its not cleveland

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http://www.clevetriclub.com

rob reddy

following...

The only cycling destination trip I've been on was to the Park City, Utah area and it was pretty damn phenomenal for your list. Phenomenal climb right out of town and lots of different awesome climbs to be had within a 30 min drive.

Curious to see what others suggest myself...

My vote would be for Bourg d'Oisans number 1, Bormio number 2. The climbs from each are awesome, and the pedigree of the climbs are well known. The only problem with Bormio is you are starting at already 1200m, which means you really need it to be almost hot in the valley for it to be comfortable at 2500-2800m up. But that is a small price to play. Another awesome location is Bedouin at the base of Ventoux. Lots of rollers and beautiful riding in Provence and then you have Ventoux. Fourth, I would put anything on the Cote d'Azur between Cannes and Menton, from which you can access fabulous climbs in good weather and you get oxygen as a bonus. But it might be a toss up with Kailua Kona itself from which you have access to Kaloko, and further away, Mauna Kea access Road and Mona Loa. The big Island climbs though are not quite as accessible (minus Kaloko).

Someone needs to chime in on the climbing in Taiwan. It is plentiful and awesome. My only experience is Taipei area which is beyond awesome for the options you have from a city.

I don't have enough experience in the Pyranees. There is nothing in the North East of the US or Canada East and West that even comes remotely close to some of these. I can't comment on US west.

Boulder, Co if you want to stay in the US. It's a great town, great climbing without ever getting in a car and it has elevation. I think the ability to ride and live without needing a car is huge. Add a car into the mix and you really open up your options.

Innertkirchen, Switzerland ..

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Puerto de Pollenca and Alcudia are the main towns in Mallorca for cyclists. Mallorca Ironman 70.3 is based out of Alcudia for example. But the old town Alcudia is a nicer actual town.

I think it's a mecca for cyclists because the are lots of interesting roads, both climbing and flat, mostly decent road surfaces, and probably most of all, I've never seen anywhere else anywhere geared up for cyclists like it. Lots of bike hire and bike shops. It was a revelation to me, as it's more like a ski resort for bikes. Ie the cafes all have bikes propped up outside them, the hotels have bike rooms, and often on site bike shops. Add in perfect weather most of the year, lovely beaches, swimming in the med, and good food at reasonable prices and it's a winner.

Is it the best place in the world just for climbing? Maybe not. But if you want to getaway and not have to worry about routes, spares, etc, it's perfect for a stress free cycling (and running and swimming) holiday.

.. best time to go there, late August / September .. oSo >>

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I don't know what the single best town is, but last year I was moved to Bakersfield, CA for my job and I was pleasantly surprised with the cycling here. You have a non-stop "bike superhighway" path to get you out of town and then endless mountain climbs all over the place. It's not a big town or a busy town and the local cyclists are cool people. You can also ride year round. It's probably not the best, but I've lived a lot of places both in and out of the US and this is the best ive had at my back door.

I had a brain freeze leaving out San Jose area....Sierra, Metcalfe, Mt. Hamilton, Old LaHonda, Page Mill....the list is endless and you can do all these climbs BEFORE work and be in the office by 9:30. If it was not for the stupid real estate prices in Silicon Valley, I would be there, but turned down multiple job opps for that reason. Maybe Rob Gray can comment if Boulder climbing or San Jose climbing is better.

Frisco Colorado

Want to climb? Head west and go over the Vail Pass. Want a nice, easy, scenic ride? Ride around the reservoir. Want to spend some time in aero? Head south to Breckenridge. All of those are bike trails btw. There's tons and tons and tons of more riding you can do on the roads. Edit: oh yeah, there's some pretty good mountain biking to be had there as well.
(wish the map was bigger)


Scenic? Check


How's the town? I think it's reasonably active during the summer. They could use some culinary talent tbh but there's a decent Mexican restaurant there and a pretty solid breakfast spot so that's pretty much all I, personally, need.

I've been lucky enough to go to a couple of obvious cycling cities like Cortina and Boulder, but I'll throw up an unlikely candidate: Rapid City South Dakota (or really any of the towns in the Black Hills)

There are plenty of decent roads right out your back door and within a 30 mile drive there are plenty more for variety. The roads are empty 11 months of the year but for the month of the Sturgis rally, and are in perfect condition all year round in preparation for the rally. The variety is excellent, plenty of climbs and rolling hills, gravel and endless singletrack. Most of the riding takes you through national parks and forests, so the scenery is always excellent. The weather is dry and while it snows in the winter the summer never gets Arizona hot. Locals are friendly and courteous. The only big thing working against it is Rapid City itself can be a drag sometimes.

I can think of a couple, but an old coach of mine once trained out of Lagos, Portugal and said it was outstanding.
I've never been, but the Algarve region seems pretty damn awesome.
The only thing it might lack is the big climbs.

Las Palmas on Gran Canaria looks nice too.

It's not the fanciest, but I think the best all around I've done (really only ridden in the States, so that's a huge caveat, but I do love America) is in Western North Carolina. Blowing Rock, Linville, Valle Crucis, Asheville sort of, Banner Elk, etc. Absolutely phenomenal.

I loved cycling based out of Alleghe in the dolomites. Gorgeous town, and climbing galore. Get on your bike at your apartment and go climb:

Duran
San Pellegrino
Forcella Staulanza
Falzarego
Campolongo
Pordoi
Giau
Pian di Pezze
and more

And when you get down the other side of whatever pass you do, there will be another amazing town to stop and get a snack or just refill your bottles - or stop at the top of the passes where there are often cafes too if you wish. There is a beautiful lake with a beach to swim in. A few great cafes, a bakery... the town is pretty small though. Many might consider it too small. You could base yourself in Cortina for more town life, but the cycling in the immediate vicinity is not as good.






I like the idea of Frisco in the US as was mentioned. It is so easy to fall in love with great towns in Europe that we forget we have some pretty great places here too.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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you live in a pretty good cycling area. just, for the purposes of my question, here is what *i* would say if i were in the neighborhood you are:

- kernville
- california hot springs
- springville
- walker basin
- johnsondale

if you aren't (yet) hip to these places you will be. i might add glennville, woody and a few others in that area. the great climbs are, of course:

- the bear
- breckenridge mountain
- alta sierra (shirley meadows west)
- lion's trail (which i rode up about 3 weeks ago)
- parker pass
- portuguese pass

bakersfield rocks. just, a little bit outside bakersfield, to the east.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

i thought somebody might nominate helen, or somewhere in that north GA west NC area. some of the best cycling i've ever done.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Adding to my sales pitch for Alleghe, here are a few of the climbs from there.

Passo Pordoi:



San Pellegrino



Staulanza

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

In my opinion, you have to seriously factor in the reality of snow-ice winter seasons in the consideration of any 'single best town for cycling', as no matter how nice it is in the spring/summer, if you can't ride in the winter, that's a big ding against it as being 'the best.'

Norcal/Socal should definitely be on the shortlist, given that in the right areas, it really is year-round lovely riding, even in the dead of winter.

Other places are definitely prettier and more epic (the Alps!) when the weather is right, but I don't think you can claim to be 'the best' if you can't access those roads in the winter.

i love the idea. as you note i mentioned canazei, because there is more "town" there. it's at the base of pordoi, fedaia, sella. same sorta thing. but i like the fact that your town is on a lake.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

what i guess i left out is that i'm not thinking of moving there. i'm thinking of going there. for a week. so, yeah, you're right. all i want is that there is some good weather there, sometime during the year.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Agreed. I live on the other side of the Wasatch in Salt Lake. It is always a tough decision where to ride and which bike (road or mountain) because it's all so good.

You don't need to travel far...just come to Santa Barbara. If you want climbing, I'll show you climbing...bring your "all-road" bike so we can hit the dirt climbs too ;-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Santa Barbara, but don't come here

Bonsall, say that sort of half joking, sort of not.

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Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
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It seems that "great climbing" will compete with a "great climate."

Silver City, NM would be my choice.

It is the absolute best in nothing but is pretty good in many things.

Silver City has a great climate.
Not too cold in the winter.

And perfect in the summer.
It is MUCH more affordable than other places discussed so far.
There is a small university.

There are ample year round cycling, trail running and mountain biking opportunities.

The town is pretty small, pretty isolated and populated by pretty friendly people.
Traffic and road rage would be at a minimum.

The road are not great.
There are several good climbs. But nothing "epic" or spectacular.

santa barbara's great. i think you have 2 climbs right there: painted cave and gibraltar. you have a 3rd climb, refugio, if you want to ride a bit to get to it.

if i ONLY wanted to climb, tho, and i lived in calif, i'd probably take bishop. there are probably 6 or 7 climbs right out of either bishop or big pine.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

It's not Texas.

Passo Pordoi:

Looks like hundreds if not thousands of cyclists on that road....

I haven't travelled much for cycling, but my trips to Mammoth, CA have been great.
- plenty of climbing
- with a little research, you can find roads with less vehicle traffic
- great mtb trails too
- "small" town with plenty of amenities (i.e. breweries)

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TEAM F3 Undurance

I suspect that was some sort of event. It's definitely not like that all the time. Cars can usually make it up!

That is probably the most fun descent I have ever done. Not so steep as to be terrifying and lots of fun turns.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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If you look to pro cyclists as a guide, both Girona and Nice stand out. Both have big climbs, rolling and flat stuff. I have trained in both and they are great places to ride, with varied terrain and both include all the other things that make a great place to ride (food, culture, coffee, weather).

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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
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look at breil-sur-roya. i've never been there. but i've been to nice 4 or 5 times. nice is a tough place to ride out of. maybe grasse, or vence. just poking around on the map i found breil-sur-roya. looks interesting.

i'm looking for the PERFECT town.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

i counted the switchbacks, 17 on one side and 23 on the other. and the whole climb is, what, only 7mi long? it's a go cart track.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

You're forgetting the dirt road climbs, such as Romero Canyon, Angostura ("dirt Gibraltar" coming up the backside), Arroyo Burro, etc...not to mention combining things such as Old San Marcos/Painted Cave to West Camino Cielo (pavement to dirt), which takes you all the way to Refugio. Drop Refugio on ocean side on pavement, or dirt on valley side...tons of ways to combine things.

Like I said, bring that Ti all-road bike of yours and the full quiver of wheels for it...

You're welcome to visit...just don't move here ;-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Super suggestion, at least for summer. We vacation in nearby Dillon every other year with another family. Everyone seems to have their own favorite activity. For my wife, it's hiking. For my kid, it's kayaking. For me, the highlight of the trip is always the cycling.

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"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

I am biased as it is my home but I vote the big island of Hawai'i, obviously you have the IM route along the Kona/Kohala coast but I prefer the rolling hills of Saddle road between Mauna Kea/Mauna Loa as it is cool enough to enjoy but not cold enough to be miserable. I suppose you could take the turn towards the Mauna Kea summit and get a massive climb in, haven't had the guts to do that yet but I know many people go sea to almost summit (to the visitor's center, 9,200 ft/4,200m) given that part of the road above the center is gravel, or at least was still the last time I was home. Good weather all year on the west side, interestingly varying weather on the east. The only ding is few routes so it may get boring after some time.

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

This would make a great article once you decide. It would be nice to have the best in and out of the US. I'm in Atlanta now but moving to Boulder in two weeks. I do like the riding in Helen, but it's a bit isolated, sort of a food desert. You'd also have to rent a car to get out there.

Once you pick the city, maybe have a slowtwitch meet up there.

I really miss the north and east bay for climbing and variety.

Reading about climbing Bakersfield I start looking at it and I'm saddened about the stats: very low education rates and one of the top 10 most obese cities in the US. Those are two of the things I hate most about TX, so that puts Bakersfield out in my book.

Nor Virginia Beach. I can do 120 miles and get a 20 feet of climbing in.

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All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

Ha! I've got a picture next to the same sign. Did you seriously bike up there riding on flat pedals?!

Best day of cycling of my life so far was two years ago waking up at the Holiday Inn in Frisco, hopping on the Vail Pass trail, riding over to Vail, eating at The Little Diner, riding down into Beaver Creek, and then turning around and riding back to Frisco.

No, those are Shimano "Click'r" pedals, which are essentially low-spring-tension SPD's, and matching Click'r commuter shoes with SPD multi-directional-release cleats.

And, to be honest, I walked about as much as I rode from Arapahoe Basin up. This beginner cyclist from the low, flat-lands of Illinois bit off a bit more than he could chew that day, especially given the bike I had with me that trip. "Large Marge," the mid-90's vintage Specialized mountain bike, isn't exactly a climbers dream. Once I could see the crest, though, I wasn't turning back. I wanted a picture with the bike by that sign, even if I had to cheat a little to get it.

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"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Annecy, France.
start by reading this: https://theculturetrip.com/...visit-annecy-france/
I love that town. Quintessential France. Amazing lake to ride around, stroll along, swim in ......
Its got plenty of flat riding too on the lovely 40km bike path. If you're taking loved ones they will love you more for taking them there so they can enjoy paradise while you go ride.

Ronda in Spain is certainly doing very well
If the focus is on a nice town little traffic and still great climbs and very good weather
Also great pool with great view

Dan, years ago you posted a story about epic "climbing centuries" which included Portuguese Pass (and another in the area). I ended up doing two of those rides and they were spectacular. I searched, but couldn't find anything in the archives. For obvious reasons, this thread reminded me of that article. The problem with that area, which you pointed out in the article, is that it gets too hot to ride towards the end of Spring.

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Jim Manton / ERO Sports

You don't have to ask twice

Woodstock, Vermont. Incredible variety of rides. Not so many long climbs, unless you head over to the gaps (Middlebury, App, Lincoln, etc.), but constant up and down. Bucolic scenery and largely pleasant summers. Good food and even better beer.

Fantastic mix of dirt and pavement with light and mostly considerate traffic. Bring 28mm tires for the dirt / broken pavement and have a 34x32 (at least). You'll use it.

I've lived and ridden in several of the US towns that were mentioned: Santa Barbara / SLO, Western North Carolina (Boone/Blowing Rock), and Park City. I'll take Vermont / New Hampshire over all those for day in / day out riding. I rarely repeat the same route twice in a year.

(All that said, for just one week anywhere in the world I'd vote for the Alps or Dolomites.)

Annecy is so good. Except... it's BONKERS busy in the summer.
Other than that, this one has to be damn near the top.

+1 for Bormio as a first choice for the reasons already described.

Honourable mention to Rio Negro, Colombia - its eternally springtime, great culture of cycling and amazing terrain. As a bonus, once acclimatized you can end your week with a climb up Alto de Letras.

the first was up hwy 190 down parker pass or the other way around. 102mi. i started that in springville, left early AM, went down to the valley, you can cut across to the road that takes you up parker pass. it was summer, so i got the valley part of it done first. if you do that you're up to 6000' by 9am, and the rest of the ride is between there and 7,400' until you drop down 25 miles of descent, to springville, where you started.

the second century shares that same road, hot springs road, parker pass, and you patch it together with portuguese pass road. you also need to get the valley part done first. starting in california hot springs is the best play, and then you end coming down parker pass rd. if you do it during the summer it's going to be hot in calif hot springs, but you'll descend down into the heat and finish there. it's not that bad descending into 95°f or even hotter if, when you get to the bottom of the descent, you're done.

you just can't get caught in the valley floor during the heat of the day.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Dan,

I have not been to Tuscany, but I have friends that have gone and they say the terrain is amazing for cycling, along with the atmosphere of Tuscany- food, vistas, weather, etc. Many cycling tours use this as a home base, including the only American Giro winner, Andy Hampsten. I'm not sure if there would be enough mountains close by to satisfy your wishes, but maybe others can comment here about proximity and length. Sounds like you are planning a great trip.

Links that might interest you:

http://cinghiale.com/ (Andy Hampsten's company- along with terrain/pictures/ideas)
http://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/...to-cycle-in-tuscany/ - places to cycle in Tuscany- including the hillier parts- such as:

Lucca and the Apuane Mountains
Isolated from southern Tuscany by the Apuane Mountains, Lucca is cycling paradise. While much of Tuscany is characterized by rolling hills, wheat fields, and cypress pines, Lucca is marked by steep climbs, high peaks, and quiet valleys. It is barely frequented by tourists, but cyclists abound. It is not uncommon to see many pro riders sharing the otherwise quiet roads with you, unbothered by the traffic of visitors driving from one destination to the next.

Lucca is the ideal destination in which to base your stay, as there are a myriad of options for outrageously satisfying food and exceptional lodging right within the city, and even more options for exploration outside of its walls. The city walls themselves offer a beautiful promenade from which to admire the city below. Setting out through the gates on bike, explore the surrounding hillside villages or ride along the valley floor for a more leisurely experience. Either way, the cycling here is unrivaled.

You guys got there first.

Annecy is a brilliant base for cycling. And stunning. And there is a big lake to jump into.

You don't have to stay in Annecy itself, but one of the villages around the lake are often a good choice.

I believe one other person mentioned Girona, Spain.


1. short access to extremely fabulous climbing. Plenty 'o climbing: http://montefuscocycling.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_21.html


It takes all of five minutes to pedal out of the city and hit wide-open, lesser-traveled roads. Expect to see few cars and fewer houses as you pedal farther outside city limits.


2. quick access to a variety of fabulous climbing.
3. great roads that are not especially trafficked by cars. city is set up for cycling, with plenty of bike parking and miles of bike lanes, both painted and protected. Plus, traffic—even city traffic at rush hour—is respectful of riders.




4. significant beauty, in the area, in the town.

5. great town. not too big, not too small. cafes. hotels. charm. Roadies wander supermarkets in full Spandex post-ride. Nothing you do as a cyclist will be considered weird here.


La Fabrica: Coffee, Pastries, and Cyclists
You may know Christian Meier as a pro cyclist with Orica-GreenEdge, but he’s also co-owner of a tiny coffee shop tucked away in downtown Girona. He and his wife Amber can often be found pulling espresso shots and chatting with patrons, as plenty of cyclists gather there for pre-ride caffeine boosts. It’s a great spot to enjoy an Americano and find a cycling buddy, solid route intel, or who to call for a great sports massage.



6. weather. at some point there should be good weather, where someone could ride without cold weather clothing. Weather is mild in the winter with long sleeves and shorts warm enough to ride in.








#RoadsLikeThese

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I was very fortunate to live in Bergamo, Italy for a season when I was bike racing full time. It is really hard to beat if you want endless climbs, fantastically talented people to ride with, great low key living, and the beauty of the Italian/Swiss Alps.

so, yeah, i think what might be interesting is a series of slowtwitch meet-ups. but if i'm going to do that it's got to be someplace worth boxing up my bike for. and it won't be for tri bike riding. either road or gravel. or both. if it's in europe it's got to be the maritime alps, the dolomites, tuscany, the italian alps, or either girona or san sebastian in spain, the french alps, something like that. no sense in farting around unless it's going to be the PERFECT location.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I realize this Slowman's vacation party and Bakersfield sure as hell isn't going to make his short list (his home is probably a better spot), but I could not abide the air pollution anywhere near there.

A preponderance of clean air, sunshine, and light winds would certainly be on my requirements list for a cycling vacation.

And the best Polenta. Ever! Ristorante Agnello D'Oro. Yum.

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My latest book: "Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire" is on sale on Amazon and at other online and local booksellers

Dan
For my sins I run a bike shop, and we do Travel trips
This year I have come back from San Sebastian, Mallorca and Nice; with Dolomites next.
As you know, there is no perfect town - for a 3-4 day trip Mallorca will blow your mind. I found San Sebastian took longer to grow on me, but it left a bigger impression. Something quite magical about the area; and the coastline itself is stunning.
Nice was epic as well; and seeing Froome and Porte on the roads you are on is very cool as well.

If you guys are talking international, the best few days I ever spent on a bike was when I was living in Romania. If you go up into the Carpathians in Transylvania, there are two roads called the Transalpina and Transfagarasan where you can ride them both in a few days trip. Look them up, they are both outstanding rides.

so funny you mention this because i just spent a half-hour looking over the transfăgărășan on google earth.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I used to ride it almost every weekend when I lived in Bucharest. I can answer any questions you have about it. The lesser known Transalpina is the real diamond in the rough though, it's a better road, longer ride, harder climbs and the scenery is absolute heaven on earth for a cyclist. Combining both would be a ride you would never forget.

Pau or Lourdes in the foothills of the French Pyrenees are both very good.

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BA coaching http://www.bjornandersson.se

i thought somebody might nominate helen, or somewhere in that north GA west NC area. some of the best cycling i've ever done.


Despite my many years in the saddle, I've not had a lot of experience cycling in some of the really "known" areas.

We did go down to ride the Hincapie Gran Fondo last fall, and I must say I was REALLY impressed with the roads and the riding in the area - to the north and west of Greenville and Asheville.

I must say some of the most pleasant rides I've ever done are the one-and-done rides of done on Sales Road Trips throughout North America, where I stop in some place, find a hotel, plot out some kind of a ride, via Google maps for the next morning and then head out early, to ride on roads I've never been on before, and probably will never be on again. Typically it's pleasant farmland on the outskirts of medium sized cities, that just happens to have a Holiday Inn Express at an interchange on the Interstate on the outskirts of the city!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

   
Now to address the original question, I offer: Ashland, Oregon




Some Climbs:
* Ashland to Mt. Ashland: road or dirt. Shortish 20 miles with 5000 feet of climbing. Climb another 2000 feet to the top on a Mtb. No cars. Ever.

* Lake of the Woods ride. 70 miles. Maybe 9000 feet of climbing. Few cars.




* Jens's Mountain Hammer Fest. ~50 miles. ~15,000 feet of climbing. Screaming 60 mph descent down the famous "Dead Indian Road"




When you're recovering from riding, you can see Shakespeare and other plays at the largest and best repertory theater in the U.S.

Plus, I'll take you out to dinner. (I still owe you for the fitting session).

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My latest book: "Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire" is on sale on Amazon and at other online and local booksellers

i will absolutely want to talk to you about what you do.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

French Pyrenees would be a good choice. For a city, I would skip Lourdes, but I like Argeles -Gazost which is a little further south. From here you can reach all the great Pyreneean climbs - Hautacam, Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, Aubisque. And its only a very short car trip to the other classic climbs in the Pyrenees.

Since this is a week cycling trip, which I would consider a vacation, I would want to venture outside of the US. So for me it would be Mallorca (don't know a city, dammit), Tuscany region (don't know a city, dammit) or the Haute Pyrenees. I can't do those amazing rides without some serious food and drink to accompany those epic days in the saddle.

I would second the amazing riding almost anywhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina. The BRP is spectacular in its own right, but there is even more amazing riding on all the roads that surround those Parkway towns.

slowman doesn't do 60. slowman doesn't do 15,000' in a day. but i nonetheless take your point. seems fabulous.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

  
Dolomites are wonderful. However, most Americans (and particularly West-Coasters) overlook that Central Europe has by far the most rain during the summer months:



It is the opposite of West Coast weather. On average, it rains 15 days in each of the Summer months in the Dolomites. I spent an entire July week in Madonna di Campiglio socked in rain in fog, another in Cortina with unrelenting rain and 50 degree highs. In fact, out of 8 trips to the Dolomites, I can only remember one that wasn't marred by at least a few days of unrelenting rain.

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My latest book: "Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire" is on sale on Amazon and at other online and local booksellers

The Maritime Alps (Nice, France). My friends use to be neighbors with LA, enough said :)

I've now lived in Colombia for three years, way down south in the lowland tropical plains known as the llanos at the foot of the Andes with 85F and sun 350 days a year. And this is the first I've heard of internationally renown destination cycling IN COLOMBIA?! Thanks to Slowman's post and ST's contributors, I now have looked up my next vacation destination: Rio Negro. (And I was just lamenting yesterday how much I miss Arizona's Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, Alpine, Mount Graham, and Flagstaff.)

Thanks, Slowman and lostinT2.

You're leaving out the Casitas Pass Climbs to Ojai (casitas pass), the 33 out of ojai, OSM, and Stage Coach. Fig is also ride-able from town but it's a sketchy ride out there and back. We also have several dirt road climbs up to Gibraltar.

Livermore, on the east side of the bay from San Jose is tough to beat.

1) you can ride year around
2) on the edge of the bay, so not a ton of traffic, given that there is civilization on only one side
3) bike lanes nearly everywhere
4)I can leave my house after work and get in a 1 hour workout that involves 1K ft of climbing, goinging in 3 different directions
5) from my house you can ride many of the east bay's best climbs: Diablo, Hamilton, 3 Bears, Morgan Territory, Berkeley Hills
6) You can do a 60 mile ride with over 5K ft of climbing all while staying less than 10 miles from the city center of livermore

Seriously, you have lived there three years and haven't checked out the riding? The rides around Rio Negro were fantastic, also check out the climbing nearby at Jericho and Jardin. Incredible.

Two places that I would put up there: Lucca, Italy and Kyoto, Japan.

Live in Palo Alto (which is not too shabby as a climbers paradise) but vacation in these two destinations every year.

Lucca- live in the old walled inner city. Wake up, get an espresso, walk into chrono bikes and chat. Then head out in any direction for awesome climbing. Run into a bunch of pro cyclists. Eat amazing italian food. Rinse, repeat. La Dolce Vita.

Kyoto- this city is so zen. it is so serene and spiritual. Then suffer on amazing climbs. I actually base most of my riding out of Osaka which is close by since I know some of the Rapha guys. This will seem somewhat trivial but stay at the Ritz Carlton Kyoto- trust me. Finally, the Japanese food...the Japanese ethos need I say more?

Alleghe or Bormio

Spend an August week (or more) in the French Pyrenees and climb the world classics. Stay in Luz-Saint Sauveur or Saint-Lary Soulan. It will be a trip you'll never forget.

Prescott Arizona. It meets every single one of your wishes

Annecy in the French Alps has to be one of the finest towns for riding and scenery. Stunning lakeside location and surrounded by fantastic climbs

People might think this is a random one but I think Derby is amazing,

Velodrome is only a couple of years old and within 20 minutes of cycling you are in the peak district which has some of the best riding around.

North Georgia aka the Gaps are starting to get dangerous. There's still a lot of cycling up there but the roads have become pretty busy over the past few years.

I was part of a week long training camp based in Helen, GA the first week of April. We've done the same camp since 2009. I don't remember any dangerous encounters with motor vehicles. Having been to Annecy, Woodstock, VT and Kona mentioned in this thread, North Georgia can't compare as far as the ambiance off the bike.

Annecy was the best place I've been for a week of running. It was my honeymoon, so I didn't get a chance to ride a bike. :)

If I ride up there, I do it on a weekday and the roads are empty. I think it's more on the weekends that you have the traffic and motorcycles buzzing by, at least when I'm up there.

Nice, France.

Over the last couple years spent here in Germany I've taken advantage of the crazy amount of budget flights out of Hannover/Hamburg to many of these Euro locations already suggested. And I'd agree, Mallorca is really, really tough to beat! Anywhere from Andratx to Alcúdia offers exactly what you're looking for.

I also love Italy, it all just goes together well for me in & out of the saddle. The vibe, people, weather, food, etc. I prefer the Como/Bergamo region over Lucca/Pistoria but damn those roads are narrow! Esp for the amount of busses & trucks encountered

A favorite of mine I haven't seen mentioned is Bastogne. Not so much for the city, it's quite touristy & tacky..... (good size & decent food tho) But the riding is world class any direction. For 100's of kilos! Gorgeous Dolly Pardon rollers that just don't stop. Not the cat 1's & 2's you'd find in other spots, but you will have primo gravel/farm/fire road alternative if you want some variety

CC

Another +1 on this.

The area is also popular with sports car clubs. I've been buzzed several times (on winding turns even) by impatient "Miata" drivers afraid they'll get left behind their buddies.

Helen is a great place to ride, just need to be mindful of others, etc.

Yeah, last summer I thought I was going to have to beat the crap out of 5 miata drivers who just so happened to stop at the gas station after they all purposely buzzed me up there. I can be a little bit of a hot head but I'm working on it.

The Six Gaps Century is pretty freaking awesome. And, the Gaps are very accessible to the everyman with a reasonably short drive from Atlanta. And, you can construct a pretty good ride with options on how many gaps you want to climb and how far to ride.

For great year round road cycling, Sonoma County is pretty good. Unlike La La land, our version of highway 1 is virtually free of development and views are spectacular. You can ride through massive redwoods on roads like King Ridge, Sweetwater, Coleman Valley or head up to the Mayacamas mountains via Geysers and Pine Flat. Then the classics like Trinity and Cavedale. if you want something mellower, you can ride through miles of vinyards and even wine taste.

There is a reason so many pros live and train here and team BMC is based here. Seems like there is a century ride around here just about every weekend from May through end of summer. I won't get into those geeky triathletes that are here this week for IM Santa Rosa 70.3. Hard to see the views from a tri bike anyway...

No doubt you should come to Utah. Here is a sample what you can do in Salt Lake in a day, and then there is the surrounding areas Utah Valley, Ogden, Park City. It is climbing paradise.

Sssssshhhhh!!!

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Tad

It took awhile, but I finally discovered that its not the destination that's important, but rather the journey.

Listen to SKID. I lived in Annecy for 3 years. It fits all your criteria plus the swimming is fabulous-lake plus 50m outdoor pool where the women swim topless (ask skid!)
You can't get a bad meal here either! Ville is great-markets, canals, restaurants, history.
DEV forgot to tell you about it.
Let me know if you have any questions

He'll need to do seven gaps, can't leave out Brasstown Bald.

Colombia is geographically BIG, as in three times the size of Texas. But, yeah, time to get out and see a little more of it.

We've never experienced issues with sports cars in Helen. Early April must be too early for them.

For those of you who have trained in both places, would you rather spend a week in early April riding and running in Helen, GA or Tucson, AZ?

Check out Megeve, France. When I lived in London I spent two summer vacations there with my family in a rented chalet. Its moderately quiet in the summer with plenty to do. Several TdF routes are nearby and either rideable directly from Megeve, or after a short transfer by car. Miles of trail too.


The people are kind, the food is terrific and the scenery is outstanding. One drawback: there is a single main road that can get congested - don't need to be on it for long but you do need to ride it to get to certain routes.


The other ideas on this thread look amazing so I can't say this is THE town matching your criteria...



http://www.stanfordskiing.co.uk/...road-cycling-megeve/

I would also say Annecy France. The town is beautiful, summer weather is superb, and the lake setting is spectacular. There is riding around the lake, in the mountains and an amazing set of small roads with hardly any traffic that cut through lots of small villages.

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Andrew Inkpen

Beauty be damned. There is nothing I would like LESS than traveling for thousands of miles to ride my bike in cold rain. Too many places I've left where I already did that.

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DFL > DNF > DNS

Whatever you do, don't come to SLO town. Horrible town. Sad. Ugly. Bad weather. No character. Flat. Boring. No trails. Or climbs. Or fun. Terrible culture. Nothing interesting to do on Thursday night. Or Friday night. Polluted. Sharks. Bears. Go to Santa Barbara. Or Bako (really!?!? Whatev.)

Go to A-town. You will be loved.

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Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/

Just in case : had you ever heard of "el alto de la linea" , letras and la linea are probably the hardest climbs in Colombia due to climatic and altitude changes in the route( if you do hte long route).

I could think of more, but two that popped into my head straight away are:

Briancon in French Alps. Easy access to some great climbs and overall great riding (You climb straight into the Izoard, Galibier, etc).

Tossa de Mar, Costa Brava in Spain. No big long alps climbs there, but very nice and challenging roads. The road along the coast from Tossa to Sant Feliu de Guixols is stunning, always up and down with some cool cornering to do, very fun. I've done quite a few training camps there back in the days. I would go there around this time of the year (May) to avoid big crowds or cars and buses during summer.

Dan,

for the past 6 years we have gone to a small town on the med called SPOTORNO.
It is on the Milano San Remo course.

Its a great spot. Next door to it though is Finale Ligura. UNREAL mountain biking and road ride to be had in that area of italy. The coast is spectacular but if you turn around from the water.. its all mountains. Le Manie (inserted then removed from Milano San Remo) is about as easy of a hill as youll have around there.

DaveD

2x on that one too! and Devs suggestion of Ventoux.. staying in Bedoin or Mulecene

daved

Annecy is busy in the summer but only in the old town and around the beaches. I lived may - august in the area and there was hardly any traffic on the country roads in the hills around town.

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Andrew Inkpen

I agree with Annecy, Briancon, and maybe even Morzine. Rode through or stayed at each of those at Epic Camp France 2016. Incredibly beautiful with massive climbs in every direction.

Ojai, CA

I haven't been able to ride in Europe like a lot of these people posting, but I definitely suggest Charlottesville, VA for you. Great, interesting city and tons of wonderful nearby riding with all the climbing you'd want. The blue ridge parkway/Skyline Drive, Batesville, etc

In a short 9 day trip you can start in Nice, spend 2-3 days riding around there, drive over to Bedouin, spend 1 day of riding the Ventoux area, drive over to Bourg d'Oisans and spend 4 days of riding there. If you want to tack on 3 days to your trip, drive across to Bormio and do Mortirolo, Bormio2000 and Gavia and end your trip with the double summit of Stelvio from North and South side in the same day. Fly into Nice, fly out of Milan. Pray for no rain on the Hautes Alps and Bormio leg.

This would be my ultimate once in a lifetime cycliing trip for the North American bike geek wanting to hit some great high caliber pedigree climbs in 14 days total. I really feel that your career as a cyclist is incomplete without doing Stelvio. It combines the majesty of the high Dolomites with all the Giro d'Italia pedigree.

Alternatively you do 2 trips. One that is Pyranees + Ventoux + Nice/Cote d'Azur, the other one, Bourg d'Oisans + Interlaken switzerland area + Dolomites.

If travel is involved across an ocean with a good chance you can never go back, good to cover a few high caliber climbing venues.

I think Pasadena,CA is a great place to be because there's access to a variety of roads in the area.

First in Pasadena itself there's the Rose Bowl peleton ride every Tuesday and Thursday, an unofficial 31 mile crit around the Rose Bowl stadium. Good way to work on speed and bike handling skills. Then there's the Montrose ride for a different loop with similar peloton every Saturday. Really a roadies ride but great to become a better cyclist.

Plenty of short steep hills in Pasadena itself on roads with not too much traffic, and from Pasadena you can ride in the San Gabriel mountains via Angeles Crest Highway, Highway 39, Mt Baldy road... it's where the queen stage of the Tour of California takes place. There are tons of mountain bike trails for all levels and difficulties.

You can also do flat rides and head on the bike trails to Long Beach or Seal Beach and continue riding along the coast. Or you can drive for 45 minutes and head down to Malibu and go for a ride in the Santa Monica mountains.

You can ride all year round... I love it here.

Note I am originally from the region of Oudenaarde, Belgium which nobody has mentioned yet. That area is the center of the action in the Flemish classics and all the hills of the Tour of Flanders are within a 15-20 mile radius. Many charming roads with minimal traffic but no mountains since the highest elevation in the region is only around 400ft above sea level. And it rains a lot... but if you are a cycling classics fan, tons of great places to ride.

Also a climber, oh #$%^ I want to ride that road in the pic!!

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Colorado Triathlon Company, CO2UT 2021, Crooked Gravel 2022, Steamboat Gravel 2022

Pungo Ferry Bridge is at LEAST 30 ft :)

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IG: idking90

In the haute alpes - Morzine. Only way out of town is up and the riding in the PdS is amazing. Amazing.

South of France - i'm biased - Grasse / Nice / Beausoleil............

Whilst not all riding is available from each location. Individually each town still has access to amazing climbing. From my front door its either up to Gourdon / col d'ecre or Speracedes or down to cannes / antibes and what goes up / down.........you get the picture

I think Annecy / Nice / Antibes can be completely mental in summer

Morzine has amazing restaurants

Megeve - mentioned earlier - actually has the best pizza place i've eaten at in france

Morzine can be super busy in summer but within 5 mins of being on your bike you are away from much of the crowds

Other areas to consider - bourg st maurice

In switzerland i stayed in rapperswil and the climbing out from the lake on the other side was amazing. The ibergeregg and the sattelegg were two of the best climbs i have done.

Switzerland is really cool.

From the bottom of verbier you can do the grand and petit st bernard, forclaz from martigny, ride to chamonix, petit forclaz and i am sure there are others i have not explored.

Or from Martigny, you can do the last part of this route:

Aspen, CO in August/September is pretty fabulous and ticks all your boxes. Long climb up to Independence Pass, variety of shorter but sublime road climbs right out of town (Castle Creek, Maroon Creek, etc.). Plenty of punchy climbs on the rolling roads down valley, which you can take to access climbs to Snowmass or Frying Pan up to Ruedi Reservoir. Lots of good dirt, too, if you like that. Weather and scenery incredible in mid-Sept...cool mornings and warm days with tons of sunshine and fall colors. Option to do an epic loop around the Elk Mountains hitting McClure, Kebler, Cottonwood and Independence passes with an overnight in Crested Butte, too (which is just as stunning). In fact, if you like riding dirt, I'd recommend Crested Butte. Mixed pavement/dirt climbs abound--Schofield Pass via Gothic, Slate River Road, Kebler Pass, Ohio Pass, Cottonwood Pass via Taylor Park and some of the best trail riding in CO, to boot, if you're into giving that a go. Pretty much same weather as Aspen, but much more laid back town and way less people/cars. Can't go wrong either way, just a matter of what you're into.

Yep.

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Heath Dotson
HD Coaching:Website |Twitter: 140 Characters or Less|Facebook:Follow us on Facebook

I think for most of us, going to Aspen to ride won't be that great an experience because the base altitude is too high relative to sea level. For slowman living around 3000 ft up if I recall correctly, it may not be that bad though. I would say that one of the criteria for sea level guys going to make a biking holiday is pick a spot where the base camp altitude is not too high so that when you go another 800m-1500m further up, you're not getting up to altitude sickness zone and you can climb moderately hard without complete oxygen deprivation.

Dev

Good point. Hadn't considered that!

"if i ONLY wanted to climb, tho, and i lived in calif, i'd probably take bishop. there are probably 6 or 7 climbs right out of either bishop or big pine"

Agreed and little to no traffic on them either - got to spend a week there last year helping get my ass in gear for Tour Trans Alps - will be back again this fall!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KNF97ytfbH8

Not this town.

At least it wasn't a hit and run which is common around here. Of course, we don't have 3 cameras covering every accident with HD video...

Have you found your answer?

Asking because I'd like to know but am too lazy to dechiper the thread myself.

Scott

Yea, Aspen sucks.......and the riding is way to hard.

banking a 150K on the bike and seeing maybe 6 cars.....who could take it. I would go some where else. PLEASE

Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. UK.

Some of the finest road surfaces in the world.



Light traffic.



Unmatched architecture. Cutting edge sports facilities.



Big restaurant scene.



Lively clubbing and bar scene.



Perfect weather for riding all year round.




Modern transport network.




Friendly locals.


Beautiful women.





Look forward to seeing you soon!

Thats awesome. Missed out on a donner as recovery food.......

In the Summer Annecy, France fits all the criteria. It also has a great place to work on your time trailing (The tour was there recently). The Alps dwarf the little town. Solomon is based there so there are plenty of like minded people to help you discover the area.
Then there is the access to everything. Switzerland and Italy are not too far away.

Winter trips to Mallorca are also quite easy and fairly inexpensive.

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Dave Jewell
Free Run Speed

agreed - i live near rapperswil and it's the best road riding i've had anywhere in my life. lots of options, perfect road surfaces, thoughtful drivers . . . outstanding.

i've ridden zurich's singletrack only a few times, but my MTB and downhill friends seem happy enough.

now if only we could do something about the winters . . .

-mike

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

These pix look delicious.

Beckoning Duffy (a little), where can you ride road relatively free of hateful drivers with lots of hills (altitude is fine too), access to windsurfing or kitesurfing venues, and also mountain biking (not downhilling, but rather XC and hill climbing) and still the weather allows you to surf or ride >75% of the year?

Spa in the Belgian Ardennes. 25% grade climbs, great food, great scenery - I kept quoting 'The Rider' in my head as I passed indifferent cows, statue of Eddy Merckx at the top of one particularly steep climb (like the Beast at St. Croix only 8% steeper), polite drivers, history (Liege-Baston-Liege).

Bologna, Italy. Climbing, Climbing and more Climbing if you want. There are climbs near the city center, that will be visible watching the 100th edition of the Giro di Emilia this Saturday. The climbing extends south towards Tuscany, and East towards Imola, (site of the 1968 World Championships) and all the way to the Adriatic Sea. Bologna hosts the Gran Fondo10 (dieci) Colli and near by in Romagna is the 9 (nove) Colli. Going north its pancake flat almost all the way to Switzerland, great for TT training and the winter when its cold out. Between the great climbs are gorgeous Valley roads to link it all together. Another plus, the best post ride food anywhere.

I'll second Bourg d'Oisans and Briancon, then add Bagneres-de-Bigorre...those were the 3 that came to top of mind first. I stayed in Bagneres-de-Bigorre and Guillestre (near Briancon), and you've got several HC climbs right outside of town with light, friendly traffic. I was really impressed with the routes around Barneres-de-Bigorre, so if I had to choose one, that would be it.

I'm honestly up in the air about places in the USA. Lots of great places to ride, but nothing like what I experienced in France. The biggest issue here are the drivers.

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"Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps"
Blog = http://extrememomentum.com|Photos = http://wheelgoodphotos.com

I stayed in Dillon this summer, near Frisco, and it’s a great cycling area. Only thing is I view Colorado as a great summer cycling area, but how about the winter?

To lazy to scroll through the pages to see if it has been mentioned...Lake Annecy.

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