What’s a great place to retire for an e-biker?

[JayVee]

...

 

[Chancelucky2]

I actually moved away from a really good biking area which I assume would be a great e-biking area too (I never had one when I lived there), West Sonoma County in California. I lived in a town called Sebastopol, good place to retire if you already own property there, but housing's not cheap. Easy to ride or walk downtown. There's a 30 mile bike trail, the Joe Rodota that may be longer now that goes into downtown Santa Rosa ( a middle sized city) on one side and Forestville (a tiny town) on the other. There are reasonable shoulders on a number of country roads there. If you're ambitious, you can ride to the ocean, Point Reyes or Goat Rock, through redwoods, or plain old country roads (Green Valley, Harrison Grade). The town has a decent bike shop. There's a very good mountain bike park in Santa Rosa, Annadel State Park. Also a fairly active bike riding community and the ultimate moderate climate.

 

[Alaskan]

I live in Bellingham, Washington which is pretty good in most of the aspects you are seeking. However, this past weekend I was in Victoria, the capitol of British Columbia Canada. This part of the world gets infrequent snow at sea level, has mild summers, and is one of the better year round locales. I was super impressed with the bicycle friendly infrastructure. Well protected and/or marked bike lanes on nearly every arterial street with separate bike stop lights in many places. It's a lovely small city with a great cultural life, terrific diversity and a typical Canadian cordiality and pleasantness. I was actually thinking how nice it would be to live there. I'm sure I would be giving something up...but I cant' think of anything in particular that I would end up missing...if our kids and grandkids moved with us

 

[DDBB]

Northern Michigan is a charming place to e-bike. Rednecks in pick up trucks honk all the time.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I'd give a pretty positive shoutout to the Victoria, BC area as well. With the caveat that housing prices there aren't exactly cheap and that if you need to go anywhere you are committing to a ferry ride, although BC ferries are awesome. If you don't want to live in the big city some of the smaller communities surrounding Victoria are also connected into the greater Victoria bike infra.

In the same area I'd also look at Salt Spring Island, BC, where housing prices are even more stratospheric than on Vancouver Island, but aren't as insane (ionospheric?) as on Orcas Island across the border. Salt Spring has great bicycle infrastructure for a smallish community (around 10000 live on the island) and the three (!) ferry landings all have signage marking bicycle-friendly routes to the principal town (Ganges, BC).

Across the water in the states there is Sequim, WA. Being located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains gives it a very moderate rainfall for Western Washington and its low elevation gives it a very moderate climate. The Olympic Discovery Trail (open to e-bikes) skirts the town on its journey between Port Angeles and Port Townsend. Housing prices, while high, aren't quite as insane as in the Pugetopolis or in Canada to the north.

 

[Dionigi]

The central coast of California has tempered weather with breath taking coastal trails and majestic Redford forests at its northern counties. Santa Cruz is magical and like walking into 1968! But expensive because of it’s proximity to the Silicon Valley. But San Luis Obisco and Arroyo Grande to the south of Big Sur has much more affordable housing with winding country roads and the famous Highway 1.
A general question to all the old retired Ebikers would anyone be interest in an organized ride this February or March through the Central Valley. A popular ride is in the Santa Cruz mountains going through the redwood the Santa Cruz wine country.

 

[Alaskan]

The central coast of California has tempered weather with breath taking coastal trails and majestic Redford forests at its northern counties. Santa Cruz is magical and like walking into 1968! But expensive because of it’s proximity to the Silicon Valley. But San Luis Obisco and Arroyo Grande to the south of Big Sur has much more affordable housing with winding country roads and the famous Highway 1.
A general question to all the old retired Ebikers would anyone be interest in an organized ride this February or March through the Central Valley. A popular ride is in the Santa Cruz mountains going through the redwood the Santa Cruz wine country.

I would join in on this with great enthusiasm. It's a pretty long way down the coast from here, so hopefully this would be a multi-day ride to make it worth the drive. February works better for me as I do have some obligations in March.

 

[LimboJim]

I live in Bellingham, Washington which is pretty good in most of the aspects you are seeking. However, this past weekend I was in Victoria, the capitol of British Columbia Canada. This part of the world gets infrequent snow at sea level, has mild summers, and is one of the better year round locales. I was super impressed with the bicycle friendly infrastructure. Well protected and/or marked bike lanes on nearly every arterial street with separate bike stop lights in many places. It's a lovely small city with a great cultural life, terrific diversity and a typical Canadian cordiality and pleasantness. I was actually thinking how nice it would be to live there. I'm sure I would be giving something up...but I cant' think of anything in particular that I would end up missing...if our kids and grandkids moved with us

Is Canada as mixed up with e-bike rules and regs as the US is? Are all the provinces and cities on the same wavelength? I'm mostly curious about trail access if I visit, but I love JayVee's idea... Let's all find a temperate, ebike-friendly, affordable place to retire to! Victoria sounds awesome to me ??️

 

[Dionigi]

I would join in on this with great enthusiasm. It's a pretty long way down the coast from here, so hopefully this would be a multi-day ride to make it worth the drive. February works better for me as I do have some obligations in March.

Sounds great, i’ll Start organizing some itinerary ideas that would include lodging and routes.

 

[indianajo]

I like southern Indiana, Jeffersonville/Clarksville particularly. The weather is mild. I ride all year unless snow gets piled in the bike lanes or a blanket of sleet gets covered in snow. That happens every 3rd or 4th year. We have a bus to the discount center when that happens. I live a two blocks from a grocery, two dollar stores, a bank. A megastore (meiers) is 4 miles away by back streets & sidewalks. I'm 5 miles from the Ky center for the Arts which has symphony, ballet, opera. I park the bike out front, chained to a pole. I'm the same distance from Yum center, which has college basketball and big name music acts. I get there on back streets and a bike/hike bridge over the Ohio. KET public television has 2 1/2 adult channels with something interesting usually on view, for free with an antenna. There are Charge, Retro, This, and Moviestv free TV outlets which have interesting re-runs like Ed Sullivan UK Avengers & Danger Man. I play with the internet in the boring commercials. I have 8 mb/sec internet to a glass fiber drop 2 blocks away. $97 a month from ATT. There is cable TV available, that I don't have. There is a classical FM station (very rare) plus NPR and a high school FM station with great extremely broad selection (pop, rock, country) when the kids aren't DJing. There is a hopital e-room 1.5 miles from here. When I couldn't get my jaw set there Thanksgiving day 2017, I rode the bus over to the University teaching hospital in Kentucky where they did. Both take medicare. Doctor office is 1 mile away. There are 2 state universities and 4 private colleges in the area.
Costs are very low. Real estate tax is $850 a year on my 1000 sq ft house & 1/4 acre lot. Income tax is 5.7 %, $1000 deduction for being retired. Sales tax is 7% excluding food. No services ST. I paid about 1.3 years salary for my house. Spacing is so big around my house I can practice piano or organ at any time, or play loud records. Heat gas water sewers about $160 a month. I do air condition lightly to protect my pianos from mold. My window unit was $140. I lived 8 years after quitting work for <14k a year, no debt.
Nothing ever happens here. Earthquakes are force 5, tornadoes are force 1, storms are not nearly as exciting as Kansas was. Wind is getting to be a problem, is why a bought electric. Temps up to 100 summers, down to -8 winters, a few days of each. Biking as I do, my skin adjusts to be comfortable in each (capillaries open up in summer, close up in winter). I wear full cover in summer to prevent sunburn and wick off sweat, and up to 6 layers in winter, with 2 pairs gloves & socks over boots, + helmet liner. Murder rate is pretty low, mostly in the section 8 housing projects. The Ohio does flood occasionially, last catastrophic one was 1937. There are houses on hills. I'm going to jack mine up and replace the foundation since I like it right here in town. Theft is low, except gas scooters were a target last year. I store my bike in a very secure garage, it is too weird to attract thieves on the street or cabled up in parking lots. Last thief through my house opened everything, found a gold flash watch, whoopie. She forced a window. Previous thief forced a window upstairs and took a VCR. Big deal. My garage is much harder to get into since the guys hammered the door frame out of the block in 1994. Insurance covered all but $2000. I don't have a lot of stuff that sells in pawn shops, and what power tools I do have are in the garage with metal doors & frames anchored with screws in block now. Power tools are in a locked steel pickup box screwed to the floor.
There are back streets to go nearly everywhere I want to go. Nobody complains when I ride on sidewalks in major shopping areas, since I yield to pedestrians. I can ride the bike out to the country where I have 22.5 acres undeveloped land that I paid about 3 years salary for. Back streets & country lanes mostly, 1 mile of highway where the is a 3' wide berm I ride on. RE taxes on that country property are $800 a year. I only drive rental trucks these days when I bought something big.
E-bikes are totally unregulated. I obey the speed limit and traffic signs (when observed), never get talked to. Even motorcycles don't have to wear a helmet. (I do). There is no e-bike support from a shop but I'm here to ask questions. There is a Pedego dealer in Louisville but the two buyers I've met don't brag about his service dept. There is an experienced conventional bike shop in Clarksville, which I don't use much since I am an experienced mechanic/physicist. I do buy tires there, which don't show signs of being folded up in the box.
So welcome to the middle, in the fly-over state.

 

[AHicks]

If a bike and public transportation were going to be my primary modes of transportation, I'd likely go with a town with a large college.

 

[Cowlitz]

You have forgotten The Elephant In The Room when it comes to living in the west. The past few years we have been smoked out. But because of the wildfires in some areas, folks can't get fire insurance so you might luck out if you have cash.

Our state population has ballooned. I moved back to the east side because even though I lived an hour away, I often had to drive a crowded and wreck prone stretch of I-5. It wasn't Seattle either, but the place where it narrows down along Chehalis and Centralia. I can recall my mom driving us and there would be nobody in sight on the new freeway. Now it is a different story.

In some areas the Seattle influence has jacked up housing prices. The town where I grew up is unaffordable for me. I moved to a smaller place where there are a few houses to be had for under $200,000, but not many. The summers are hot and the winters are not as cold as they used to be. There is no bike infrastructure as there are only 4 stoplights in the whole county. I don't think you'd like it here. I do, but I'm used to being ruraler than this town. I celebrate the fact that I no longer have to drive 60 miles for fresher veggies. I can walk or ride my bike for that. The same for medical stuff. But last August was like a lost month due to the smoke. An obscure "study" rates this town as the tenth most likely place to burn up in Warshington (I have my doubts about that). We have a couple of box stores due to the Canadian traffic coming down this way. At least that's the only reason I can think of for the existence of the stores. Nah, you wouldn't like it here. I have to drive about 20 miles to go skiing, and the same to go camping in the woods. I'm not sure if the county bus system allows skis on the bus.

I do hear that the other states are quite nice.

 

[JimFMB]

I’m fortunate to have a winter place in the Ft Myers Beach Florida area. I don’t ride much on the streets there, but there are plenty of bike paths and wide sidewalks to get around. I can also ride to Sanibel Island which is a very bike friendly community, but can be quite crowded in the winter. I’m one mile from Publix, Walmart, Walgreens and CVS. There are plenty of places for patio dining and able to stay near the bike. I usually ride to the beach in the morning for breakfast. The air is fresh and the view is breathtaking. Florida though in the summer is not terribly bike friendly for any extended time during the day, unless you love 90 plus degree temperatures and 90 percent humidity. Outside of winter my time is in a rural town about 50 miles from Chicago with the closest town that has substantial shopping about 10 miles away. There are great county roads for biking, but can get a little boring with corn or bean fields on each side for miles. There are some nice Rail to Trails that are about 30 minutes by car, but there are plans for signifianct expansion in the rails to trails program here. I love my ebike and feel lucky I can bike year round.

 

[Dionigi]

If a bike and public transportation were going to be my primary modes of transportation, I'd likely go with a town with a large college.

A guy name Richard Florda wrote a book called The Rise of the Creative Class in this book he spells out the amenities needed for a higher quality of life. One criteria was a small city with a major university. Cities like Eugene and Madison. The book was from 15 years ago so I don't remember if bicycle infrastructure was mentioned. But Portugal sounds good also.

 

[Over50]

I like southern Indiana, Jeffersonville/Clarksville particularly....

Are you anywhere close to the Cardinal Greenway? Or I suppose that is more northern? That is #1 on my list for my wife and I to try on a weekend getaway. Have you e-biked the Cardinal Greenway (wondering if they would notice or care that we are on e-bikes)?

 

[indianajo]

Sorry, the Indiana travel guide 2017 didn't mention the Cardinal greenway. Oh, the website says it will be from Muncie to Richmond, IN. Flat, flat, flat. I'm dreaming more of the C&O canal+Western Maryland right of way, or the train line bike path through Pennsylvania.
Louisville has a bike path along the Ohio, and another through the Olmstead & other parks. Clark & Floyd county have a bike path along the Ohio where it is cheap on streets & a dike, but a bridge is missing at the county line. I ride inner streets across Silver Creek to concerts & festivals in Floyd Cty.
I forgot to mention, Clark county has some hills and valleys, one of which I own. There are beautiful trees and some forest/scrub. No forest fires. Not the endless flat corn/bean fields of north of Seymour. The glacier stopped there. The electricity of the bike is useful if I ride a route with too many steep hills.

 

[Solom01]

So JayVee are you a dual national? Although Canada is a lovely place and Portugal is great in most cases even in retirement you can't just live in a foreign country without becoming a resident. I live in Florida where we have lots of Canadians during the winter, but even Canadians are limited to 6 months at a time - and most EU nationals are limited to 90 days at a time. I know there are lots of people from the UK in Portugal, but that may change after Brexit, so depending on your nationality some places are going to be a lot easier to retire to.

 

[Solom01]

Canada may not be that easy, becoming a permanent resident is based on a point system based on what they feel is important and there is no perference given to US citizens, but it would be easy to become a snowbird. You could spend six months in Florida for example where the winter weather is great and spend six months in Canada during the summer. If you avoid Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal the costs are much more reasonable. Nova Scotia has some fantastic towns, great places to bike, almost no crime and the people are fantastic.

 

[AHicks]

Good thought. Unless your social security is inconsequential, you may need to be careful about where you call home!

The other thought some of these notes are generating, is there are a LOT of really great trails. We're having a pretty good time exploring the ones here in Florida this time of year, and when "up home" in Michigan in the summer. The bigger issue is where would you want to live anywhere along one of them if your bike and public transportation were the only way you have to get around? That's what makes this question MUCH more difficult to answer!

For instance, we live just a couple miles from a 46 mile trail that's just been linked to another that's nearly as long. Great trail, but public transportation just sucks in most of the state of Florida!

Much of Pennsylvania lies in a snow belt. Unless you're plan is to lay low for a month or so in a very well stocked home, that may be viewed by some as a poor place to spend your winters....

 

[tctjh0]

You said the Arizona desert may not be for you but I think Flagstaff checks just about every box you have:

1. No state income tax.
2. Very reasonable housing prices.
3. It is pretty rural but is big enough to have the kind of city amenities you’re looking for like public transit . Population 70,000.
4. Lots of trails in the city and surrounding area.
5. Average high is 81 in July and 43 in January. Phoenix and it’s warm winter weather is only 2 hours away. Downhill skiing in the mountains is also close by.
6. It’s 45 minutes from the biking Mecca of Sedona and 2 hours from the amazing scenery of southern Utah (not to mention the Grand Canyon which is 30 minutes away).
7. Low crime.