[Tracerboy]

I am relocating to Colorado.
I thought Boulder would be nice, but it's impossibly expensive. Who's got the bike culture? Where should I find a place? thanks to everyone that helps me out- Tom

 

[imtnbke]

I am relocating to Colorado.
I thought Boulder would be nice, but it's impossibly expensive. Who's got the bike culture? Where should I find a place? thanks to everyone that helps me out- Tom

Check out Salida by calling or visiting Absolute Bikes in that town. I only spent a couple of days there, so I could ride the Monarch Crest Trail, and I'm not sure about its bike culture, but the bike shop looked well-stocked. I recall that a local trail guide suggested that year-round riding is possible on a couple of low-elevation trails. You'd have to find out whether either is true by investigating for yourself.

Another place to consider is Gunnison. It has one or two bike shops, which is always a good sign. It's only 28 miles from Crested Butte, and property is much less expensive than in the fabled mountain biking mecca. But Gunnison sometimes registers the lowest temperature in the contiguous United States.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd go with Naturita. Maybe Paradox, or Bedrock.
just my .02 buck

 

[Scary Mc]

If'n you like to burn books Norwood is the place ya ought ta be!


I'm pretty fond of Grand Junction.

 

[Tracerboy]

oh the places youll go

My ideal locale is a place where i could ride year round, with people that really know how to ride, in a state with a good college I could attend within the next three years, oh and lots of trails and shops, and cheap housing. Lofty lofty dreams, but do you guys know any states in the U.S. where I could find that.

-tom

 

[Bigwheel]

In the west I would check out Prescott AZ. But also areas of the mid South could be an option and there are plenty of grits (girls raised in the south) there also.

 

[TomP]

So, do you need to make a living?

Check out Salida by calling or visiting Absolute Bikes in that town. I only spent a couple of days there, so I could ride the Monarch Crest Trail, and I'm not sure about its bike culture, but the bike shop looked well-stocked.

We have culture. A little clique-ish and clannish, but that's changing as more new riders move in.

The phenomena of Salida for people who want to do more than visit is that our real estate prices are almost as high as CB, but incomes are right down there with the poorest in the state.

How can that be?

People who are moving here are not moving here to make money, they move here because they have money (and/or they don't care about money).

How do you become a millionaire in Salida? Bring 2 million.

I love living here. I'm having a blast. I'll stay as long as I can afford to, but this place STINKS as a place to make a living. You are warned.

I recall that a local trail guide suggested that year-round riding is possible on a couple of low-elevation trails. You'd have to find out whether either is true by investigating for yourself.

There are some bits of singletrack clear and dry right now. We normally have some (short, techy) open singletrack 11 months of the year. This year was pretty wintery. Lots of our trails got buried in late November and stayed buried until about a month ago. Last year really only February was out of play.

The best way to enjoy Salida is to do what the old-time local mountain bikers do, plan to leave from your house in the AM, ride dirt roads way back into the boonies for hours and then maybe take some secret route back down into town. From July 4 through some time in September (usually) we have hollywood stuff like the Crest, but the rest of the time we have big, non-glam full-day grunt rides, sometimes punctuated by dangerous technical singletrack. We don't have any climbing singletrack. Around here you do your climbing on jeep roads or graded gravel. We're hoping to change that, but...

Another place to consider is Gunnison. It has one or two bike shops, which is always a good sign. It's only 28 miles from Crested Butte, and property is much less expensive than in the fabled mountain biking mecca. But Gunnison sometimes registers the lowest temperature in the contiguous United States.

Don't plan on being able to make a living in these "fabled" places in rural CO unless you are a trained and experienced health care worker (nurse, doctor, radiologist, emt, etc). And, I love Gunny, but it's COLD there in winter, baby.

Assuming you are somebody who wants to be in CO, but who isn't Warren Buffet's nephew (so you actually need to make a living) I would recommend Denver's west side suburbs (Lakewood, Littleton, Arvada). Colo Springs has good riding and hard-core bikey culture (very competitive, but very much alive) and you can make a living there, but it also has some of America's worst social diseases (sprawl-itis, intolerosis, religiousity phony-osis, trafficus preditorious, etc).

Good luck.

 

[dustyrider]

you may consider?

My ideal locale is a place where i could ride year round, with people that really know how to ride, in a state with a good college I could attend within the next three years, oh and lots of trails and shops, and cheap housing. Lofty lofty dreams, but do you guys know any states in the U.S. where I could find that.

-tom

check out grand junction co.
mesa state college

I think you'll find what your looking for!

 

[2ManyPlaces]

check out.......

My ideal locale is a place where i could ride year round, with people that really know how to ride, in a state with a good college I could attend within the next three years, oh and lots of trails and shops, and cheap housing. Lofty lofty dreams, but do you guys know any states in the U.S. where I could find that.

-tom

Grand Junction or Fruita.. Both growing like little weeds... Only about 6" of snow per year to deal with.... Try it.... You'll like it....

 

[flymybike]

Grand Junction or Fruita.. Both growing like little weeds... Only about 6" of snow per year to deal with.... Try it.... You'll like it....

And if the weather is bad you can always go to moab, 1.5 hrs away. Same with ski resorts 1.5-2 hrs away.

 

[billybobzia]

Grand Junction or Fruita.. Both growing like little weeds... Only about 6" of snow per year to deal with.... Try it.... You'll like it....

really, only 6 inches, that suprising...i would recommend GJ as well although the college is not as good as my famed alma mater, Western State in Gunny, but much longer biking season....its hot as poop in the summer though....

 

[2ManyPlaces]

really, only 6 inches, that suprising...i would recommend GJ as well although the college is not as good as my famed alma mater, Western State in Gunny, but much longer biking season....its hot as poop in the summer though....

yes, it gets hot, but it's a "dry" heat (humidity is only around 10%-15%).. Ride before 12 noon and it's really quite comfortable.. Plus, you only have to drive for 30 minutes to get to the top of the Grand Mesa, largest flat-top mtn in the world (I think). Elevation 10,000 ft+. 100's of little lakes, etc.(Grand Junctions elevation is 4,500 feet..)..
I can't recommend Prescott.. It has a "California" cost of living... Very High.. I lived in Flagstaff, Arizona for 4 years and it was awesome.. However, high cost of living and very low wages will stifle you.. They have a very good 4-year college, tho ( NAU-- Northern Arizona University)..
Whatever you decide, just remember: Life is an adventure--- just go for it.. Plan"A".. Plan "B".. Plan "C".. That's life, Bro....
You really can do ALOT worse than this area (GJT/Fruita).. Plus, there are like 6 or 8 bike shops here..