Wifey and I are looking to move after the girls graduate high school, in about 6 years. I know that’s a ways off… But I ran out of work to do and I’ll be DAMNED if I clean my office for the next hour!
Anyway, what are the best Tri states to live in? Why? We currently live in Massachusetts. We both HATE the cold, and she wants friendly people. I could care less about the people. We like to hike, she’s getting into tri, I’ve been in it a long time. I’m far left political if that’s something that could get me into trouble there. But I don’t mind discussions.
Fun question. I’m sure you’ll hear Colorado, Oregon, Utah, California, Arizona, Texas and Florida. My bias (because I live here) is Northern CA near the Sierra Nevada foothills. Great cycling, climbing, ultra-running with plenty of rivers and lakes for swimming. The taxes are high, the cost of living is high, it’s not as left as SF Bay Area but its too crowded! You should probably consider Oregon :-).
I’d say NorCal, except that the cost of living (esp. housing) is outlandish. I moved to Silicon Valley from Boston, and the training here is amazing. Not just the terrain, but that you can SBR outdoors all year.
Further south, the training is even better (ex. San Diego area) but the politics are more varied.
Another option is the Denver/Boulder area (my wife is from there). Housing is more in line with MA pricing and training is great; you just have to deal with an actual winter. Politically, Denver is purple and Boulder is far left (a la Berkeley).
All these areas have the added advantage of low humidity, which I find makes training and living in general much more pleasant than the humid summers on the East Coast.
Having lived in WI and Chicago most of my life, my pick is SoCal. Of course, I’ve lived here the past 9 years, so I’m biased. I moved here for work, but primarily for the weather. The taxes and cost of living are insane (even compared to Chicago)*, and I know many people who “say” they are going to leave. I don’t know if I would retire here, but I’ll take it while I can. I have friends who live in Oregon and Colorado who love it there as well.
Footnote:
*There is plenty of cheap land out in the desert, especially if you want a compound for your cult and/or build a nuclear, zombie proof bunker.
Having lived in WI and Chicago most of my life, my pick is SoCal. Of course, I’ve lived here the past 9 years, so I’m biased. I moved here for work, but primarily for the weather. The taxes and cost of living are insane (even compared to Chicago)*, and I know many people who “say” they are going to leave. I don’t know if I would retire here, but I’ll take it while I can. I have friends who live in Oregon and Colorado who love it there as well.
Footnote:
*There is plenty of cheap land out in the desert, especially if you want a compound for your cult and/or build a nuclear, zombie proof bunker.
I’m only 38, and I’ll be 44 by then. Retirement is no time soon lol
Not the answer you’re looking for but I love living in MA for cycling. I live just north of Boston and it’s great to ride out west to Harvard, or on a quiet weekend morning out to Newburyport. I grew up on the south coast of MA and regret not cycling as a kid because there’s some prime riding down there in southern MA/RI. I guess all of this to say the grass isn’t always greener, I lived away from MA for about 8 years and we had the opportunity to come back 8 years ago and don’t regret being here and definitely appreciate the area having been gone.
Majority of suggestions are for locations with cold weather
Ahhhhh I love ST never fails to deliver the lols 😂
Yes and living in Mass I know cold! Know it far to well… of course Oregon and prob even Denver would seem mild compared to the rugged north east winters.
I’ll throw my hat in the ring and say Maui. Cycling is amazing out there, open ocean swimming anytime, just not the north shore I’m the winter, and hiking galore. You may need to wear arm sleeves and a vest when you ride in January or anytime you want to ascend Haleakala but that’s about it.
You can easily hop between islands, just send your bike on Aloha Air Cargo fully assembled. And the flights to Asia and Australia are pretty cheap compared to going back to the US mainland. Cost of living is high though. But Oprah could be your neighbor so that’s a plus.
Check out the upstate of SC. Great cycling community (George Hincapie lives here). You can ride hills, flats, mountains, etc. We also have an awesome tri community with well attended, well run events with really good competition. Best of all, cost of living is next to nothing, great people and Sox single A team (Greenville Drive).
Wifey and I are looking to move after the girls graduate high school, in about 6 years. I know that’s a ways off… But I ran out of work to do and I’ll be DAMNED if I clean my office for the next hour!
Anyway, what are the best Tri states to live in? Why? We currently live in Massachusetts. We both HATE the cold, and she wants friendly people. I could care less about the people. We like to hike, she’s getting into tri, I’ve been in it a long time. I’m far left political if that’s something that could get me into trouble there. But I don’t mind discussions.
probably tough to beat Austin TX with your criteria then. if you can afford it of course!
We both HATE the cold, and she wants friendly people. I could care less about the people. We like to hike, she’s getting into tri, I’ve been in it a long time. I’m far left political if that’s something that could get me into trouble there. But I don’t mind discussions.
A few things that come to mind…
Size of town?
What else do you do for entertainment? Shopping? Need a major airport close?
What can you afford?
Do you LOVE the heat?
Do you like dry, wet, dreary, sunny, altitude?
Subscribed. I also live in the northeast, hate the cold, far left politically, and can’t move yet because of my kids. I like discussion threads like this.
I’ve Zillowed all over the country, just for fun. It’s hard to find the open water swim combo in a place I actually want to live (red states are warm). At least YMCA’s are plentiful in the northeast, and I swim in the ocean all summer.
Check out the upstate of SC. Great cycling community (George Hincapie lives here). You can ride hills, flats, mountains, etc. We also have an awesome tri community with well attended, well run events with really good competition. Best of all, cost of living is next to nothing, great people and Sox single A team (Greenville Drive).
My sister moved to just outside Greenville from the northeast, visited her in January for first time and I daydream all the time of going back just with my bike and running shoes for like a week bc it was great. This is a solid suggestion that is a little more under the radar than places like FL/CO/CA/UT/etc. You’re absolutely spot on, cost of living is very low. The Appalachians, Asheville, and the blue ridge Pkwy are very close. We spent an afternoon in Brevard, and omg is that place full of bikes! We did a hike there but trails galore for running, and we were driving around and all I could think about was I wish I could be riding these roads! The city of Greenville is awesome, tons to do good running/riding rightthere. Charlotte is a major airport very close, and Greenville has its own medium sized airport also. It certainly has the classic southeastern us feel to it (how can there be so many churches!!) but again I think this is a rock solid suggestion.
All this being said, swimming you’ll have a hard time. There’s like no lakes and not close to ocean at all.
We moved to Charlotte 4 years ago from Portsmouth NH and I’m really happy. Cold is relative, but I don’t consider it cold here at all.
Strong tri culture and some really great group rides. (All levels). I’m 2 miles from the center of the city, but can sneak out to the “farmland†easily for long rides. Also some great running groups and running stores that are extremely supportive to the locals.
The summer is HOT and HUMID, so still adjusting, but pays off come race day.
What it will be like post covid is hard to judge obviously, but if you’re into food CLT has gotten a lot better over the last 2 years. 4 years ago, it was pretty challenged.
Airport is killer compared to Logan, but house prices in the popular neighborhood aren’t as reasonable as you’d think they’d be coming from Boston area.
There the white water center is nearby and Asheville, charleston, Greenville are all drive able.
The biggest challenge for me is the ocean being 3 hours away. I lived a mile from it in nh and even though it was ice water, I miss it immensely.
I know this sounds strange but Boise is great, the winters are short and mild and they get less than 2 ft of snow each year. People in Idaho are very friendly and as long as you aren’t from California they will welcome you with open arms. Cost of living is still very good and the local tri community is pretty happening, awesome indoor pools and lots of bike and hike trails.
Hawaii. I think on Maui the average high temp fluctuates about 5 degrees over the course of the year?
Maui in particular has the West Loop. EPIC. Haleakala…also epic. Other climbs / rides like Road to Hana. Yep…it rains there, but you can generally drive out of it.
Big Island has a little more to offer. I’m certainly no Hawaii guru, but I think about 3-4 of the top 10 climbs by difficulty in the USA are there. I rode most of it. The swim pier is gorgeous for Ironman tradition. Other swim beaches are infinite options.
It’s an incredible place. My only thought with Hawaii is it’s not huge so with riding in particular it might get a little repetitive? But…I could ride the west loop of Maui every single day and never be bored. Probably the same with the Hawi area. It’s just an incredible place and only place I’ve been where I can be balmy comfortable in December at 5AM in a summer kit
