| Archive for justcycling.myfastforum.org Just Cycling |
| naspa |
Best and Worst Cities to ride in?Best: VancouverWorst: London Never really tried to ride in Romanian cities. The roads are so badly maintained, there is too much air pollution and the standard of driving is appalling. I think my life expectancy would be up there with a WW1 pilot. |
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| paperman |
Dublin ain't the best. Never rode in London and wouldn't like to. | ||||||
| CapeRoadie |
Best:
Portland, Oregon San Francisco Worst: New York City Boston |
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| naspa |
Why good and why bad? | ||||||
| kellyrocheearly |
Dublin city centre is a nightmare for a cyclist and Boston aint much better | ||||||
| smarauder68 |
Minneapolis has 8 beautiful lakes with their own bike paths....not to mention the Mississippi River roads and Minnehaha creek parkway....All great for cycling from April thru October.... | ||||||
| sheeponabike |
The only big city i've ever ridden in is Vienna and it's superb except for the tramlines which can be a real bugger with narrow tyres. | ||||||
| CapeRoadie |
Portland, Oregon: 
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| CapeRoadie |
San Francisco has many bike lanes, and many cycling clubs. The bike paths are extensive and bike routes everywhere. The wilderness is so close to the city that you can walk to it. I rode Portola Valley through redwood forests, along the coast south of the city, and many places north including the Marin Headlands, Sausalito, Tiburon, Point Reyes and others, and found road cyclists everywhere. It's a real cycling community and the views and green spaces abound. I love it there. If I didn't live here, I'd live there.
I like the fact that you can bike this: 
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| chasm |
Re: Best and Worst Cities to ride in?
Never ridden in Vancouver but having visited the city I can see how it would be good. As for London, I don't think it's so bad. I used to commute by bicycle from Walthamstow to Westminster, and while I certainly had to stay alert I very rarely got into any trouble. Lots more cyclists around in London now than there were then, too. The secret always seemed to me to be to insist on taking up a car's space. Dodging around in the gutter was what got people into difficulty; they felt safer but weren't. |
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| tourmalet |
Best:
Paris - you can pretend you're in the Tour when you go over the Champs Elysee on your bike. Roundabouts can be a bit hairy (tip: close your eyes and just pedal). London - it's really not so bad, and by far the best way to get round London. Plus it's fun to beat the cycle couriers who think they are super-cool in the cleats when you are on your sit up and beg. 
Worst: I wouldn't want to cycle in Rome or a big Italian city. It's exciting enough driving. |
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| naspa |
Take Italian driving, multiply it by ten, make the roads really bad, add in stray dogs, horses with carts, and you have the cycling conditions here in Ro. | ||||||
| kellyrocheearly |
Naples is supposed to be a death trap, anywhere with idiots on mopeds is really a no go for me | ||||||
| smarauder68 |
not to mention the idiots in cinquecento's.... 
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| Dr.Wierd |
Worst: Detroit | ||||||
| smarauder68 |
worst: San Antonio -- not many bike paths, blistering heat and tons of locals driving gas-guzzling pickup trucks. | ||||||
| MerlinGuy |
You forgot the humidity and the rain. Err, and half the 'tons' aren't locals, they're relocs. |
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| hedgehog |
I commuted to work in central London every day for 5 years during the mid 1990s ... it didn't seem so bad really. Had three accidents, none of which resulted in any damage to me, though one driver wrecked my bike by driving into me when I was stationary at a roundabout. Taking up lots of space is the key.
Husband cycled to work everyday for even longer and never had an accident - he had much more cycle friendly route to work though. Rarely got seriously rained on - it doesn't rain *that* much in SE England (London's annual rainfall is lower than what we get here in the Pyrenées). |
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| CapeRoadie |
Is that an invitation? You simply need a cyclocross bike and a really good helmet, naspa. |
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| CapeRoadie |
I love San Antonio. How bad could the cycling be? |
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| cyclingtv |
you think your towns bad.. number one is just nuts..
#1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwF32pqIOYs #2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6UMD3L2fco #3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZfAdN8fjLI |
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| Dr.Wierd |
Hmmm....stand corrected | ||||||
| smarauder68 |
San Antonio has its positives(riverwalk, food, mexican culture and mild winter weather), but the summer's are humid and blazing hot(upper 90's and humid almost daily from June thru Sept). The roads are in poor condition and the city's infrastructure and roads weren't designed with 1.4 million inhabitants in mind. There are very few if any public parks and almost no bike paths. |
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| fede40 |
i always thought that having learnt to drive in Rome the only places in which i wouldn't risk driving were Naples and south east Asia. i was pretty right. anyway, i wouldn't advice (sadly) to cycle through rome unless you live in the city centre were there are less cars. although most of is in cobblestones (and holes). it can be fun given all the hills here to ride but as someone pointed out mopeds (and smart cars) will always be in the middle of the way. bike routes are narrow and possibly a shelter for homeless people (as you ride under a few bridges). |
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| crash48 |
London is shite to ride in, except on a sunday morning when it is one of the best places to ride-what with all the sights, lack of traffic and people etc.
Sydney is as bad as anywhere these days, and all the time I lived in New York I was not too keen on getting out in that traffic. |
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| CapeRoadie |
I love London for walking and running. A question to you Londoners:
How far away from the city would I have to go for some really excellent road biking? And how is the road biking in Bath? Wales? Cornwall? York? |
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| kellyrocheearly |
I've been to York and its a beautiful little city plus you have the Yorkshire hills all around for riding in. I didnt do any riding there but i'd say it'd be fun | ||||||
| crash48 |
45 mins and you are in the chilterns and that is great riding.
Surrey and Kent are not that far away either but I don't ride there. Wales is one great place to ride and all sorts of riding. Long hills, short steep hills etc. |
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| CapeRoadie |
I'm looking to add to my Hadrian's Wall trip. Ireland first though. Thanks! |
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| tourmalet |
London's such a big place. You have to get an hour out of London by road to train. I tried riding out of the North West in the Chilterns but didn't like it - roads way too busy. Also tried training in Kent - better. My usual training rides were in Herts and Cambridge or Essex - out the North East. York? I haven't done any big rides out of York yet but lots of riding in the Yorkshire Dales which is excellent cycling country if you have thighs of steel. Also good riding in the Yorkshire Wolds - to the East of York on the way out to the coast. As with most places in this country the main problem is stupid drivers (although there are some rabid dogs) and the howling wind/ rain. I much prefer doing any prolonged riding abroad - France being the best place by KILOMETERS!! |
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| crash48 |
Shropshire is also a great place to ride-very quiet.
France is the best place to ride, by a long way. |
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| CapeRoadie |
Thanks, everybody. Am copying and pasting it all.
Just curious, crash...why is France THE place to ride? |
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| sheeponabike |
Because France is beautiful with varied, breathtaking scenery. Cape, while you're in England I hope you visit Derbyshire, my home county. Fabulous biking country. www.derbyshireuk.net/ 
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| crash48 |
Cape
What sheep has said sums it up. The countryside is beautiful and it changes from place to place-dramatically in places. The sights, the smells (Provence and lavender for example), the riding history when you realise your on the D 918 just add to the whole experience. The roads for the most part are quiet, the drivers give you plenty of room, and it is a great feeling to ride through a village or a small town on your way to a great climb or just ride in general. The people are friendly (I have never had any problems and made some great contacts) and the food and drink is nearly always good which makes for great anticipation on the ride home! It just feels good when you are out there-be it riding in a sportif, with friends from local cycling clubs, or just out for a general ride. It is also not just the main riding areas such as the alps etc. Places such as the Massif Central, Alsace and Massif des Maures are also great places to ride- to name but a few. Italy and Spain are also a great places to ride, but I will take France if push came to shove-from a cycling perspective. |
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| sheeponabike |
oops, sorry crash, hadn't noticed cape's question was for you! | ||||||
| crash48 |
You have only strengthened my argument-and you have first hand knowledge. | ||||||
| CapeRoadie |
It was for everybody, so thanks all, you and crash. I love this forum--my favorite internet place because of you Europeans and misplaced Aussies, and all the rest. It's like traveling without having to leave home. |
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| pantanifan |
I'm in Germany working for a few months and have no family with me at the moment, so I took the opportunity to have my first ride in over a year today - what a great feeling! Just a question for those of you with more training in your legs, why do the numbers 5 and 6 appear on my gear lever?
40 kms, not a car in sight, cycle paths the size of a small road and well maintained. Perfectly signed, even an idiot foreigner could find his way around (going slowly and taking breaks admittedly), now all I need is some anti-sunburn lotion and something to help with my (temporarily) wobbly legs... |
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| grrr |
I'm based in the Surrey Hills and you can get here from London pretty easily.
This map starts in Kingston which is about 6 miles from central London: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/london/257511627 If you get the train to Epsom (30 mins) it may be a bit nicer: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/epsom/351230890 |
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| Citgo |
Do you only cycle in "Blue States"? 
Best: Lucca, Italy Worst: Boston |
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| grrr |
I am off to New York for a few days and thinking about renting a bike just to broaden my geographical boundaries beyond walking distance from 46th Street.
I'm happy riding in central London but I know it well and (almost) everyone drives on the left. But New York seems to have a reputation for not a great place to explore by bike - does anyone have any advice as to whether it might be a good or bad idea? Also (assuming I'm not put off by the response!) if anyone has first hand or anecdotal experience of hiring bikes in NY it would be appreciated (I've Googled & checked my Rough Guide, but actual experiences are always good to hear) |
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| last km |
Suggest you pm forza_pettachi he lives there and is/was working in a bike shop. | ||||||
| thunderthighs |
rome is to grease.. if i could.. anywhere in spain..becuz spain is not an industrialized nation, so no grease/smoke/ diesel smell..just pretty women..
ciao |
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| grrr |
good call |
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