# Best winter cycling destination in US



## Phredly (May 2, 2012)

Having just retired and getting weary of the dark, short days and more or less constant drizzle here in the PNW, I'm looking for suggestions for great winter cycling destinations where we could live for 5-6 months in the winter and I could ride most days. Love the PNW in the summer, so for that and family reasons not interested in relocating permanently.

My criteria would be a variety of interesting routes with not too much traffic, a variety of steady, longer climbs, a safe environment, with a pleasant community and of course great weather.

My current favourite is Kona Hawaii, but what say the Best and Brightest ( ie the members of this site ).


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

Just spent a week in Central California riding around Santa Barbara, Solvang, Paso Robles, Big Sur.
Awesome riding on the coast or inland.
I would pick somewhere around there maybe San Luis Obispo.
Better than where I am now in San Diego. The weather here on the coast has been PNW like with temperatures in the low 60's and mostly cloudy.


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

I would say the best winter cycling area in the U.S. is upstate New York. Plenty of snow, and lots of frigid temperatures for winter cycling


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## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

nOOky said:


> I would say the best winter cycling area in the U.S. is upstate New York. Plenty of snow, and lots of frigid temperatures for winter cycling


+1.

I'm in Rochester. Lots of lake-effect.


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

These are good winter riding areas:
Central and Southern California (as mentioned above)
Tucson, Arizona
Texas Hill Country (Fredericksburg area is nice) and the San Antonio to Austin area

I don't know much about Florida riding. I agree with your choice of Kona too. Can't complain about Hawaii!


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## binorx (Jun 12, 2011)

isn't Rochester considered western NY not upstate? Sorry, pet peeve


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## ph0enix (Aug 12, 2009)

binorx said:


> isn't Rochester considered western NY not upstate? Sorry, pet peeve


If it's North of Manhattan, it's upstate!


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## binorx (Jun 12, 2011)

ph0enix said:


> If it's North of Manhattan, it's upstate!


Hence the pet peeve. We send our electricity and tax dollars to "The City" and get relegated to NNYC status. I'm from New England originally but definitely feel the locals' pain here in WNY


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## Phredly (May 2, 2012)

Thanks for all the helpful info--will check out San luis Obispo and Tucson. Parts of Texas sound promising as well.

As for you folks from NY. Could it be that the bitter cold has left you....bitter.? 

Just kidding! I grew up in Ottawa Ont and always thought that if for some quirk of history, the Canadian West coast was discovered before the East coast, there would 35 million or so Canadians huddled around Vancouver and the rest of the country would be a barren wasteland considered too harsh for human habitation.


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## tenkerman (Feb 16, 2012)

California: Yes.
Arizona: No.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

binorx said:


> Hence the pet peeve. We send our electricity and tax dollars to "The City" and get relegated to NNYC status. I'm from New England originally but definitely feel the locals' pain here in WNY


I understand some of the grievances and resentments, but that part about taxes just ain't true. NYC and its nearby suburbs pay much more to the state than they get back. The bucks flow the other way.
http://www.rockinst.org/observations/wardr/2011-12-giving_getting.aspx


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

I live in Santa Barbara, CA where cycling is excellent all year. But I love riding in San Diego County when visiting there.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

Special Eyes said:


> I live in Santa Barbara, CA where cycling is excellent all year. But I love riding in San Diego County when visiting there.


We should trade places then.
I will admit there is some great riding here, but is not on the coast.


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## Easyup (Feb 26, 2012)

+1 for Tucson and better yet just North of Tucson is Oro Valley, big retirement area with many miles of wide bike lanes.


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## Lapierre11 (Dec 13, 2011)

What about St. George in southern Utah or Las Vegas NV or Death Valley? Any other suggestions?


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## kacerrob (Jan 3, 2009)

I suggest right between the two in Orange County. Today I rode 40 with hills, little traffic and great weather. (around 65 degrees) Send me a message whenever in town.


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## ratherBclimbing (Apr 2, 2007)

*cough*Ixnay on the Southern Alifornicay.*cough*


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## mrwirey (May 30, 2008)

I Just spent 8 days on Maui, which is in the U.S.  The weather was in the 70's and perfect for riding. I rode up the Haleakala Volcano on 27 December; Sea Level (wheel in the ocean) to 10,000ft. The temperature was in the 70's at the bottom and in the 60's all the way up. I rode up with only a base layer, jersey, and bibs (and helmet of course). I put on a windbreaker and long-fingered gloves for the decent (a bit of wind chill at 35-40mph), but I had to remove them when I got below 4,000ft as it got too warm. Nirvana...


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## ratherBclimbing (Apr 2, 2007)

Warm(ish) is nice, but I don't think I could handle riding only flats.


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## BikesOfALesserGod (Jul 22, 2012)

Come to SoCal. You can choose to ride in the snow in the AM and in the sunny desert in the PM.


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## bwbishop (Sep 17, 2011)

Come to Monterey, CA. You can ride all over, out in Santa Clara Valley area is fantastic. Head up Highway 1 to Santa Cruz or down Hwy 1 to Paso Robles. Tons of great riding. Weather is fantastic.


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## poff (Jul 21, 2007)

Santa Monica, drooling......


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

bwbishop said:


> Come to Monterey, CA. You can ride all over, out in Santa Clara Valley area is fantastic. Head up Highway 1 to Santa Cruz or down Hwy 1 to Paso Robles. Tons of great riding. Weather is fantastic.


I would imagine that any road called "Highway 1" would not be the most pleasant for cycling.


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## BikesOfALesserGod (Jul 22, 2012)

AlanE said:


> I would imagine that any road called "Highway 1" would not be the most pleasant for cycling.


And you would be wrong. Highway 1 which is Pacific Coast Highway here in SOCAL, is one of the best places to ride in the world.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

BikesOfALesserGod said:


> And you would be wrong. Highway 1 which is Pacific Coast Highway here in SOCAL, is one of the best places to ride in the world.


Been there. Nice scenic road, but way too much traffic for my taste.


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Carolinas. While they do get the occasional blast of winter, it's usually very short lived. The piedmont area between the coast and the Smoky Mtns offers a wide variety of terrain, and much less congested than SoCal. Also much more affordable.


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## KFuAZ (Nov 1, 2012)

I just moved back to the Phoenix area after spending 3 years in Tucson. I find Tucson to be a great cycling town. Agreeing with an earlier post, north of Tucson (Oro Valley) is a great area to ride as is east Tucson (Old Spanish Trail and Mt Lemmon areas). Tucson is covered with huge stretches of bike lanes. Very cyclist friendly city.


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## SauronHimself (Nov 21, 2012)

Savannah, Georgia or anywhere in the Carolinas would be good. If you're willing to sacrifice hills, then New Smyrna Beach, FL would be perfect.


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## vautrain (Mar 1, 2012)

BikesOfALesserGod said:


> And you would be wrong. Highway 1 which is Pacific Coast Highway here in SOCAL, is one of the best places to ride in the world.


Much of it looks like absolutely beautiful riding, but a few parts (I was recently driving between SF and Big Sur) look absolutely terrifying, between two lanes of 55-mph car traffic, no bike lane, narrow bridges, and a 200-foot drop off into the Pacific Ocean.

Still, lots of cyclists on Highway 1.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

When I finally retire (I'm retired from the military but working a second career), I'm heading to Tuscon or the Phoenix area. Good cost of living and year-round riding. I want to live in a 55 plus community where someone else does the yard and all maintenance so I have time to ride.


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## bwbishop (Sep 17, 2011)

BikesOfALesserGod said:


> And you would be wrong. Highway 1 which is Pacific Coast Highway here in SOCAL, is one of the best places to ride in the world.


Absolutely. We rode Hwy 1 from Carmel to Paso Robles for a club ride, through Big Sur and it was one of the most beautiful rides I've ever done. Actually, not one of, it IS the most beautiful ride I ever did.


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## bwbishop (Sep 17, 2011)

vautrain said:


> Much of it looks like absolutely beautiful riding, but a few parts (I was recently driving between SF and Big Sur) look absolutely terrifying, between two lanes of 55-mph car traffic, no bike lane, narrow bridges, and a 200-foot drop off into the Pacific Ocean.
> 
> Still, lots of cyclists on Highway 1.


If you ride on a weekday, there are almost no cars. We probably only saw a handful on the 80 miles we did on a Friday.


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## Eric_H (Feb 5, 2004)

I'll throw a plug in for Scottsdale, AZ. I went there in the winter of 2010 for about 8 days when my wife was attending a conference. The riding was surprisingly good even right in the urban Scottsdale/Paradise Valley area. And there are many good routes outside of the city (Bartlett Lake, Fountain Hills-McDowell Mtn-Rio Verde, Cave Creek and more). It was so good we went back in 2011 for a vacation/"I have to get race fit" training trip.

One great thing about Scottsdale is there is a lot of options for both the cyclist and non-cyclist. My wife had no problem finding things to do while I was out riding when we were there. Shopping, restaurants, major sports, university sports, it's all there.


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