The ultimate place to live and trail ride is ....

[LynnCamp]

I would like USA POGers to weigh in on the ultimate place to live and ride.  Rediscovering bikes after a 30 year hiatus, I have decided to leave my job/career and move to a place close to never-ending trails. We are partial to wooded trails versus desert riding, however I would consider all options.  We just returned from a week's journey down through TN, GA and NC, sampling 2 National Forests in TN and NC and one private trail system in GA.  A few months ago we did WV, KY and VA.  This summer we will go out west to CO, MT and ID.  I love the Northeast, but am thinking it is too cold and too expensive.

After talking to a gazzilion realtors who don't know off-road issues, I thought it would make sense to ask POGers and maybe post the question to Vinduro (any other forums???).  I prefer a climate where we can ride year-round and I will still need to work several more years, so I probably need to be close to a town with some decent employment opportunities, but I am prepared to consider a radical change in income/lifestyle if it means great riding.

A good bet right now seems to be the Ashville, NC area, but I would love to hear you all tout your favorite spot.  I really appreciate some serious advice on this.... It is obviously a very important move for me.

[tmc3c]

Hi Lynn, I live in Greenville S.C. which is about 75 miles from Asheville and I want to tell you that there is plenty of job opportunities here also there is several goverment trail systems for us to ride.Look in Tryon N.C. also it is very pretty and is between Greenville and Asheville.Now there is my home and Francis Marion forest in Charleston S.C. If you live in Mt Pleasant you would be about 20 miles from goverment trail system with about two 35 mile loops. Also you have the beaches and FRESH SEAFOOD !!  the weather is warm and Mt Pleasant is beautiful just ask SWAMP FOX !! COME TO SOUTH CAROLINA TO BEAUTIFUL PLACES AND SMILING FACES !!! If I can Help you just yell.

Thomas Carmichael

[dirtbike]

Reminds a bit of my situation!
I live in sweden. Even though there are plenty of places to ride, my problem is a bit different. I don't like the climate. It's too cold, dark and rainy. I'm alive when I'm by the salt sea, eating shellfish, bathing, diving or just sunbathing. These are rare activities up here. There are now and then summers so bad that one cant't even do it once. I'm not up to paying that price in terms of work'n waiting.

I'm into moving to spain. That is a beautiful country with a healthy off road (even vintage) movement. They have excellent food. The society is in good working order and there is this sun. People seem to be more happy moreover. I think this isolation up here during the winter is making people more closed to their nature. I'm born where there is 1-2 meters of snow and freezing cold. If I never see snow again, it wouldn't bother me none.

Like everything. One has to go for those dreams.

[swamp fox]

Lynn,
I have to say that I love the lowcountry of SC. I have lived no where else, and like the diversity and climate down here. I'm in Mt. Pleasant, just north of Charleston. The Francis Marion Forest is 20 miles north, and as Thomas stated, has some trails that are laid out for bikes in the government woods. You are required to have spark arrestors and a US Forest Service user fee. We were able in our youth to ride out on the beaches, but now with the developments and resorts that have come with population growth, that is not allowed anymore. We used to ride from one end of town to the other and hardly cross a street, but not anymore! The fishing and boating are great too. I have to admit, I've not ridden alot lately, and now am getting my old bike back to glory, so I can share some of the fun with my daughter. We don't have the elevation changes like Thomas would in the upstate, and sometimes I wish we did. But it's only 2 1/2 hrs up the interstate. This weekend 1-18, there happens to be the Swamp Fox Enduro out in the forest, sponsored by South Eastern Enduro & Trail Riders Assoc. You can check out their schedule at //www.setra.org // They have a lot of races in and around SC. Oh well, time to stop tootin' my horn and call the Govenor to see if they will pay Thomas & I for being ambassadors to the state!:D



Robert Manucy
72 Berkshire

[firstturn]

Lynn,
I live in Texas and we have more land that could be ridden on, but it is privately owned.  About 20 years ago the laws got tough on ridding on private land so unless you know someone are involved with a good club you are out in the cold.  We have two excellent clubs on in Houston and another that I will call out of North Texas.  After all my years in the industry  I will tell you the spots I enjoyed and I will keep it short, but you can e-mail me for a discussion.

Lubbock-TX:  excellent club and great enduros.  Easy to get to New Mexico and Colorado.  Just good people.

South Carolina:  I can't  out do what has already been said.

LasVegas and Arizona Area:  Plenty of riding areas and close to many races of all different venu.

Southern California:  Close to dry lakes, desert and Baja.  But who wants to put up with the stress unless your out east of LA.

Oklahoma:  Has some great ridding and some very well organized racing.  Most people realize that this state has desert and mountains as well as flat land and you can't get lost.  All street run north and south or east and west.

Juat some of my thoughts.  Great situation.

[email protected]

Ron Carbaugh

[DKWRACER]

Hmmmmmm. Grand Junction,Colorado, lots of commerce, little snow, close to Moab, Utah and all of lower Utah, close to Montrose Colorado, upper Uncompaghre Plateau,or Grand Mesa, SCENERY EVERYWHERE !!! perhaps a small street bike or dual purpose machine, weather very favorable, semi-arid, price of living not to bad.....Tom (Denver)good fishing too!!!!

[Paul Danik]

If you guys keep telling how great it is to live in your areas I just might put a forsale sign out front and leave Mars.  How far are those places from Amherst, Ohio??  Gotta still make the POG meetings.
Paul

[Rocket]

Distance should be no problem for a man from "Mars", he should be able to fly.:D
Rocket

[rob w]

No question about it, it's got to be Penton, California.

[Rain Man]

14,000 miles of trails, all frozen solid now!! Welcome to winter time in the far, far Northeast.  40'above to -35 below, bring your Long Johns!! Its cold. I can ride a 100 miles, any  direction,outta my dooryard; 9 months a year anyway.  Select
 a terrain,   The trails are everywhere !! dont cost to ride here. The
  good jobs are few and far between, It may be cold, but snowmobiles can fly too !!

[Gavin Housh]

Northern California boys! Ride the moutains and get yourself lost, unless you have GPS. Thousands of miles to ride. Sacamento is centraly located. 1 1/2 hrs. to the coast, or 1 1/2 hrs. to the Sierra Nevada passes. Everything cost to much here. I mean everything! The last thirty years have seen alot of none natives moving in. So what's one more. Oh I forgot the temp. today was only around the mid fiftys. So riding during winter is not a problem. We do have some good rain fall Dec-April, and mid summer can be dusty in places. Good luck.

[bigdanracer]

I have to agree with Rob , California. Year round riding weather and the best time to ride is in the winter. Best traction and a hour or two drive you can be in the desert or the mountains or the beach. Only problem is the wako tree huggers and Illegals.
Thanks,Dan.

Posting 07/2002
Yucaipa CA.
Age 50, maintenance mechanic, two 77 Pentons, 250,400 MC-5s.

[G Ellis]

Lynn, I think ILL is the place to live. Can travel to thr UP michigan and ride all you want. Stay in ILL ride in some state parks in southern ILL. Not to hot not to cold, very little snow. Can ride in Rockford ILL, on trails that are used for snowmobiles in the winter time. Hope you find a nice place to move,

[robbersroost1]

Idaho has the most single track in the world, Colorado has the great high country, but Utah has it all plus more. It's sometimes like riding on Mars, old Indian ruins, mines and well it's my choice. You can ride ride ride, but I must say I had the best show me where to go! So when do you want to go? This is where Butch Cassity and gang hid out at robbersroost.

Terry Laible

[tomale]

Ok, I guess I will throw my two cents worth in.
I grew up in california  (south of the bay area) and I learned to ride there. But for the last 25 years I have lived in the Northwest. There are lots of clubs and lots of state owned trail systems. The economy is a bit rough right now but that should be turning around here soon. Seattle is the Home of Boeing and Microsoft. One of the cool things is that no matter how you like to ride you can find it here. you like sand and High plains we have it, you like the woods we have it, you like sking and boating we have lots of it. All of this with in a two hour drive from seattle. There are lakes galore. We have mountain lakes that can only be gotten to by float plane or single track trails. Spark arrestors and a ORV tag are a must, they do check but it is not exensive. Cost of living is moderate. Housing is still pretty good. you can still get into a 3 bedroom house, depending on where you end up between 150k -- 250k I have a friend that is renting a 3 bedroom tow bath apartment just north of seattle just remodeled for thousand buck a month. I think we pay a bit more for Gas but I understand that the cost of food is average. what about whether? well it does like to rain here but on the west side most weekends it could get into the 30's in january but for the most part winter riding is in the 40's. Summer is not bad either. our hot month is August and it can get about 100 but that is rare. All the rain makes for some nice riding. Eastern washington is different. It gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer. I would not move back to california now. Even though my family is there. This is so much better.

Thom Green,I own and ride a 76 250 MC5 MX which I bought new.