes they keep building new condos every where posible close to downtown Asheville. There are some super high end lofts right downtown and some more resonable new developments within walking distance of the city center.

But I moved there for a more suburban existance so I bought a big house at the edge of the county. Closer to the trails and out of the busy areas. I had enough city living in NYC to last a life time.


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## max-a-mill (Apr 14, 2004)

philly - nice big city for jobs. two good riding areas in the city you don't need a car to get too even if you live in center city.

i like it here!


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## Damitletsride! (Feb 4, 2004)

Would it not make sense to try and find and answer to your question on the IMBA website first???


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## zzsean (Nov 3, 2004)

Jessep said:


> How's the winter riding in CO?


Winter riding in CO is good. The front range trails themselves can be unridable for a few days after a storm, but any sort of extended sun cleans them up quickly.

More importantly, you are only 4 hours from Fruita and 5-6 hours from Moab during the winter.

The spring, summer and fall riding options out of the Front Range are "decent". (that would be one word :thumbsup: )

(if you are not a fan of Denver itself, you can always move to Boulder)


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

Damitletsride! said:


> Would it not make sense to try and find and answer to your question on the IMBA website first???


Only if I wanted their opinion and not those of MTBR.


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## bouncybouncy (Mar 30, 2006)

Maida7 said:


> I live in Asheville, NC
> 
> Best trails on the East Coast. People come from all over to ride Pisgah
> Great weather for year round riding never too hot nor too cold. A bit too humid and rainy sometimes
> ...


SHHHHHHHH!!!!! Don't want to let too many people in on our happy place!!!!


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## Maida7 (Apr 29, 2005)

Philliy? You gots to be joking? People move to Philliy for the riding? Poeple who want a weekend riding vacation go to Philliy? 

Moab
Fruita
Sedona

Those are places to live to ride. Not Philliy. Philliy is know for cheesestake and Rocky and Ben Franklin.


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

*Front Range = No*



jfkbike2 said:


> Where is the best place in the lower USA 48 to live for MTB riding. Criteria loosely would be trail quantity & quality, weather, cost of living, social life, support items like bike shops, hospitals, restaurants, etc..., and lastly work.


The Salt Lake area kicks the Front Range in all your criteria. Durango does too, in everything but cost of living and work.

For what reason other than a city job would anyone live in Denver/Co. Spgs/Boulder/Ft. Collins? I live here, and I can't even figure it out. The traffic sucks the soul out of you, the cost of living is just about the highest anywhere off of a coast (other than perhaps Chicago), and let's face it, the trail selection is about half of Salt Lake or Durango, at least if you consider trails within 30 driving minutes of where you might actually work. If you can telecommute, or you are a teacher/nurse/whatever and can work anywhere, I can't imagine choosing the Front Range over western Colorado, Utah, or northern Arizona or NM.


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

Thanks, all good points. Durango has been on my radar but I have never been there. I plan on going out their next summer. 

Anybody have any have any experience with Oregon?


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## rich.grandzol (Sep 20, 2005)

*Pacific Northwest*

I used to live in Philly! The riding is not bad, but the trails get crowded in Wissahickon.

Now I'm in Seattle. The traffic sucks, the cost of living is high, but the riding is amazing! I'd vote for the Pacific Northwest. Here in Seattle, we're 3 hours from the North Shore, and 5 from Whistler...

There's a great rider network here, too, and lots of shops.


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## szedhr (Apr 10, 2006)

Colorado, FTW!


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## Jessep (Dec 1, 2004)

Missoula, MT has pretty damn good riding. But the winters are cold, smelly, and long..

Salt Lake City seems like a good place to me, anyone else live there? I'm sort of in the same prediciment as jfkbike2..


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## ebxtreme (Jan 6, 2004)

rich.grandzol said:


> Now I'm in Seattle. The traffic sucks, the cost of living is high, but the riding is amazing! I'd vote for the Pacific Northwest. Here in Seattle, we're 3 hours from the North Shore, and 5 from Whistler...
> 
> There's a great rider network here, too, and lots of shops.


I agree with Rich that Seattle is a good choice. I've ridden in Tahoe, the Alps, Moab/Fruita, Sedona/Flagstaff and I think for year-round riding, a good cycling community and lots of variety in terrain (rainforest, alpine, desert, XC, FR, etc.), it's hard to beat this area. The weather is mild most of the year and, yes, it rains a fair amount in the winter, but not the squalls you get in other parts of the country. If you've got decent rain gear and fenders, you can pretty much ride 52 weeks out of the year since the temps don't get too hot or too cold.

Pros: True year-round riding, diversity of terrain, proximity to B.C. (depending on what you like.....this is big for me), big riding community (mt. and road)
Cons: Traffic high, cost of living high, rain in winter months, very little riding right from the city, but there are trails out your door from various burbs and 10 riding areas within 45 minutes of the city and big alpine rides 1 1/2 hours from my door in the city.

Other good PNW options:
- Portland - very cyclist friendly city. Good riding near Hood River and White Salmon, but that's a bit of a drive. Fairly close to the epics on St. Helens (Ape Canyon, Plaines of Abraham, Lewis River, Smith Creek, etc.). Cost of living and traffic is on the rise.
- Eugene - Very cyclist friendly. University town close to lots of great singletrack in and around Eugen and Oak Ridge.
- Bend - High desert with lots of sun. Rides right out of town and lots of trails. Growing like crazy....so cost of living is going up. A recreationalists wet dream with the deschutes for boating, Smith Rock for climbing and Bachelor for skiing/snowboarding and the bike trail networks are all around town. Not too far from one of the classics.....McKenzie River Trail.
- Bellingham - On Puget Sound and San Juan Islands.. University town. Close to several great riding areas (can ride right from town). Very strong riding community and club and great shops. Two bike co's are based there - Kona and Transition (Ferndale, actually....but a lot of them live in B'ham). 45 minutes from Mt. Baker for snowboarding - which gets the most snow, year in and year out, of any resort in the WORLD. About an hour from the Shore and 3 from Whistler......

Cheers,
EBX


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*Need the green*



jfkbike2 said:


> Would you move back to Ft. Collins?


I still have property up by Red Feather Lakes. It was one of those impulse buys as we were getting ready to leave CO.

I'll agree with honkinunit. There's other places in the west that have more biking than the FC and/or Front Range area that don't have as high real estate costs, population density. Several things bothered me about FC. 3+ hours to skiing. What seemed like limited biking (Horsetooth, foothills, two places in Poudre Canyon) unless you traveled an hour or more. High housing costs, several of the main employers (HP, Celestica, LSI, Waterpick) downsizing and off-shoring their jobs. I did like FC and would probably go there if I could find a decent job but most of the Front Range wouldn't be my #1 choice.

If I had my pick of places to go in the US, I'd probably shoot for something near Grand Junction in CO, or Taos in NM. Maybe the Ogden UT area... But (sigh), I'm stuck in crappy ABQ with sun only 300+ days a year, 10+ excellent riding areas within 1 1/2, Moab @6+, 3-5 ski resorts within 3 hours, cheap housing, a large variety of food and entertainment and more casinos than you can shake a "valued customer card" at.

Bruce


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

Thanks for the good info.


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

Real beer is hard to come by in SLC.

Denver/Front Range sucks.


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## poff (Dec 23, 2003)

Reno, Nevada. Great low cost living and close to Tahoe.


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

That kills SLC. 

Bend, OR sounds very interesting as does Asheville, NC but I bet the beer is better in OR.


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## Jim Beam (Dec 22, 2003)

*Pacific Northwest rocks....*

if you like lots of rain!

Seattle = ~40 inches per year, conveniently spread out over 300 days

Portland = ~60 inches per year

Both cities have like a billion people and nasty traffic. I wouldn't live there for a garage full of Turners.


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## cgee (Sep 1, 2006)

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States is the only dignified mountain biking.


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## Pavlov's Dog (Jan 14, 2004)

*For me, nothing beats being able to . . .*

ride right from my garage. It's rural Colorado for me, but rural just about anywhere would work if there are trails near by. I've been riding all summer, only drove to a ride 3x, and have only repeated 2 or 3 rides (because they're my favorites.)

Of course you give up other things, and it can be hard to find work.

If you have to live in a city Denver is not so bad in that you can get in and out of Denver pretty easily (except for dealing with skier traffic on weekends), and the rest of CO is available for weekend trips.

Enjoy your search!


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

notaknob said:


> But (sigh), I'm stuck in crappy ABQ with sun only 300+ days a year, 10+ excellent riding areas within 1 1/2, Moab @6+, 3-5 ski resorts within 3 hours, cheap housing, a large variety of food and entertainment and more casinos than you can shake a "valued customer card" at.
> 
> Bruce


We feel sorry for you! Thanks for the info, work will not be an issue for me if & when I do this and it may be only for part of the year. My wife is not a biker so we need so "cultural" activities for her nearby and I just want a place that's cooler than FL and has great riding and everything else is a bonus.


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## ebxtreme (Jan 6, 2004)

Jim Beam said:


> if you like lots of rain!
> 
> Seattle = ~40 inches per year, conveniently spread out over 300 days
> 
> ...


Now, Jim....that's a bit overstated.....as Seattle gets 38 inches of rain spread over ~230 cloudy days and Portland gets about 45 inches annually.

Agreed....the PNW isn't for everyone (we almost broke a record this winter with 93 STRAIGHT days of rain), but I rode 2-3 days (on average) per week every single week this year. I'm pretty sure this dude wouldn't want to live anywhere else with his Turner, btw. 

A bit of perspective from a PNW newcomer here.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=2194611&postcount=8

Also worth noting is that east of the Cascades (e.g. Bend) is mostly high desert and doesn't see much rain at all. I believe Bend has ~300 days of sun a year. There's a place on the rise - east of Seattle that is sort of building itself up to be the next Bend, but it doesn't have the biking and other recreation that Bend does right now.

Cheers,
EBX


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

I've spent some time in the Seattle area and North up into BC. Did some fishing and crusing up north of Victoria this summer and love that area. The rain is nothing like the down pours we get in FL and is not that bad IMHO. I think Vancouver is great and am going there next week on business, may sneak away and look around a little more. Thanks for all the good information.


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## ebxtreme (Jan 6, 2004)

jfkbike2 said:


> That kills SLC.
> 
> Bend, OR sounds very interesting as does Asheville, NC but I bet the beer is better in OR.


Downtown Bend has one of the best around, imo. Deschutes Brewery.......maker of Obsidian Stout, Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Bachelor Bitter.
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/splash/default.aspx

Plus, Bend Brewing Co.
http://www.bendbrewingco.com/

EBX


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

ebxtreme said:


> Downtown Bend has one of the best around, imo. Deschutes Brewery.......maker of Obsidian Stout, Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Bachelor Bitter.
> http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/splash/default.aspx
> 
> Plus, Bend Brewing Co.
> ...


sounds great... how "real" hot is it in Bend in the summer? It seems with the low humity that it should not be too bad and if you get up in the woods a little bit I would expect it to be on the cool side (remember I am from FL with mid 80's and 90% humidity).


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

*Huh?*



Pavlov's Dog said:


> If you have to live in a city Denver is not so bad in that you can get in and out of Denver pretty easily (except for dealing with skier traffic on weekends), and the rest of CO is available for weekend trips.
> 
> Enjoy your search!


I don't know what part of CO you live in, but methinks you don't try to get in/out of Denver much. The Friday afternoon traffic routinely backs up from the tunnels to Idaho Springs, heading out of Denver. Sunday evenings coming back are even worse. I'm talking about SUMMER, let alone ski season. Monday, I hit I70 at Silverthorne at 1:30, and it took three hours and fifteen minutes to do a drive that should take an hour and thirty. No accidents, just volume. That's nuts. You have to plan your work week around commuting traffic, and your whole weekend around I70/I25/285 traffic. July and August are actually worse than ski season, because the jam coming back on Sunday starts earlier in the day than ski season. At least during ski season you are OK if you hit the tunnels before 3:00.

Everyone who ever visits comments on how bad the traffic is, and how lame the landscape looks with monotone cookie cutter houses draped over the hills, and endless repetitions of the same strip shopping and malls. Then they find out what one of those cookie cutter houses costs.......Golden is the best place to live for riding, but try finding a new house for under $500K, or even a nice existing home for under $300K.

Salt Lake, Grand Junction, Durango, Moab, Flagstaff, Santa Fe/Taos, Albuquerque, St. George....all of these have riding all year, and less headache.


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## Pavlov's Dog (Jan 14, 2004)

*Relative to other cities I've lived in*

(Brooklyn, San Francisco) Denver seems pretty easy to drive around. But you're right, I couldn't put up with Denver traffic, either.


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## Sopranos (Aug 13, 2006)

Coming from a guy who has it pretty nice in Sunny California (Bay Area), I have heard GREAT things about Bend and Portland (Beaverton), OR.

If I were going anywhere, it would probably be that way. Although, I went to college in Austin, TX and really enjoyed my stay. I don't know about the mtn biking options there but I can tell you that it is an affordable and pleasant place for a family.

Good luck!


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## MtnSpectre (Nov 21, 2004)

*Not sure if it was posted earlier*

I kinda passed em all up when they started arguing about Denver. I used to live in Colorado Springs and would love to go back! Trails minutes from the springs. In the winter they have Palmer Park which doesn't get too bad if you can't hit the trail systems in the mountians. Palmer Park has trails ranging from Beginner to Black Diamond. Plus, my other passion is skiing and that takes up most of my time in the winter when I lived there. Here in southern Georgia........good trails are about 4 to 5 hours away. The closest good trail system (FATS in SC) is still 3 hours away. Wound up buying a road bike to keep my legs in shape for the eventual move back to Colorado.


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## Lucky 7 (Oct 20, 2005)

I don't get it. Maybe I get up too early or not early enough? I live within walking distance of Coors field and it never takes me more than an hour and a half to get to my favorite riding. 

Evergreen is some of my favorite, and I'm usually there in 30 minutes. Buffalo Creek is about an hour, and Winter Park is just over an hour. I love riding these places and the traffic never bothers me. For the weeknights, there are the same 5 or 6 dusty trails to explore within 15 minutes of downtown.

I'm not trying to add to be contentious here, but I certainly wouldn't say the riding sucks. To each his own, I guess. I, for one, have made the most of the riding everywhere I've lived. If you're out riding, can you really complain?:thumbsup:

Edit:

I've been entertaining a dream of moving to Vermont lately. I heard something about trail easements along property lines that connect half the state. Combine that with the fact that land is cheap, the scenery is beautiful, and I miss deciduous woods and you've got the makings of a good place to move.


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

I'm middle aged and have been MTB'ing since '81 so I've been to a lot of places. I am able here in a year or two to pick a second home where I can really live out my passion and that is why I'm asking. BTW Vermont is beautiful and on my list.


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## KONA_in_SB (May 20, 2004)

ebxtreme said:


> Downtown Bend has one of the best around, imo. Deschutes Brewery.......maker of Obsidian Stout, Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Bachelor Bitter.
> http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/splash/default.aspx
> 
> Plus, Bend Brewing Co.
> ...


Almost any town in Oregon has a brewery or two, or at least some really good pubs with a large selection of local brews. But I agree that Deschutes Brewing Company is one of the better ones. Hood River would be another good place in Oregon to live for MTBing and beer. Hood River Amber Ale, now that's a beer.


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## gearguy (Sep 7, 2006)

Lake Tahoe is my favorite resort


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## lowiq (Aug 10, 2006)

*Don't forget Arkansas*

Fayetteville, Arkansas is a great place to live and ride. Its 4 hours away from two IMBA epic rides(Syllamo, Womble) plus tons of other trails in NW Arkansas. There are trails in town and a great social scene.


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

honkinunit said:


> I don't know what part of CO you live in, but methinks you don't try to get in/out of Denver much. The Friday afternoon traffic routinely backs up from the tunnels to Idaho Springs, heading out of Denver. Sunday evenings coming back are even worse. I'm talking about SUMMER, let alone ski season. Monday, I hit I70 at Silverthorne at 1:30, and it took three hours and fifteen minutes to do a drive that should take an hour and thirty. No accidents, just volume. That's nuts. You have to plan your work week around commuting traffic, and your whole weekend around I70/I25/285 traffic. July and August are actually worse than ski season, because the jam coming back on Sunday starts earlier in the day than ski season. At least during ski season you are OK if you hit the tunnels before 3:00.
> 
> Everyone who ever visits comments on how bad the traffic is, and how lame the landscape looks with monotone cookie cutter houses draped over the hills, and endless repetitions of the same strip shopping and malls. Then they find out what one of those cookie cutter houses costs.......Golden is the best place to live for riding, but try finding a new house for under $500K, or even a nice existing home for under $300K.
> 
> Salt Lake, Grand Junction, Durango, Moab, Flagstaff, Santa Fe/Taos, Albuquerque, St. George....all of these have riding all year, and less headache.


Yeah. Denver sucks. I spend all my time in traffic. Riding sucks too. Average at best and not close to anything remotely good.


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## poff (Dec 23, 2003)

I still do not see how you can beat Reno - jump on your bike at your house, ride up to Tahoe, do Rim trail, ride back to your own house, and you can do it EVERY day.


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## k-stein (Jan 5, 2005)

Pac NW has my vote...oh and to all you potential migraters, it rains and pours, and rains and pours, and rains and........


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## jfkbike2 (Feb 8, 2005)

Got it, it is wet and nasty.


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## zep (Sep 30, 2004)

*PNW, bring fenders*

I grew up in Seattle, moved to SoCal for 13 years, back in OR (Beaverton/Portland) since 1999. If you live here, and want to ride in winter (which seems to last 5-6 mos), you'll want big, bad a$$ fenders. Many of the the MTB trails are a muddy mess in winter...not for me. I bike commute 12 months a year, and find it very dreary to ride in the winter. It's gloomy all day and dark by 4PM. Still better than driving, since the Beaverton traffic is a fright.

I won't be retiring here, that's for sure. Olympia, WA, would be my pick, for PNW living...great town and fabulous riding in Capitol Forest. Still rainy, tho.

When I hit the lotto numbers, I'm moving somewhere remote and dry.


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## kokothemonkey (Jan 22, 2004)

honkinunit said:


> I don't know what part of CO you live in, but methinks you don't try to get in/out of Denver much. The Friday afternoon traffic routinely backs up from the tunnels to Idaho Springs, heading out of Denver. Sunday evenings coming back are even worse. I'm talking about SUMMER, let alone ski season. Monday, I hit I70 at Silverthorne at 1:30, and it took three hours and fifteen minutes to do a drive that should take an hour and thirty. No accidents, just volume. That's nuts. You have to plan your work week around commuting traffic, and your whole weekend around I70/I25/285 traffic. July and August are actually worse than ski season, because the jam coming back on Sunday starts earlier in the day than ski season. At least during ski season you are OK if you hit the tunnels before 3:00.
> 
> Everyone who ever visits comments on how bad the traffic is, and how lame the landscape looks with monotone cookie cutter houses draped over the hills, and endless repetitions of the same strip shopping and malls. Then they find out what one of those cookie cutter houses costs.......Golden is the best place to live for riding, but try finding a new house for under $500K, or even a nice existing home for under $300K.
> 
> Salt Lake, Grand Junction, Durango, Moab, Flagstaff, Santa Fe/Taos, Albuquerque, St. George....all of these have riding all year, and less headache.


While you are at it you might as well mention Crested Butte and Poncha springs because they have great riding. The problem is finding a real job in any of the aforementioned areas.


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## jchembel (Jul 19, 2004)

*The New Jersey*



mtbfool said:


> Real beer is hard to come by in SLC.
> 
> Denver/Front Range sucks.


Yes I agree with MTBFOOL. Colorado is for sissies! And the beer sucks too!
Best place to live and ride - NJ. The best and most technical riding in the entire country.
Home of the toughest rides on earth. Just read the posts from NJ board and see what people are saying. if you can ride Jersey - you can ride anywhere. Load of places to ride within 40 minute drive. On top of that - booming economy, great cultural life. 
Who needs Colorado?


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## Jessep (Dec 1, 2004)

What is ABQ like Notaknob? I'm looking for Mechanical Engineering jobs in that area, and ABQ seems to have a few bigger firms.


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## jro75 (Aug 17, 2006)

I think we have it pretty good in SLC....shoreline trail right out of downtown, 5 canyons within 15 min drive of downtown all with super-good singletrack, and in the winter you have the choice of 7 ski resorts within a half hour or a 4 hour drive down south to SW utah (st. george/gooseberry) or about 5 hours to SE utah for moab.

The place is relatively cheap and clean. Also, we get more than our fair share of bands for a city of this size playing here as it is a major stopover on the way to and from the west coast.

Yes, the grocery stores here only have 3.2 beer, but you can get pretty much any beer at a state liquor store, which I have 3 within a 2 mile radius of my house. Or hit a bar and get anything you want (there is one called the bayou that has over 100 beers on the menu). I wouldn't use lack of alcohol as an excuse not to live here........I manage to get my swerve on no problem.

Actually, this place sucks....don't come here.


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> Yes, the grocery stores here only have 3.2 beer, but you can get pretty much any beer at a state liquor store, which I have 3 within a 2 mile radius of my house. Or hit a bar and get anything you want (there is one called the bayou that has over 100 beers on the menu). I wouldn't use lack of alcohol as an excuse not to live here........I manage to get my swerve on no problem.
> 
> Actually, this place sucks....don't come here.


Yeah, but you have to buy it by the bottle, which means a sixer is $12. And real beer at the bar is $5 a bottle.

Yeah, the riding there sucks. I can't decide which is worse. There or Colorado.


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## Heckled (Jan 31, 2004)

I had the same problem as you early this year, where to move.WE were living in the midwest and needed a change of scenery and MORE RIDING. I've ridden a lot of different places, IL,WI,MI,CO,UT,TN, and I agree the Syllamo trail in Arkansas is one of the best single trails in the country, but thats it one really good trail, the Womble is ok but not great,and the humidity there is just like Florida. My wife and I looked around for a place to move from the Chicago area this last spring, after a few trips here and there we settled in FRUITA. The housing market is in a boom, 14%+ this year, highest in CO and not on the decline like most of the country. It's in the paper at least once a week about companies not having enough applicants to fill current job openings. As for the riding and weather, sunshine300+ days a year. Winter riding is great here and in Moab,1.5 hours away. Summer gets hot for about 2-3 weeks(100+),then you go to the mesa(40min) or crestedbutte,or Durango,all whithin a couple hours. The amount of trails is amazing, I've been here since July and haven't even scratched the surface yet.
Good riding is easy to find, every area has at least one good trail, truly EPIC riding is harder to come by. We have it all in the valley, RIDING, HOUSING,JOBS,and for the most part,ENTERTAINMENT, just visit for a week or two and there won't be any other choice!!:thumbsup: 

Good luck on a tough decision.


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## jro75 (Aug 17, 2006)

"Yeah, but you have to buy it by the bottle, which means a sixer is $12. And real beer at the bar is $5 a bottle."

This is true.......maybe that is why I usually just stick with the local micro-brew growlers when I want a refreshing beverage and wild turkey when my intent is a little more serious.


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> wild turkey when my intent is a little more serious.


I like that. That is what my McCallan is for.:winker:


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## hobbers (Aug 26, 2006)

ebxtreme said:


> 45 minutes from Mt. Baker for snowboarding - which gets the most snow, year in and year out, of any resort in the WORLD. About an hour from the Shore and 3 from Whistler......
> 
> Cheers,
> EBX


Hold on a minute. Mt Baker claims to have had the world record for snow fall in the 1998 - 1999 season (1140 inches). But they also only had 449 inches in 2000 - 2001 and 586 inches in 2002 - 2003 and 465.4 inches in 2004 - 2005. They seem to have good snowfall, but to make a claim like the "most" in the world is quite a big claim.


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## AlliKat (Apr 28, 2006)

mtbfool said:


> Real beer is hard to come by in SLC.
> 
> Denver/Front Range sucks.


Sounds like a great business oportunity. Just got to wade through the restrictions....Wonder if you could sell it is liquor or something and not be so restricted?


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

AlliKat said:


> Sounds like a great business oportunity. Just got to wade through the restrictions....Wonder if you could sell it is liquor or something and not be so restricted?


It's not hard to come by because it isn't there.
http://www.alcbev.state.ut.us/Liquor_Laws/liquor_laws_affecting_visitors.html


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## AlliKat (Apr 28, 2006)

It is only 5 hourse from SLC to Boise. I can find a great selection of beers here. Just load your kegerator in boise every 1-2 mo and you're fine. (in fact, only 2 hr to the border)


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

AlliKat said:


> It is only 5 hourse from SLC to Boise. I can find a great selection of beers here. Just load your kegerator in boise every 1-2 mo and you're fine. (in fact, only 2 hr to the border)


I think they just go to Wyoming via 80 for their indulgences. As soon as you cross the border, Adult Book Stores galore.


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## seenvic (Sep 9, 2003)

Clarks Hill, SC 

12 month riding season. Althoug July&August are kinda rough. 
100+ miles of uncrowded singletrack. Only one trail open to horses. None of these trails open to motors of any kind. 
3 hours to Pisgah.
3 hours to Atlanta (if ya need big city culture)
3 hours to a half dozen beaches.
Inexpensive real estate.
A USFS local district that has over the last 10 years come to recognize and appreciate the local riders. MTBers are king here. 

I am not really serious that Clarks Hill, SC is the best place in the country. But it doesn't completely suck either.


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## snowdrifter (Aug 2, 2006)

*NH, Bear Brook State Park*

I live in Southern New Hampshire, moved out here from Nor Cal 5-6 years ago. The State Park, 10 minutes from my house, has 50+ miles of mostly singletrack, and now crowds. People build illegal trails, and nobody cares:thumbsup: It's the "Live Free or Die" state. I say Live Free and Ride state :thumbsup: There's a ton of Riding to the North in the White Mountains and Kingdom Trails of Vernmont. There's Vietnam to the south, everything is with in 1 hour or two drive. As for the scene, well, it's somewhat lacking, but I'm not really looking for a scene.

Winter riding, trails are usually snowpacked from Dec to Apr, spikes work, or a drive down to Cape Cod where the grass is green 90% of the year.


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## hobbers (Aug 26, 2006)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Nor Cal yet. Perhaps it's because they're all out riding? (Except for me, inbetween building my next bike.) I think the variety of the terrain here is pretty good. You have coastal trails like Wilder Ranch. You have inland coastal trails (less coastal vegetation, yet moist (not humid), but it hardly rains at all) like Skeggs, some of the Marin stuff, Soquel Demo, rest of the Santa Cruz mountains. You have big mountain riding like Tahoe and Mammoth that's a couple hours away. Plenty of drier rides in the inland areas like Henry Coe. Plenty of stuff in the lesser known regions of the Sierras.

Plenty of social stuff to do as well. Gorgeous weather year round. The only problem is it's expensive as heck to live here. As a full time engineer, I can't even afford a condo in the Bay area. I might be able to afford something if I move an hour out of the Bay. I could buy a nice house in many other places of the country. Median single family residence in the south Bay is $700k though. But I think most of the pacific mountain / PNW areas have a good variety of riding, so you should be able to find something cheaper than the Bay.


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## ebxtreme (Jan 6, 2004)

hobbers said:


> Hold on a minute. Mt Baker claims to have had the world record for snow fall in the 1998 - 1999 season (1140 inches). But they also only had 449 inches in 2000 - 2001 and 586 inches in 2002 - 2003 and 465.4 inches in 2004 - 2005. They seem to have good snowfall, but to make a claim like the "most" in the world is quite a big claim.


Ok, I may have slightly overstated Mt. Baker's annual snowfall. They do however get the most snow of any resort in North America (average of 617 inches) though, but I can't verify in the world. The 98-99 season was a world record at 1,140 inches in a 365 day period and was totally unreal from a boarding perspective. There were many days when the resort couldn't open due to too much snow....

FYI, last season. 804 inches.

EBX


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## smw (Jun 22, 2005)

Nope, Im still at work here in San Jose. We do have everything, but we pay for it. As mentioned, the weather is awesome and there is lots to do. Even have some of the countries best road riding to go along with our mt biking. You also forgot to mention home of the Sea Otter Classic in monterey. It is expensive. After reading all the above posts I was most attracted to the post about the Fruita area. Cool thing is my wife would go for it, but she would also want to quit working if I take her out of California. So-Cal is a bit less expensive, but also doesnt have the redwoods.

Both pics were taken last winter.


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## Capt_phun (Jan 23, 2004)

jchembel said:


> Yes I agree with MTBFOOL. Colorado is for sissies! And the beer sucks too!
> Best place to live and ride - NJ. The best and most technical riding in the entire country.
> Home of the toughest rides on earth. Just read the posts from NJ board and see what people are saying. if you can ride Jersey - you can ride anywhere. Load of places to ride within 40 minute drive. On top of that - booming economy, great cultural life.
> Who needs Colorado?


If NJ is a mountain biking heaven, I am selling all my bikes. I left NJ for VA and the riding is 100 times better than the short crowded NJ trails. And if you want techincal go to WV, they make NJ trails look like Lewis Morris.


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## Heckled (Jan 31, 2004)

Compare the cost of living between So-Cal and Fruita and she probably could stop working. Housing is cheap compared to the northshore of Chicago(where I just left) but going up quickly, very good investment right now. We have great road here to, they used to do a stage of The Tour Of The Rockies up the Colorado National Monument. Everybody around here is trying to talk me into a road bike, I just can't get enough of the dirt to make me try it yet. I've never been to Cal, but I love Fruita and don't think I will ever tire of it.


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## smw (Jun 22, 2005)

Heckled said:


> Compare the cost of living between So-Cal and Fruita and she probably could stop working. Housing is cheap compared to the northshore of Chicago(where I just left) but going up quickly, very good investment right now. We have great road here to, they used to do a stage of The Tour Of The Rockies up the Colorado National Monument. Everybody around here is trying to talk me into a road bike, I just can't get enough of the dirt to make me try it yet. I've never been to Cal, but I love Fruita and don't think I will ever tire of it.


 My little 1200 sq ft house here was just appraised at 735,000, and I hate the bad attitudes around here. Probably due to people being stressed abouot their $4000 a month mortages. Im self employesd and thats why I am still here. Whats a house in Fruita going for?


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## Heckled (Jan 31, 2004)

I just bought a new construction 1400sqft town house 3 bedroom 2 bath,fire place with fully irrigated landscaping for 166K. they call it a townhouse here, it's only two units so I guess it's more of a duplex. You can go anywhere from 200K to over 2M in the valley, whatever floats your boat.


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## hobbers (Aug 26, 2006)

smw said:


> My little 1200 sq ft house here was just appraised at 735,000, and I hate the bad attitudes around here. Probably due to people being stressed abouot their $4000 a month mortages. Im self employesd and thats why I am still here. Whats a house in Fruita going for?


Not to mention the lack of space even on your own property. For most detached homes in Santa Clara county, if you're in your backyard having a normal conversation, your neighbors can probably hear it. 1/4 acre lots are considered "big". I grew up on 2 acres that backed up to another 30 acres of vacant land. We weren't in the middle of nowhere, people just valued their space and built houses on 1 acre or bigger lots. So silicon valley is a bit disturbing to me :\


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## RearCog (Jan 27, 2004)

jfkbike2 said:


> . Anybody have any have any experience with Oregon?


I lived in Portland, OR for 6 years. It does rain alot but you can ride year ride. It is an awesome place for commuting on a bike. However, the options for riding within a 15-20 min drive is very limited unless you like fireroad, very shorts rides, or you live on the edge of town. The after work ridding is really not that great.

I just moved to Spokane, WA 2 years ago and LOVE it! It is much drier here. There is numours good riding options spread around town so you can always ride after work. The two winters I have been here there hasn't been much snow. On the weekends you have tons of riding within a few hours in WA, ID, and MT. There is 30+ miles of single track just 8 miles from my house.


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## Clanky (Sep 8, 2004)

Sopranos said:


> If I were going anywhere, it would probably be that way. Although, I went to college in Austin, TX and really enjoyed my stay. I don't know about the mtn biking options there but I can tell you that it is an affordable and pleasant place for a family.
> 
> Good luck!


DO NOT COME TO AUSTIN. The riding sucks, people are rude, the scenery is horrible, theres no place to go and absolutely no good beer here. Look elsewhere.:thumbsup:


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

Clanky said:


> DO NOT COME TO AUSTIN. The riding sucks, people are rude, the scenery is horrible, theres no place to go and absolutely no good beer here. Look elsewhere.:thumbsup:


I heard the music scene sucks too.


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## Fillmoe Slim (Oct 23, 2005)

hobbers said:


> I'm surprised no one has mentioned Nor Cal yet.


The riding in NorCal is some of the worst in the states. It costs dearly to do anything and nothing interesting to look at or do here. Don't bother coming it's a waste of yur time.


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## desmo13 (Jul 31, 2006)

I would vote for Sacramento area (for a large city) or anywhere up the valley (chico, redding, etc.)

great weather, centraly located. tahoe, couple hours, bay area, couple of hours. year roound riding. close to big job markets.

If you want small town, look these up. Weed, Yreka, Placerville, Weaverville, Mt. Shasta.
jump the border in oregon (medford/grants pass) good stuff too. Someone mentioned Bend. One of my dream spots, been going there since I was a kid. But, oregon is rough on teaching jobs, and Bend is Bay area priced.

Don't mind some rain? Anywhere north of Santa Rosa on the 101. Eureka/Arcata/ Crescent city. Into oregon you have Brookings, gold beach, depot bay, coos bay, lincoln etc.

Just thought of this place, Sonora/Angels camp. in the sierras, on the way to bear mtn. couple hours from S.F./Sac.

Another poster mentioned Spokane Wa. Awesome small "city" large town. Of course, when I was living there, the winters were harsh. I went to W.S.U. in pullman... hey, and that is close to Moscow Idaho, a very cool little college town..

Okay, revised my post. Anywhere north of sacramento is awesome.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

> Another poster mentioned Spokane Wa. Awesome small "city" large town. Of course, when I was living there, the winters were harsh


Last two winters you've been able to ride all year round. Can you say "global warming'?

I have to laugh at references to the PNW as wet. Sure the west side of the Cascades is pretty damp, but there's a lot of high desert and genearlly drier climates too. Spokane can be considered PNW but it''s annual rainfall is about 16-20".

Funny, I hear no mention of housing or jobs. The word for either Hood River or Bend is housing is very high, and bring your own job.

~formica


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## big_slacker (Feb 16, 2004)

I grew up in Portland, my brother lives in Seattle and I lived in south lake tahoe for 7 years. Its funny you mentioned tahoe and then said you'd rather ride in the pacNW. I would trade no place in the world I've found yet for tahoe lifestyle wise. The NW is dreary and rainy and you're riding in the mud half the year. That can be fun but the drizzly cold and overcast just got to me. And the traffic gets worse and worse.

Compare that to tahoe where I would roll out of bed at around noon, get in the car (Cause the bike was still in the back from last time) and drive 10 minutes to kingsbury summit and hit the rim trail before work. Get off at midnight and walk across the street to the club where it was a $10 booth and $1 drinks. Get home at 4am and if I was too hung over the next day instead of mountain biking I'd walk 5 minutes to the beach and relax before work.

Weekends were time for longer rides and there are about 400 awesome rides for all skill levels within spitting distance.

And in the winter it doesn't rain, you just put the bike away and break out your board cause its snowboard season!

Why the hell did I move? Oh yeah, an extra 50% tacked on to my salary. Worth it? Maybe not cause I'm trying to figure out a way I can get back and keep the same job. 



ebxtreme said:


> Now, Jim....that's a bit overstated.....as Seattle gets 38 inches of rain spread over ~230 cloudy days and Portland gets about 45 inches annually.
> 
> Agreed....the PNW isn't for everyone (we almost broke a record this winter with 93 STRAIGHT days of rain), but I rode 2-3 days (on average) per week every single week this year. I'm pretty sure this dude wouldn't want to live anywhere else with his Turner, btw.
> 
> ...


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## Oog. (Sep 9, 2006)

Hmmm. What I'm seeing is a lot of places that I've been to, that do indeed have some nice trails around, but places that still aren't necessarily bike-friendly. Most of the places here in the US, you need to use a car to live in. They're spread out, connected by sprawling non-pedestrian/cyclist roadways, and while Austin may have a legendary white blues scene, I can remember few places more dangerous to ride through.

I am in a similar boat as the OP. I'm looking at relocating to a place to "live to ride". I'll be starting a small framee & component mfg company wherever that is. I'd really like it if we could find a community where we could base our lives more completely around riding.

Any pointers? Thx!


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

jfkbike2 said:


> sounds great... how "real" hot is it in Bend in the summer? It seems with the low humity that it should not be too bad and if you get up in the woods a little bit I would expect it to be on the cool side (remember I am from FL with mid 80's and 90% humidity).


It got up above 100F for a few days this summer, but mostly it's mild. 80's-90's daytime highs for about a month. Lows in the 50's. Currently it's 71F, low tonight mid-30's.

It feels better than Florida...in so many ways.


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## scorpionwoman (Jul 7, 2006)

notaknob said:


> I still have property up by Red Feather Lakes. It was one of those impulse buys as we were getting ready to leave CO.
> 
> I'll agree with honkinunit. There's other places in the west that have more biking than the FC and/or Front Range area that don't have as high real estate costs, population density. Several things bothered me about FC. 3+ hours to skiing. What seemed like limited biking (Horsetooth, foothills, two places in Poudre Canyon) unless you traveled an hour or more. High housing costs, several of the main employers (HP, Celestica, LSI, Waterpick) downsizing and off-shoring their jobs. I did like FC and would probably go there if I could find a decent job but most of the Front Range wouldn't be my #1 choice.
> 
> ...


Yes, yes. So sorry. 

Hey, I was very excited to read your opinion. I'm "comparison shopping" some regions of Colorado, trying to decide where I'd like to live. And I'll be hitting GJ next.

If you have any not-to-miss trails in that area, please PM me. Or post it here.

thanks,
clair


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## Township75 (Mar 6, 2004)

jchembel said:


> Yes I agree with MTBFOOL. Colorado is for sissies! And the beer sucks too!
> Best place to live and ride - NJ. The best and most technical riding in the entire country.
> Home of the toughest rides on earth. Just read the posts from NJ board and see what people are saying. if you can ride Jersey - you can ride anywhere. Load of places to ride within 40 minute drive. On top of that - booming economy, great cultural life.
> Who needs Colorado?


I am guessing your post is dripping with sarcasm as NJ is crowded, overpriced, overtaxed, and in many places polluted all to hell.


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## lambo (Dec 25, 2005)

Howdy from Austin Texas, the home of the most technical xc trails in the U.S.of A., sorry Jersey, not even close. If you want year around riding, and I'm not talking fall asleep climb for an hour and descend for twenty then come to the live music capitol of the world where if you turn your head on our trails you will go down hard .We don't care where you are from as long as you're friendly.Come see our fair city and you will see why they say Texas its like a whole 'nother country.


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## Oog. (Sep 9, 2006)

lambo said:


> We don't care where you are from as long as you're friendly.


Actually, that's about the nicest thing I've ever heard anyone say to a total stranger.

I'll give Austin another look.


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## scorpionwoman (Jul 7, 2006)

Oog. said:


> Actually, that's about the nicest thing I've ever heard anyone say to a total stranger.
> 
> I'll give Austin another look.


You are both right! Yes, it's a commuter's hell. Sorry, can't get around that fact. We had yet *another* road cyclist killed within the last couple of weeks. I live/work in an area that allows me to commute without endangering my life; you kinda have to know the territory to stay safe.

And our trails rock!! And oh, if you only knew how terribly witty I was being!! But everyone drives their bikes to the trail, so as to arrive safely. So if you are all about commuting, Austin is a tough nut to crack. But if you are all about the trail, you just can't beat it.

clair


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

scorpionwoman said:


> And our trails rock...[snip]...if you are all about the trail, you just can't beat it.





lambo said:


> home of the most technical xc trails in the U.S.of A.


Some pretty big claims there, you two. Let's see some pics!

I have a friend in Austin. Maybe I need to pay him a visit.


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## scorpionwoman (Jul 7, 2006)

Nat said:


> Some pretty big claims there, you two. Let's see some pics!
> 
> I have a friend in Austin. Maybe I need to pay him a visit.


See for yourself!

http://www.austinbike.com/


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## scorpionwoman (Jul 7, 2006)

oops, sorry


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## scorpionwoman (Jul 7, 2006)

Jeez, I have no idea why the repeats. Sorry about that.


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## poff (Dec 23, 2003)

I lived in NJ and now live in CS, TX, so I ride in Waco and Austin often. Trails in Austin are nice, for TX that is. However, Alamuchi park in NJ is more rocky and technical, with longer climbs than City Park in Austin, its most technical trail, plus it is 6 times longer.


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## bigbadwimp (Sep 21, 2005)

bouncybouncy said:


> SHHHHHHHH!!!!! Don't want to let too many people in on our happy place!!!!


You joke but I've had people tell me that they don't want me there when I've been out mountain biking in Dupont. They were friendly about it, but when my friends and I told them we were from Pittsburgh one guy told us "Good! Just make sure you go back." They were just a bunch of old hikers who probably moved there to retire. Kind of made me upset.


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## Tom Foolery (Jul 7, 2006)

*Not in the lower 48 but...*

Canberra (the capital of Australia) rocks! 2 hrs to the beach, 2.5 to the ski resorts, and it is chock full of cool places to ride. I can include a few kms of riverside singletrack in my commute if I choose. 
The Scott 24hr (with 2750 riders entered) is on next month and there are jobs a plenty too (as long as you like working for the government).:thumbsup: Gets a bit cold in winter though......


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## bleu (Jan 24, 2005)

SLC is nice, just avoid the suburbs. 

Then again, I don't know anything else aside from "here". 

Winter riding is okay at best. There's a few systems that are rideable, but you'll have a lot more fun XC skiing or DH skiing in the winter. Nowhere remotely low in elevation is nearby (meaning no snow), unless you drive 5 hours to St. George.

Summer riding rocks. Hundreds upon hundreds of miles of singletrack within 30 minutes drive. Hell, there's trails half a mile from my front door. 

Whoever said it's hard to get booze here is ill-informed, stupid, or both.
3.2 beer is more of a psychological thing.

Cost of living is relatively low for the perks, but it is going up very quickly.

Please move here. We always welcome more no-mo's.


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## Heckled (Jan 31, 2004)

One thing I forgot to mention, with winter temps usually in the 40s and Powderhorn resort less than 40 minutes away, you can ride in the morning and ski in the afternoon.


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## smw (Jun 22, 2005)

Heckled said:


> I just bought a new construction 1400sqft town house 3 bedroom 2 bath,fire place with fully irrigated landscaping for 166K. they call it a townhouse here, it's only two units so I guess it's more of a duplex. You can go anywhere from 200K to over 2M in the valley, whatever floats your boat.


 And what about the work scene? Jobs and such?


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

bleu said:


> Whoever said it's hard to get booze here is ill-informed, stupid, or both.
> 3.2 beer is more of a psychological thing.
> C


I guess you are calling me stupid then because what I know is from experience. If 3.2 is a psychological thing. See if you can get Stone Brewing to make a 3.2 version of their Ruination IPA. If they do, see if it tastes different.

Other than that, my comments were said tongue-in-cheek. The comments about the riding sucking there and in Colorado was sarcasm.

My stupidity definitely shines through at times, but I don't think it did in this situation.


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## davis (Jan 12, 2004)

*Way to represent, brutha...*



Capt_phun said:


> If NJ is a mountain biking heaven, I am selling all my bikes. I left NJ for VA and the riding is 100 times better than the short crowded NJ trails. And if you want techincal go to WV, they make NJ trails look like Lewis Morris.


We're all entitled to our own opinions, but I have to agree. No place in the east matches up with WV's Monongahela National Forest pound for pound, inch by inch for hyper-technical singletrack. Snowshoe's here for the DH/FR set, and Pocahontas County offers trails that will test the mettle of the most advanced riders. It ain't for everyone, but to me it truly is "almost heaven". Joisey? Are you kiddin' me?


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

Go to the source. Golden BC, Kamloops BC, Squamish BC.


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## jdholland (May 12, 2006)

I think best place to live to ride is a great question. I'm planning on making a similar move next spring from the southeast to somewhere "out west". Who has the most miles of singletrack close to town? Being able to MTB from the house to the trail would be a big consideration for me. I live near good riding now but it all requires an hour drive each way. Not a problem on the weekend but a real pain for those after work rides.


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## Heckled (Jan 31, 2004)

You might be able to check out The Daily Sentinal online. at least three stories in the last mounth about mployers not having enough applicants to fill open jobs. There is a lot of oil and gas exploration going on in the surronding mountains that are high paying and drawing people there leaving a lot of jobs for you in the valley.


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## Colonel Flagg (Jan 7, 2006)

mtbfool said:


> Real beer is hard to come by in SLC.
> 
> Denver/Front Range sucks.


The beer in Colorado is 3.2 as well.


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

Colonel Flagg said:


> The beer in Colorado is 3.2 as well.


In grocery stores and convenience stores only.

We have privately run liquor stores that don't charge $2-$3 a bottle. They're closed on Sundays.


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## Clanky (Sep 8, 2004)

scorpionwoman said:


> You are both right! Yes, it's a commuter's hell. Sorry, can't get around that fact. We had yet *another* road cyclist killed within the last couple of weeks. I live/work in an area that allows me to commute without endangering my life; you kinda have to know the territory to stay safe.
> 
> And our trails rock!! And oh, if you only knew how terribly witty I was being!! But everyone drives their bikes to the trail, so as to arrive safely. So if you are all about commuting, Austin is a tough nut to crack. But if you are all about the trail, you just can't beat it.
> 
> clair


I live pretty much Downtown (S. Congress and Riverside) and commute to IBM up nNorth , about 12.5 miles Not bad at all am on a trail almost half of that time. Everyone rides bikes around here. You can't go to the store on wednesday afternoon without seeing 6 bikes or more. That being said DON'T MOVE HERE. WE ARE RUDE RUDE PEOPLE!

And yes, the music scene sucks. I hate going to hear all the rock I can stand at half a dozen bars on Red River.


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

Clanky said:


> And yes, the music scene sucks. I hate going to hear all the rock I can stand at half a dozen bars on Red River.


SEE, I told everyone. Who would want to go see all these talentless yahoos over the next few days?
Thu	09/14/06 The Polyphonic Spree Emo's 
Thu	09/14/06 Ben Kweller La Zona Rosa 
Fri	09/15/06 Alejandro Escovedo Continental Club 
Fri	09/15/06 Sufjan Stevens Paramount Theatre 
Fri	09/15/06 The Shins Stubb's Barbeque 
Fri	09/15/06 Cat Power & The Memphis Rhythm Band Zilker Park 
Fri	09/15/06 Nickel Creek Zilker Park 
Fri	09/15/06 Ray LaMontagne Zilker Park 
Fri	09/15/06 Van Morrison Zilker Park 
Fri	09/15/06 Wolf Parade Zilker Park 
Sat	09/16/06 Iron & Wine Zilker Park 
Sat	09/16/06 Kings Of Leon Zilker Park 
Sat	09/16/06 TV On The Radio Zilker Park 
at	09/16/06 The Raconteurs Zilker Park 
Sun	09/17/06 Son Volt Zilker Park 
un	09/17/06 The New Pornographers Zilker Park

:cryin: ME! :yesnod: :band:


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## jdholland (May 12, 2006)

Clanky said:


> I live pretty much Downtown (S. Congress and Riverside) and commute to IBM up nNorth , about 12.5 miles Not bad at all am on a trail almost half of that time. Everyone rides bikes around here. You can't go to the store on wednesday afternoon without seeing 6 bikes or more. That being said DON'T MOVE HERE. WE ARE RUDE RUDE PEOPLE!
> 
> And yes, the music scene sucks. I hate going to hear all the rock I can stand at half a dozen bars on Red River.


How's the heat and humidity in Austin from May to October?


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## VA2SLOride (Feb 17, 2005)

I recently moved here to Bend from San Luis Obispo, Ca. People here are saying how pricy things are, but after living on the central coast of CA for three years, and growing up in the Washington DC area, things aren't all that bad. As far as riding goes, I'm still kind of exploring....the local trail systems are fast, twisty, and flowy...definatley a different kind of riding compared to both CA and VA. Not nearly as technical as I'd really like, but still fun, and, like I said, I'm still exploring. SLO has a great DH scene, and it can be as technical as you want it to be. I went to school in the Shenandoah Valley in VA (James Madison Uni), and the GW Nat. Forest there has some of the best riding I've done as well, and I made an attempt at the Shenandoah Mtn 100 a few years back which encompasses a lot of the best riding that area has to offer. I'm not sure where I'll end up next, but I think I'm on a roll so far when it comes to the good riding spots.....


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## jchembel (Jul 19, 2004)

Capt_phun said:


> If NJ is a mountain biking heaven, I am selling all my bikes. I left NJ for VA and the riding is 100 times better than the short crowded NJ trails. And if you want techincal go to WV, they make NJ trails look like Lewis Morris.


You just don't get it? Do you?


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## jchembel (Jul 19, 2004)

Township75 said:


> I am guessing your post is dripping with sarcasm as NJ is crowded, overpriced, overtaxed, and in many places polluted all to hell.


Something along that line&#8230;


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## trailbrain (Feb 22, 2005)

jdholland said:


> How's the heat and humidity in Austin from May to October?


Real hot and real humid. :madmax: Seriously though, there are several times where we see 100+ days during the summer. If you like the heat we've got it.


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## scorpionwoman (Jul 7, 2006)

So, Austin in the winter, Colorado in the summer? Man, if I could only swing such an arrangement...


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## icegeek (Feb 16, 2004)

mtbfool said:


> In grocery stores and convenience stores only.
> 
> We have privately run liquor stores that don't charge $2-$3 a bottle. They're closed on Sundays.


It's fair to say that the liquor laws in Co are closer to the bible belt than they are in Tx. I guess it's the Zion spillover.

But yes, NJ is the place to be, git thee to New Jersey


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## JimboCO (May 3, 2005)

EscourtU said:


> Nothing like looking at the city and seeing a mass of black air engulfing the city every single day. .


A bit of an stretch there, No? Every single day?! Whatever. Ever live in sunny Southern California, the Northeast, any major metropolitan area?


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## Oog. (Sep 9, 2006)

After living in Denver for 5 years, the only city I've seen with a nastier toxic dust cloud perpetually dangling over it is Chicago.

But in every other way, Denver's pretty freakin nice. Anyway, the pollution makes for some killer sunsets.


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## JimboCO (May 3, 2005)

Why do you live here then? Just curious, really. Job?


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## Oog. (Sep 9, 2006)

Because: " But in every other way, Denver's pretty freakin nice..."

Although, actually, I did just move.


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## JimboCO (May 3, 2005)

Oog. said:


> Because: " But in every other way, Denver's pretty freakin nice..."
> 
> Although, actually, I did just move.


Where to?


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## Oog. (Sep 9, 2006)

JimboCO said:


> Where to?


After a failed business venture, I took a little break from everything. Moved South and then East, eventually through St Louis, then back north, up through Wisconsin, and now I'm looking west again, either back to Denver, where all my belongings await in a couple storage units, or possibly westward yet, to Oregon or down the coast to warmer territory. Hard to say where the ball will stop rolling this time, but it'll be hard to beat the convenience and access of the front range.


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## JimboCO (May 3, 2005)

Oog. said:


> After a failed business venture, I took a little break from everything. Moved South and then East, eventually through St Louis, then back north, up through Wisconsin, and now I'm looking west again, either back to Denver, where all my belongings await in a couple storage units, or possibly westward yet, to Oregon or down the coast to warmer territory. Hard to say where the ball will stop rolling this time, but it'll be hard to beat the convenience and access of the front range.


Good luck to you, wherever your travels take you...


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## Heckled (Jan 31, 2004)

how is Canada the source? You guys have good trails from what I've read, but I think the US has you beat on being the source, just by a few years.


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## DJ Lieb (Dec 21, 2005)

Auburn, CA is not a bad place to live/ride. It's 30 miles above Sacramento and in the foothills. There is an abudent amount of single track within 10 minutes of twon. I can be in Tahoe in an hour and Downiville is close too. It's hot as hell in the summer.


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## Brown_Teeth (Jan 15, 2004)

Yeah SLO is anything but, the poly gals are uber fast too, I like Morro Bay, luckily bought a house 8 years ago before the BOOOOOM. Plenty of jobs here and 50's to 70's year round, plenty of technical riding.... ahh heaven


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## mtbfool (Sep 1, 2005)

icegeek said:


> It's fair to say that the liquor laws in Co are closer to the bible belt than they are in Tx. I guess it's the Zion spillover.
> 
> But yes, NJ is the place to be, git thee to New Jersey


Very True. I've been in some places in the bible belt that had looser laws.

Yes. NJ trails rock.


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## Clanky (Sep 8, 2004)

jdholland said:


> How's the heat and humidity in Austin from May to October?


Well, we had 30+ days of 100+ degree temps in a row. I love it. When it gets below 60 I'm freezing.


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## Dwight Moody (Jan 10, 2004)

Jim Beam said:


> if you like lots of rain!
> 
> Seattle = ~40 inches per year, conveniently spread out over 300 days


It has rained .2 inches in the last 60 days here in Seattle. That's below average but summer in Seattle is three months of blue skies and temps in the high 70s. The three months of constant drizzle and temps in the mid 50s are kind of a trial, but I'll take that over the snows of New England or the temps summer in the Southern USA anytime.


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## TamJunkie (May 3, 2006)

*Further Qualifications for Best Place to Ride and LIve...*

Why don't we narrow things down a bit...

Further Qualifications for Best Place to Ride and Live...

1: 12 month riding season. This means no snow.
2: Abundant local riding which does not require using an automobile.
3: Access to Trails representing all disciplines. FR, DH and XC.

Any more?


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

*Very limited*



TamJunkie said:


> Why don't we narrow things down a bit...
> 
> Further Qualifications for Best Place to Ride and Live...
> 
> ...


If #1 means NO snow, then about 90% of the US has just been eliminated. I saw it snow in Tampa once. You are basically limiting the search to Hawaii, So Cal coast, far south Florida (great riding there - not) and far southern TX, AZ, NV and NM. Everywhere else it snows at least once in a while.

If #2 means you can ride to all of #3, you'll be climbing - a lot. You just eliminated a bunch of other places.

If #3 means real FR, DH and XC nearby, you probably just eliminated everywhere that passed #2 and #3.

Time to start looking at South America, Africa or the Middle East. I hear Costa Rica is good......


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## Jwind (Mar 1, 2006)

TamJunkie said:


> Why don't we narrow things down a bit...
> 
> Further Qualifications for Best Place to Ride and Live...
> 
> ...


#1, I don't mind a little snow. Aside from being a skier, snow kinda goes with mountains which coincidentally goes with mountain biking. A *mild* climate w/near by mountains is REALLY ideal IMO.

2# This helps, but in the REAL world, I wouldn't have my nice shiny bike without a job... A job market is nice! I'll be more than happy with a strong(er) job market with a few nice local trails and an abundance within driving distance.

3# see above

I live in the North East. I love the riding here but the season is a little short. If I wasn't a skier it would prolly Irk me but all other things considered I love it.


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## Circlip (Mar 29, 2004)

TamJunkie said:


> Why don't we narrow things down a bit...
> 
> Further Qualifications for Best Place to Ride and Live...
> 
> ...


Vancouver meets the above criteria (guess I'm in a mood tonight for pumping up the local offerings). Of course if on a given day you decide you want snow instead of riding, it's just a 15 minute drive further up the North Shore mountains, or 1.5hrs to Whistler if you want the big time stuff.


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## Ross W. (Jul 3, 2006)

Its already been said, but I'll say it again..

SLC, 7 ski resorts within an hour, 10 within two. If you're into that sort of thing.


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## Jwind (Mar 1, 2006)

Ross W. said:


> Its already been said, but I'll say it again..
> 
> SLC, 7 ski resorts within an hour, 10 within two. If you're into that sort of thing.


Your right, SLC is accessible to AWESOME recreational places especially if your a skier/biker. The only problem is one would have to live in SLC/Utah.


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## jdholland (May 12, 2006)

Jwind said:


> Your right, SLC is accessible to AWESOME recreational places especially if your a skier/biker. The only problem is one would have to live in SLC/Utah.


Agreed thats a MAJOR drawback for all of the reasons listed in previous posts.


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## poff (Dec 23, 2003)

I still say Reno has lake Tahoe so just like SLC you get skiing and riding from your house to Tahoe and the Sierras + it is a great city.


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## morganfletcher (Jul 22, 2005)

I love the riding here in the SF Bay Area. I have legal singletrack 1/2 mile from my house. I do most of my road and mountain and cyclocross rides from my house, and I only drive to rides to do trails I like that are farther away. The racing scene for any cycling discipline rocks. I have been commuting to work by bicycle since my first job. I'm biased, but the riding here is pretty good. I've also ridden off-road in Moab and Durango and when I was a kid, rural PA (northern central) and southern NJ/Philadelphia. I love going to Tahoe and Downieville to ride, and they're each about three hours in a car. My wife and I make a good living but we also spend a lot to live here. Luckily we bought our house before the recent housing boom. I sometimes have a jones to live in the Sierra Foothills or Tahoe but that being said, NorCal is my favorite.

Morgan


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## SuperbMan (Dec 17, 2004)

*A different direction..*

Western Massachusetts.

YEP.

I've lived many places-but this is where I've finally settled--before you laugh or scoff, let me say-I love the west as well-I love it all for biking everywhere has it's finer points.

But Western Massachusetts is flat out wonderful-just outside of the metropoles (yet all within easy reach). It's divided into two absolutely beautiful River Valleys (the Housatonic in the Berkshires and the Connecticut/ Deerfield River Valleys in the Pioneer Valley) and small, green, lush mountain ranges on all sides.

True Four season beauty and riding-come ride ride the first week of October-doesn't get much better!).

The Living comes in a few regional flavors-You can Opt for Fine Berkshire living with both high culture-great outdoosy-ness and a depth of decent restaurants, good schools in the High profile rustic classy towns of Williamstown (which has more art per square mile than you can imagine-and the awesome Williams College and Summer Shakespeare Festival) or Lenox (or become a country gentlemen in Richmond or any number of these genteel hamlets) home of tanglewoods.

The Other Option is to live further east along the North/ Central areas of the Connecticut River-here the 5 colleges (UMASS< AMHERST< HOLYOKE< SMITH and GROOVY HAMPSHIRE) along with uber hip Northampton set the tone culturally and economically. Housing-regionally speaking-is incredibly affordable, taxes quite low, services high and schools quite good (where I live in Deerfield is about perfect for an active family man!).

And the Riding...unbelievable--really. Remember, great terrain (of which we have plenty) is only one ingredient in the great mountain biking picture--you also need an incredibly active, dedicated group of trail builders, maintainers and advocates to fashion wonderful riding opportunities--we have both in spades. From deerfield to pittsfield, to Granby to Petersham to Goshen and Lenox-the trails just go on and on and on-all types of riding-fast swoopy technical death defying yo name it. We get a lot of transplants-from all over-(especially due to the colleges and some robust tech-sector industries) and once they get hip to the riding opportunities (hell the road riding is unbelievable) they are usually pleasantly stunned!

Not too mention we have great hiking-decent eastern kayaking (damn releases on the Deerfield/ westfield rivers are a big deal)-some great fly fishing, we're close to Vermont skiing (Killington is an hour 40 from my driveway-Jay in under Three--plenty of smaller fun places much nearer as well).

All in all-I love it. I am an inveterate east Coaster, too I must admit (I know, not everyone is)-I love visiting all over, liked living lot's of places too--but I love Living in Western Massachusetts!

Liam


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

*Speaking of Fruita....*



Heckled said:


> after a few trips here and there we settled in FRUITA..


Does anyone know if there are any optometrists in Fruita? There's about 30 in GC 12 miles away.... but I couldn't find any in Fruita proper.

Do Fruitians do all their shopping and business in Grand Junction or are most amenities available in Fruita?


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## smw (Jun 22, 2005)

Heckled said:


> You might be able to check out The Daily Sentinal online. at least three stories in the last mounth about mployers not having enough applicants to fill open jobs. There is a lot of oil and gas exploration going on in the surronding mountains that are high paying and drawing people there leaving a lot of jobs for you in the valley.


 I took a look, it looks like a great place to live, much less stressful then my current area. Now I just gotta convince the wife to leave without the kids, 22 and 25 its time to cut the cord.


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## Clanky (Sep 8, 2004)

morganfletcher said:


> I love the riding here in the SF Bay Area. I have legal singletrack 1/2 mile from my house. I do most of my road and mountain and cyclocross rides from my house, and I only drive to rides to do trails I like that are farther away. The racing scene for any cycling discipline rocks. I have been commuting to work by bicycle since my first job. I'm biased, but the riding here is pretty good. I've also ridden off-road in Moab and Durango and when I was a kid, rural PA (northern central) and southern NJ/Philadelphia. I love going to Tahoe and Downieville to ride, and they're each about three hours in a car. My wife and I make a good living but we also spend a lot to live here. Luckily we bought our house before the recent housing boom. I sometimes have a jones to live in the Sierra Foothills or Tahoe but that being said, NorCal is my favorite.
> 
> Morgan


I LOVE San Francisco! I would agree that it would have to be one of the best places to live. Other than the cost of living it's a little to chilly there for me but is a great place for a cyclist to live .


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## jdholland (May 12, 2006)

Do Fruita or GJ have trails accesible from town that don't require driving to a trailhead?


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## sgthuddleston (Aug 31, 2006)

ok i got one for ya im torn between going back to Ft carson CO..right beside CO springs or going to Ft lewis in Washington ST i reallt dont know where to go but im kind leaning towards Wash st right now any help on this one??


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## EscourtU (Aug 15, 2006)

Personally my opinion Would be to go to Washington. I recon there is much more to do there. Co is limited on your enjoyment possibilities. In Washington, I believe it rains quite a bit, but if you like the ocean there is another whole realm of possibilities. Co. is the middle of the country and from my experience you are limited on excitement. However I believe white water rafting is abundant there. Washington I am not so sure. Nobody can tell you where to go it is souley up to you and you need to figure out what would siut your needs better. If you have lived in Co before I would say go to Washington, and vise versa. Whatever your choice is do not make the mistake of deciding where you want to live based on a couple of fun vacation runs. I could totally be wrong but I have moved a lot and I take into consideration all aspects of the areas before I make the mistake.


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## Zonic Man (Dec 19, 2003)

poff said:


> I still do not see how you can beat Reno - jump on your bike at your house, ride up to Tahoe, do Rim trail, ride back to your own house, and you can do it EVERY day.


WHAAAA??? No way. Can't do that.

But here's a vote for Auburn, CA.

Awesome trail network out the back door, 45 minutes from tahoe rides, 45 from downieville trail network, etc.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

EscourtU said:


> Personally my opinion Would be to go to Washington. I recon there is much more to do there. Co is limited on your enjoyment possibilities. In Washington, I believe it rains quite a bit, but if you like the ocean there is another whole realm of possibilities. Co. is the middle of the country and from my experience you are limited on excitement. However I believe white water rafting is abundant there. Washington I am not so sure. Nobody can tell you where to go it is souley up to you and you need to figure out what would siut your needs better. If you have lived in Co before I would say go to Washington, and vise versa. Whatever your choice is do not make the mistake of deciding where you want to live based on a couple of fun vacation runs. I could totally be wrong but I have moved a lot and I take into consideration all aspects of the areas before I make the mistake.


sounds like you've never even BEEN to Washington State.... Totally depends which side of the state you live on for rainfall!. I live in Washington and the ocean is like 5 hours away from me (250+ miles), on a good day. My city gets only 16 inches of rain a year! One of the reasons we live where we do is that my hubby's a class V fanatic, and there's a huge amount of big water within hours of here. Riding's good, that's already been discussed in a previous post.

OP is looking for bike friendly cities....I don't know about Seattle, but I sure know a lot of bike commuter here ( Spokane) and there are three trail systems within 6 miles of downtown.


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## Dwight Moody (Jan 10, 2004)

SuperbMan said:


> Western Massachusetts.


Ah, scenic North Adams. Affordable housing, and all the vacant mills you could ever want.

(I grew up just across the border from Williamstown, so I now the beauty and the pathos of the area.)


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## Dwight Moody (Jan 10, 2004)

formica said:


> OP is looking for bike friendly cities....I don't know about Seattle, but I sure know a lot of bike commuter here ( Spokane) and there are three trail systems within 6 miles of downtown.


Seattle is pretty bike friendly. Better than Boston, which is the only other major city I've ridden in. Seattle is hilly and rainy for several months straight, but the roads are wide, there are some useful bike paths, and a lot of people bike. The rental market is less insane than the buying market, so you can probably afford to live close enough to bike to work.

Hey Formica, thanks for representing 90% of Washingtons landmass.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Dwight Moody
Hey Formica said:


> Someone's got to do it, contrary to popular belief, Seattle area is only a very small portion of the state, and Spokane is certainly not a suburb of it!!


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## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

*You are mistaken*

I learned to dirt/trail ride in NJ in the early 70's (back when there was way more trail there - trails
that are now buried under suburbia and roadways). NJ used to be deep woods with river rock,
roots and sand. Probably a little bit of that left. It was fun!

But Austin KICKS ITS ASS!

I'm happy to say that you're misinformed. City Park is not even _close_ to the most 
technical trail here. Not even close.

You should stop back and visit some time. Hook up with an RLAA ride (Ride Like An 
A s s h o l e) - Relax, it's just a silly name for mock rude behavior and one-upsmanship.
If you like technical, you'll be pleasently suprised at the trails that you're lead down.

Of course, the main point of this thread was "Best place to live to ride" and since here in
Austin I have the unfettered opportunity to ride ALL YEAR 'ROUND, (which I do), then it's
hard to deny this as the best place to live to ride.

Now, obviously places such as the Sierra Nevadas offer 1000 times more trail, there are
2 problems that knock other areas such as the Sierra Nevadas out of contention.

1) "live to ride" means being able to afford to live there

and

2) "ride" itself, means there's no snow on the ground prohibiting the one activity that I 
"live" for.





poff said:


> I lived in NJ and now live in CS, TX, so I ride in Waco and Austin often. Trails in Austin are nice, for TX that is. However, Alamuchi park in NJ is more rocky and technical, with longer climbs than City Park in Austin, its most technical trail, plus it is 6 times longer.


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## hammerheadbikes (Jan 9, 2004)

We do have a lot of great riding, and a lot of stuff is more technical and more fun than CP which frankly to me is kind of boring.. I like longer more epic rides and the Gbelt has so much killer backcountry riding it's amazing.. it's doubled in the last few years.. there are also lots of uh.. "off radar" places around that are easily accessible and have great riding..


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## dave54 (Jul 1, 2003)

NE California, in the Lassen area.

I can jump on my bike and ride for days without meeting anyone else.

Not too much singletrack, but a zillion miles of forest roads and two-track of varying difficulty, some quite technical and near unridable. Many gated and closed to motorized vehicles.

Ride to a mountain lake, set up camp and fish for a couple days, then ride to the next lake. All without seeing another soul.

Winter means driving for an hour to find some snow-free trails, but you still have the world to yourself.

Oh yeah, you wanted jobs. Too bad, none here unless you count busing tables for minimum wage or seasonal labor.


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## bwolmarans (May 25, 2005)

Baker gets extreme snow I used to drive down on the weekends from Vancouver 1993 to 1998 on and off in my Geo Metro with big knobbies, the ultimate snow car just floated on top of anything.

Note: must enjoy wet cement.

Baker was just like blackcomb except without the crowds. Lift tickets used to cost $29.

Good times.



ebxtreme said:


> Ok, I may have slightly overstated Mt. Baker's annual snowfall. They do however get the most snow of any resort in North America (average of 617 inches) though, but I can't verify in the world. The 98-99 season was a world record at 1,140 inches in a 365 day period and was totally unreal from a boarding perspective. There were many days when the resort couldn't open due to too much snow....
> 
> FYI, last season. 804 inches.
> 
> EBX


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

Southern Cal....Santa Barbara area


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