Live to Ride

[bik3rd00d@yahoo.com]

I live in central Texas and I like to be done riding by 10am in the summer.   I think of summer as being June 1st through October.    This got me wondering if some of you live in areas that are rich with riding opportunities.   I mean, is there an area in the USA that offers a bounty of wonderful scenic routes?   Looking to see if folks would recommend a geographic area under this topic ... where in the USA would you Live to Ride.

Looking for:

- scenic rural
- temperate climate
- mixed surface ... trail, gravel, pavement
- focus on rec riding or light multi day rides

My MTB buddies love Bentonville.   Some I know have fav touring routes but I am after the recreational rider haven.

[ray b]

Bentonville's also good for gravel and road riding.

For a while, George Hincapie was trying to put together a bicycle-centered city in Greenville NC - for some obious reasons.

If one needs to make money in a city, Minneapolis and Portland provide great daily commutes and easy access to wilder areas.

You'll find the true live-to-ride crowd on the forum tend to live on the road, and do not feel restricted to a specific area and climate. A lot of the discussion is on finding the best roads and the best weather. Too hot in Texas (and Bentonville)? Check out some of the maps and routes in the upper peninsula and Canada.

To be honest - even St. Louis - not the first place one thinks of for great bicycling - turns out to be a great place for the live-to-ride types, once one gets to know the roads. Year-'round riding. Fair trail system. Access to the Ozarks and the expanding rail-trail system (including KATY). Good bike shops. Good bicycle co-op. Amtrak. etc.

[rayed]

Loving the riding vibes in central Texas, where you're all about that early morning summer breeze. But now you're curious about other areas in the good ol' USA that are a total paradise for riders, right? Well, buckle up 'cause there's a bunch of places that tick all the boxes! You've got the scenic rural charm, a comfy temperate climate, and a mix of surfaces that'll keep your rides interesting – trails, gravel, and smooth pavement, oh my! Plus, you're not just talking about the hardcore stuff – you're all about the recreational rider's dream, or those light multi-day adventures. So, if you're on the hunt for your next two-wheeled haven, you might want to check out these quietkat reviews. It's always smart to get some insights before you dive in.

[jamawani]

Of course - Buffalo, Wyoming.
And while you have summer from June thru October,
we have winter from November thru May.  ;-)

August country road in Wyoming -

[bik3rd00d@yahoo.com]

I've heard others mention areas in Wyoming.  Once visited Laramie and saw the snow fences along the highways.  Yowza!   We had snow fences in the NE but nothing like Wyoming.   NE Oregon keeps coming up.   The Willamette valley in Oregon.   The Columbia river gorge in general. 

Thanks!   -Don

[BikeliciousBabe]

New England, especially in late spring and early fall. Plenty of gravel in Vermont.  I live by the rule that if it's a rural road that is not a state or U.S. highway and you are not familiar with it, don't be surprised if it turns to gravel at some point. Most of them seem to be pretty well maintained though.  The state also appears to put a good amount of money into its state park system.  I stayed in 6 during my 2022 tour of the state. Nice to very nice. And all of them had large lean-tos, which is nice of it ends up raining.

[bik3rd00d@yahoo.com]

Lived in NY state, prior to Texas.   Lots of roads, where I lived, that were mostly dirt.  I recall lots of folks in NY declaring how cold and snow bound Vermont was.    I liked the Buffalo Wyoming pic above.  I also think that maybe the openness is beautiful but also why snow fencing is popular.   I am thinking that there must be some sort of holy grail of gravel/MTB biking someplace.   Maybe not.  But I am a believer! 

Thanks for the Vermont vote!   

[Westinghouse]

Where I live in south Florida is rich in opportunities for cycling.  In many your chances of being run over like a dog in the street are high.  You must carefully pick and choose those opportunities.  Generally speaking, here you should use those designated bike paths, rail tails, etc.