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  1. #1
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    Biketown USA/Canada - best cities to live in for MTB in North America?

    We've had this version of a ski thread discussed ad nauseum ... might have been a dirt thread on this topic but I haven't seen one in a while.

    Many of us have differing views on what makes a town a good place to live - difference in preferences for housing styles, family friendly/good schools, crime/safety, nightlife, transportation, how much traffic you can put up with, cost of living - but in general, I think the key qualifications are:
    -access to trails and abundance of trail quality; length of riding season or year-round options will play into this as well
    -some kind of decent economy with some kind of variety for jobs
    -some kind of local bike community and/or cultural support for riding bikes

    What say you?

    I'm interested to see what people say, especially since most will talk about their own towns ... but those who have moved will have a lot of insight.



    I'll start ... first place that comes to mind is

    Eugene, OR
    *Disclaimer, I've never lived there and have limited riding experience there ... but I've been to a lot of the surrounding areas.
    Trail Quality and Access: Seems exceptional to me, no? I'm not sure what is available right in town, or how long the season is. But once things dry out, within 1.5 hours you have a huge playground: Black Rock, MRT, Oakridge, NUT, Roseburg and then Grants Pass a bit further out.
    Economy and Jobs: Seems not awesome but decent? My fiancee is in medicine and she's being recruited there. A bit of industry in Eugene and Springfield, and then Albany/Corvallis further out.
    Local Bike Community/Culture: No idea ... but how could it not exist?
    _______________________________________________
    "Strapping myself to a sitski built with 30lb of metal and fibreglass then trying to water ski in it sounds like a stupid idea to me.

    I'll be there."
    ... Andy Campbell

  2. #2
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    You're gonna need a bigger beard.
    Besides the comet that killed the dinosaurs nothing has destroyed a species faster than entitled white people.-ajp

  3. #3
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    Within 1.5 hours doesn't seem like MTB mecca for me. I want to be able to ride out the door, like Ketchum or Park City. Of course, those places miss ticks for your other boxes.

  4. #4
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    I think it's a really difficult thing to combine a solid bike community, diversity and quantity of local trails, and a "good economy". The economy requirement is going to eliminate most of the places we all think of when it comes to destination mountain biking... since those are almost all primarily small towns in the mountains or desert.

    I think the main towns will come to the forefront of the discussion- Front Range (CO), SLC, Portland and Seattle. That said, I also think everyone is going to disqualify those cities because of the populations and the fact that real mountain bikers want to live in small towns where the jobs are tough to come by.

    A few places that come to mind when I think of mountain biking are below... but they all have their obvious shortcomings.

    - St. George, UT
    - Asheville, NC
    - Austin, TX
    - Bend, OR
    - Santa Cruz, CA
    - Grand Junction, CO
    - Fort Collins, CO
    - Santa Fe, NM

    For me personally, I'm looking for a small town with lots of trails (rideable from my house or a short drive), mostly-year-round riding, and access within an hour to plenty of other killer trails. I'm looking at moving to Eagle, CO next spring... but I also have my own business and my wife's a teacher, so our situation isn't necessarily dependent on the local economy.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by zion zig zag View Post
    Within 1.5 hours doesn't seem like MTB mecca for me. I want to be able to ride out the door, like Ketchum or Park City. Of course, those places miss ticks for your other boxes.

    ^ yeah I agree I'd think ideal world is a great selection out the door, but also a wide variety in less than 1 hour.

    I was using 1.5 hours specifically for Eugene, because at that radius you hit a lot of really well known spots for Oregon riding. Oakridge is less than an hour. I can see there is a small local ride right on the south side of town in Eugene, maybe more non-legit riding options also.


    Bend is probably way more right in town, but I have no idea how the terrain options look once you expand the radius to an hour.

    Tahoe City/Truckee and South Lake would be on my list as well, but mid-season and winter-season riding isn't exactly ideal.

    Not so many jobs in St. George or Springdale.
    _______________________________________________
    "Strapping myself to a sitski built with 30lb of metal and fibreglass then trying to water ski in it sounds like a stupid idea to me.

    I'll be there."
    ... Andy Campbell

  6. #6
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    nobody has mentioned Burlintron VT city of the future
    But doubt east coast is on your list
    ps how has your fiancee enjoyed the bike? been wondering if you guys have been killing the trails
    skid luxury

  7. #7
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    There's an argument for Boise with those criteria: dry most of the year so the season is basically year round, trails within riding distance from a lot of housing that have be a reasonable commute.

    My experience comes primarily from inland SoCal, Seattle area, Boise and well north, and Boise had more riding days with easier access to good variety than anywhere else so far. Shorter ski season, but that's a different question.

  8. #8
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    Bellingham??

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by jono View Post
    There's an argument for Boise with those criteria: dry most of the year so the season is basically year round, trails within riding distance from a lot of housing ... Shorter ski season, but that's a different question.
    Never been, sounds pretty rad. You have the university and it's basically the economic capitol of the state right? (Albeit one of the worst economies in the country). Shorter ski season seems irrelevant by the year 2030. EVERYWHERE below 9000 feet will have a shorter ski season.

    Quote Originally Posted by baby bear View Post
    nobody has mentioned Burlintron VT city of the future
    But doubt east coast is on your list
    ps how has your fiancee enjoyed the bike? been wondering if you guys have been killing the trails
    East Coast isn't on my list, but that doesn't mean it can't be on someone else's, if there is a ton of riding and some of it is accessible year round.

    She's loving the Mojo ... huge step up from her Raleigh Eva hardtail with single-caliper (edit: piston) mechanical disk brakes and spring fork! I actually think she likes it more than her engagement ring ... I actually proposed to her on the McKenzie River Trail, 2nd day she was ever on that bike
    Last edited by SchralphMacchio; 08-02-2016 at 05:31 PM.
    _______________________________________________
    "Strapping myself to a sitski built with 30lb of metal and fibreglass then trying to water ski in it sounds like a stupid idea to me.

    I'll be there."
    ... Andy Campbell

  10. #10
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    that's awesome.
    and it's a perfect bike for a bride being beautiful and white
    skid luxury

  11. #11
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    Hard to beat Vancouver (BC) for trails+jobs. It rains though. And a little tougher for Americanos to move there.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by mtngirl79 View Post
    Bellingham??
    QFT. Don't want to blow up the spot but holy shit this place is unreal.

  13. #13
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    If Durango is big enough to qualify on the economy side, I think it makes the list. Lots of riding right from town, awesome high country in the summer, desert riding nearby in the winter, and 3 hours from Moab/GJ/Fruita.

    It's not a mountain/resort town. While the economy is certainly tourism based, there are a lot of non-tourism jobs in town.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by the_flying_v View Post
    QFT. Don't want to blow up the spot but holy shit this place is unreal.
    Okay I'll bite.
    What's the riding season and is the riding all the stuff just outside of town, or is there also stuff within 1+ hours that kicks ass as well? New bearings for linkages/BBs/Headsets must be a part of the cost of admission there, right?

    I think one could argue that the economy and enthusiast community are pretty decent there.
    _______________________________________________
    "Strapping myself to a sitski built with 30lb of metal and fibreglass then trying to water ski in it sounds like a stupid idea to me.

    I'll be there."
    ... Andy Campbell

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by the_flying_v View Post
    QFT. Don't want to blow up the spot but holy shit this place is unreal.
    Its not only the trails, either. Its the community, and its real here, not just an abstract thing that hipsters talk about.

    Lady ride thursday on the northside! We are having a bbq after but I don't know if boys are allowed.

  16. #16
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    Whistler or any ski town in southeastern British Columbia

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio View Post
    Okay I'll bite.
    What's the riding season and is the riding all the stuff just outside of town, or is there also stuff within 1+ hours that kicks ass as well? New bearings for linkages/BBs/Headsets must be a part of the cost of admission there, right?

    I think one could argue that the economy and enthusiast community are pretty decent there.
    Lets put it this way, I can live anywhere, but there is a reason why I live here when its 1 hour 20 minutes to the ski hill where I make my living... and its not for the skiing.

    Bike season is year round. I have almost 100 miles of trails litterally out my front door. 3 major riding areas within 10 min of down town and 9 breweries in town with more opening. There is a reason why Kona, Transition and Canfield are bassed out of here and Evil is moving in. Not to mention Freehub is based here as well.

  18. #18
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    The real question is... can you handle the dreariness.

  19. #19
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    If you really want the best Biketown, not the best Biketown-a-few-months-of-the-year, I don't understand how anyone could choose somewhere besides coastal BC/WA/OR/NoCal. Outside of Van... or Bellingham area comes to mind... how about around Eugene, Medford, Redding?

    Everywhere else has seasons... it gets too hot or too cold/snow and then you would be driving hours to get to trails half the year.

    Quote Originally Posted by Danno View Post
    If Durango is big enough to qualify on the economy side, I think it makes the list. Lots of riding right from town,
    How's the freeride trails right around Durango? I've heard there are basically zero.
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  20. #20
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    Waterbury/Stowe, VT over Btown. You're an easy commute to the economic and academic benefits of Burlington, but with 1/2 dozen prime mtb spots w/in a 20 mile radius, at least a couple out your back door whether you live in Waterbury, Stowe or Morrisville. Add Kingdom Trails, Millstone, Highland, Burke, Killington and GMT all within an hour; Alchemist, Lawsons, Hill Farmstead and a million zillion cheese, farm and whatever else is edible options in every direction... Oh yeah, and Stowe skis pretty nice too.

    Edit: not the longest season unless you have a shit winter like we just did.

  21. #21
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    west coast thread reeks of brosuf
    for real, get over yerselves
    so much going on back here, it's stunning really

    edit:biggins is right, y'all. add in the fact that the road/dirt road riding is way beyond good, low traffic and so many choices
    it's redonk back east
    crab in my shoe mouth

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by buttahflake View Post
    west coast thread reeks of brosuf
    for real, get over yerselves
    so much going on back here, it's stunning really

    edit:biggins is right, y'all. add in the fact that the road/dirt road riding is way beyond good, low traffic and so many choices
    it's redonk back east
    I don't know your terrain... but you have a problem for being best Biketown. Continental climate.... you have 4 seasons and one of them involves cold and snow. I'm not a West Coaster either.
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  23. #23
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    If we get a bike park at Snowbowl and the MEDL project gets the green light I'm going to have to toot our own horn here in flagstaff. With the seven different climate zones within an hour drive and Sedona 45 minutes down the hill this place is hard to beat for biking. Bellingham is the only other town I would consider and I'm totally intrigued by. In fact, I hear these two towns are very similar in vibe except the fact that we get the sun and they get the rain.

    That being said our local trail system is in disrepair and in need of a major overhaul. That is were the MEDL (Mount Elden/ Dry Lakes) proposal comes in. If it happens then we will develop an incredible system, it's on the back burner right now due to a massive thinning project to keep the city safe from flooding after a likely devastating wild fire on Mount Elden. It's rumored that the new owner of Snowbowl wants to build a bike park too, that would really put the icing on the cake, if these things happen I would definitely say this is one of the top 3 or 5 locations for a mountain biking lifestyle. The trails in Flag are right out of town and connect via the Arizona trail up to Snowbowl. We have shuttle options too.

    Oh, Asheville I would put on that list as well. The skiing isn't very good there though.
    dirtbag, not a dentist

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by buttahflake View Post
    west coast thread reeks of brosuf
    ^ See multiple people mentioning VT and NC in this thread. Chill out.
    It's also no coincidence that bike MFRs are located where they are.
    _______________________________________________
    "Strapping myself to a sitski built with 30lb of metal and fibreglass then trying to water ski in it sounds like a stupid idea to me.

    I'll be there."
    ... Andy Campbell

  25. #25
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    So far I'm hearing Bham, Flag, and Boise as top contenders!
    _______________________________________________
    "Strapping myself to a sitski built with 30lb of metal and fibreglass then trying to water ski in it sounds like a stupid idea to me.

    I'll be there."
    ... Andy Campbell

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