Hello, I'm currently living in a Boston suburb, and will be graduating college in April. Ive lived in the greater Boston area all my life, and love it - EXCEPT for the damn winters! They seem to get longer and colder every year, and I've had it. I want to live somewhere where I can cycle year-round. I mostly do road riding, but also often mountain bike, thus ruling out a place like Florida (too flat).

My questions are: how good is a place like Arizona for cycling? What's the weather like in the winter and summer? Does it get too hot to ride in teh summer? (FYI I prefer it hot, and have no problem riding in 90+ degree temps). How are teh job opportunites? I'm graduating the end of April with a liberal arts degree from a good Boston college, so with a little luck I'd be able to find some kind of employment....any pointers would be greatly appreciated....thanks.

Fred

Hello, I'm currently living in a Boston suburb, and will be graduating college in April. Ive lived in the greater Boston area all my life, and love it - EXCEPT for the damn winters! They seem to get longer and colder every year, and I've had it. I want to live somewhere where I can cycle year-round. I mostly do road riding, but also often mountain bike, thus ruling out a place like Florida (too flat).

My questions are: how good is a place like Arizona for cycling? What's the weather like in the winter and summer? Does it get too hot to ride in teh summer? (FYI I prefer it hot, and have no problem riding in 90+ degree temps). How are teh job opportunites? I'm graduating the end of April with a liberal arts degree from a good Boston college, so with a little luck I'd be able to find some kind of employment....any pointers would be greatly appreciated....thanks.

Fred

I moved to Tucson, last May, from Ohio. My view so far: biking here is great. I ride to and from school/work (grad student) each day, a 30 mile round trip. Temp has dipped to 28 so far this year but the rest of the winter has seen lows mostly above 35. This summer, I think the high in Tucson was 107. I rode that day and it wasn't so bad....of course I rode in the evening when the temp had gone down to 105 or so. Generally, the weather is dry and sunny. Sometime in June, the monsoon season comes and stays until late August/early September. Don't fool yourself into thinking that a monsoon is just like a midwest or east coast downpour: nope, different beast entirely. Muy intense. There's another rainy season 'round the beginning of winter, but that season consists mostly of steady, long lasting rains, as opposed to the relatively short monsoonal pummling. There are few decent bike shops, the best, methinks, being Fairwheel Bikes.

It seems as if the job market 'round these parts is ok, but I'm the wrong one to ask about that. Your car won't rust here. There's a ton of things to do to keep yourself entertained.

My husband and I moved to Scottsdale for the exact same reasons that you are thinking of. We've been here for 2 years and love it. Scottsdale and all of the Phoenix metro is booming so finding a job should be no problem. We find the cycling to be great. We are really serious riders, doing around 60 miles a day. The winters here for you will be great. The lows (in Phoenix) are generally in the 40's and the highs can range from low 60's to around 70. There are a few colder spells but hardly ever gets into the 30's. I think Tuscon is a bit colder but not by much. We too don't mind the heat. We like riding here much more in the summer than now. You have to be on the road around 6:00 am to beat the heat, which is good because you also beat the traffic.
There are alot of cyclists in both Tuscon and Phoenix. Both mountain and road. Hiking is great in both places too.
If you decide to take a look out here, let us know.

Phoenix has abeen a great place for cycling for me, but it's getting too big and I'm getting out, for reasons other than cycling. I was cool with this place until I had a kid. The weather is great, and the opportunities for riding are great, but I suggest you get together with a LBS to find good rides as many of the roads around here are death traps, and you get NO respect from drivers who expect you to share the MUT's with the dog walkers and geriatrics. Group rides with the bike shops are the best. Strength in numbers. I'm moving to the mountains of Colorado, and I'm hoping I don't regret leaving behind the cycling here. There are also limitless triathlon opportunities nearly year round here, which was great for me too.

Hello, I'm currently living in a Boston suburb, and will be graduating college in April. Ive lived in the greater Boston area all my life, and love it - EXCEPT for the damn winters! They seem to get longer and colder every year, and I've had it. I want to live somewhere where I can cycle year-round. I mostly do road riding, but also often mountain bike, thus ruling out a place like Florida (too flat).

My questions are: how good is a place like Arizona for cycling? What's the weather like in the winter and summer? Does it get too hot to ride in teh summer? (FYI I prefer it hot, and have no problem riding in 90+ degree temps). How are teh job opportunites? I'm graduating the end of April with a liberal arts degree from a good Boston college, so with a little luck I'd be able to find some kind of employment....any pointers would be greatly appreciated....thanks.

Fred

Check out the AZ Bike Club website - http://azbikeclub.r.m6.net/
for info on Metro Phoenix riding

But there are some downsides, such as the oblivious soccer mom mega-SUV drivers (everybody in Snobsdale has a Hummer or other gas-guzzling monstrosity) and the superficiality of people around here. I talked to someone from Hollywood and she was surprised at how much worse they are here than Socal! However, you're from Bahston so you might be used to that already ;) My sis lives there so I've had some experience with them . . .

Anyhow, the riding is SO sweet in the winter it makes up for all the rest. I put on knee warmers maybe twice this winter, which is pretty cool! And the scenery is very pretty now that the plants are green and blooming (bad for allergies tho.)

For me the biggest cycling adjustment is the short season which begins early Jan. and ends late April which is hella early and short to me.

If your main requirement is good weather, I think it would be very hard to beat San Diego. Our winter weather lows rarely go below 40deg the summer highs rarely go above 85deg. There is great road riding and plenty of mountain biking available all around the city and should be plenty of jobs. The big down side the the cost of housing which is why this summer when I complete my Naval career I will sadly depart San Diego.

I too am getting ready to move to Phoenix selling the house in Atlanta and going as soon as it sells. Problem is our resale profits are much less then the Phoenix area. Other then the hot spots like Queens creek and that mess area where is a good place to live. I sort of like the Squaw Peak, Deer Valley area would like to be close to the trials for mountain biking but be centralized for raod biking as well depending on where I find a job. My wife got transfered and is already there and likes Gilbert/Chandler but too yuppy to me.

Places like Surprise, Glendale's Arrowhead Ranch area and much of north Peoria are also good values. Metro Phx has grown as far north as Carefree Hwy & I-17(hwy to flagstaff). And Anthem is always a hot spot. Problem with SE Valley - Chandler/Gilbert. The congestion ratio is 9 to 1. Makes for horrific traffic jams and over priced cookie cutters. Good luck and welcome.

Cheers