[BurlyShirley]

Ok guys,

Ive lived in Hawaii, and it was pretty great. You could ride every day and always find some new place to explore. There were lots of trails, marked and unmarked of all kinds. From crazy DH, to epic XC. The only problem is, its a little small.
So where else is great year round?
My first guess would be flagstaff AZ.

 

[stinkyboy]

My first guess would be flagstaff AZ.

Flag in the Summer, Phoenix in the winter.

 

[LordOpie]

you've been here... the front range trails aren't snowed in most of the years.

 

[BurlyShirley]

I have alot of family in Phoenix, but man it is hot in the summer. Actually, I lived in Kingman (horrible place) when I was a little kid, and it snowed like crazy there once.

Alot of people think the south is great in the winter, but right now it kind of blows.

How about the Seattle area? Or portland?

 

[BurlyShirley]

you've been here... the front range trails aren't snowed in most of the years.

Yeah, CO is great in summer, Im sure, but in winter, seems like the gnarlier trails would be all snowed in. Plus it was COLD when I was there. Dont you remember me almost dying?

 

[Snacks]

How about the Seattle area? Or portland?

Ha! You can ride here pretty much year round, but you can't be afraid to get wet and muddy, plus you have to like the Seahawks

 

[kidwoo]

Flag in the Summer, Phoenix in the winter.

Yup. Close to bootleg too.


Southern California

Various Utah locales

I rode year round in florida.

I ride here in tahoe in the summer and in reno during the winter...half hour drive, or in the sierra foothills an hour to the west.

I'd say you're already in a pretty good spot for year round riding.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Yeah, CO is great in summer, Im sure, but in winter, seems like the gnarlier trails would be all snowed in. Plus it was COLD when I was there. Dont you remember me almost dying?

It's f***ing COLD here from October->early May. Sucks balls.

 

[LordOpie]

Yeah, CO is great in summer, Im sure, but in winter, seems like the gnarlier trails would be all snowed in. Plus it was COLD when I was there. Dont you remember me almost dying?

In the four year I've been here, that was a rarity. It's been in the 50s for a couple weeks and nearly 60F today.

 

[N8 v2.0]

Albuquerque is what you seek...

 

[SkaredShtles]

In the four year I've been here, that was a rarity. It's been in the 50s for a couple weeks and nearly 60F today.

LIAR!!:angry:

Utah is where you want to go................

 

[stinkyboy]

I have alot of family in Phoenix, but man it is hot in the summer.

That's why summer weekends in Flag/Sedona/Jerome, etc. are awesome.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Albuquerque is what you seek...

How about near Angelfire? Big trail system in that area?

 

[SkaredShtles]

That's why summer weekends in Flag/Sedona/Jerome, etc. are awesome.

This man has got it RIGHT! Flag kicks ass. Sedona's nice too.

 

[BurlyShirley]

That's why summer weekends in Flag/Sedona/Jerome, etc. are awesome.

Yeah, but its a bit of a drive to flagstaff from phoenix. Im looking for the best year round climate/trail system/riding scene for ONE particular area.

 

[N8 v2.0]

How about near Angelfire? Big trail system in that area?

Hell yeah!

It's about ummm.... 3.5 hrs from Alb.

Lots around Alb though... within an hours drive you can be in the aspens or hammering the mesas.

 

[narlus]

SoCal?

 

[BurlyShirley]

Hell yeah!

It's about ummm.... 3.5 hrs from Alb.

Whats the name of the town there?

So far weve got.


Flagstaff
Seattle

 

[BurlyShirley]

SoCal?

For some reason, I just cant accept that SoCal is a nice place to live.

 

[Westy]

I'd go for trail quality over 12 month riding. A place with 10 months of great trails will probably be better than 12 of good trails. A little time off prevents burnout and makes you apreciate riding more.

 

[kidwoo]

Seattle

Bring a rain coat and be ready for some mud.

 

[Westy]

For some reason, I just cant accept that SoCal is a nice place to live.

SoCal seems like a great place to live if about 35 million people left.

 

[kidwoo]

I'd go for trail quality over 12 month riding. A place with 10 months of great trails will probably be better than 12 of good trails. A little time off prevents burnout and makes you apreciate riding more.

Thass wut I done did.

 

[N8 v2.0]

Whats the name of the town there?

So far weve got.


Flagstaff
Seattle

Well there are several...

Taos, Eagles Nest and Red River are the closest I'd say... Taos being the 'biggest' of the three... althought it is pretty small.

 

[Westy]

Thass wut I done did.

I feel like I have that here. You just never know what 2 months you won't be able to ride.

 

[BurlyShirley]

I'd go for trail quality over 12 month riding. A place with 10 months of great trails will probably be better than 12 of good trails. A little time off prevents burnout and makes you apreciate riding more.

Fair enough.

If thats the case, I guess we can add Asheville, NC to this list. Its so trendy tho. Just like Portland... ick.

 

[druber]

I know there is an anti-Texas bias around here, but Austin has some suprisingly nice singletrack.

I know it isn't the BEST year round riding local, but it is much better than most think.

eric

 

[BurlyShirley]

I know there is an anti-Texas bias around here, but Austin has some suprisingly nice singletrack.

I know it isn't the BEST year round riding local, but it is much better than most think.

eric

What mountains are near Austin?

None, i think.

Mountains, IMO, are a necessity for 'great' mountain biking.

 

[Westy]

Fair enough.

If thats the case, I guess we can add Asheville, NC to this list. Its so trendy tho. Just like Portland... ick.

Even I get creeped out by all the hippies in Asheville.

 

[narlus]

is Portland trendy? i think it's a kickass city.

btw, you can just about ride year-round out in MA too; during the snow season you can drive down to the Cape and ride Otis, Trail of Tears and other places. there's a lot of good to great XC in eastern MA/southern NH, but there's no big mountains.

 

[SkaredShtles]

What mountains are near Austin?

None, i think.

Mountains, IMO, are a necessity for 'great' mountain biking.

No. He's right. You should go to Texas. I hear the mt biking kicks all kinds of a$$ there.

 

[N8 v2.0]

What mountains are near Austin?

None, i think.

Mountains, IMO, are a necessity for 'great' mountain biking.

If god wanted Texans to ski he would have made cowsh!t white!

 

[BurlyShirley]

is Portland trendy? i think it's a kickass city.

btw, you can just about ride year-round out in MA too; during the snow season you can drive down to the Cape and ride Otis, Trail of Tears and other places. there's a lot of good to great XC in eastern MA/southern NH, but there's no big mountains.

Portland = emo/hippy/tortured artists center of the universe. Otherwise its great... but the dreadlock to normal hair ratio is frightening.

As for the the great northeast, it gets so damned cold! Ive definitelys een great pictures for riding up in NH, but man, the weather..

 

[druber]

What mountains are near Austin?

None, i think.

Mountains, IMO, are a necessity for 'great' mountain biking.

You're right...no mountains here. Instead we have a lot of short, steep, ledgey climbs. Lots of rocks.

It happens regularly that we get some CA transplants that think since there are no mountains here that all the riding must be easy.

One guy I ride with fairly regularly moved here from CA. He claims that after riding here for a year he is a much better technical rider.

Of course, if you are into DH, we don't have much of that...although I do see some guys on some monstrous bikes so I imagine the ride them somewhere.

Within a 20 minute drive from downtown, there is at least 75 miles of good singletrack. All of it suitable for after/before work rides.

Like I said, it isn't the best riding in the country, but I am 100% positive that the quality of trail down here would surprise a lot of you.

eric

 

[Wumpus]

Texas sucks. It's too cold in the winter and too damn hot in the summer and all the trails suck.

 

[ioscope]

I'm going for a ride.

 

[jimmydean]

I was told Colorado Springs has something like 230 days of sunshine a year and you can ride the lower hills year round.

Portland is great, don't get me wrong, but most of the good trail systems are a bit of a drive from downtown. You have Forest Park and there is a lot to be had there, but that's about it. If you head West, you have Browns Camp and that area, South you have Dallas, and Falls City, East you have Mt. Hood in the Spring. Further East you have Bend and Post Canyon.

But I'm talking at least an hours drive from downtown to some of the larger trail systems. Portland is a good city, but you have to be able to handle hippies.

On a side note, I knew a guy who moved to Portland because Portland State had the largest female to male student ratio in the country. That was before he learned Portland also had the largest gay community in the country

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Brevard, NC

 

[BurlyShirley]

Brevard, NC

Yeah, I know. The woman and I were looking at moving there. I sort of assumed that would be lumped in with Asheville. The trails in Pisgah are so good.

 

[JRB]

Texas sucks. It's too cold in the winter and too damn hot in the summer and all the trails suck.

Don't come to Texas.