Bicycle Heaven

I've been giving a great deal of thought to places where I might want to settle down in the next few years. New York has dutifully earned its title as "Bicycle Hell". I'd like to settle down somewhere that I can call "Bicycle Heaven".

So far, the only place that seems to fit the bill is Santa Barbara, CA. It features flats and climbs, ocean and mountains, as well as year-round sunshine. Who could ask for anything more? The only trick is to find a job that pays enough for me to afford the fancy time trial bikes I'd like to be riding out there.

I'll be heading down to North Carolina this weekend for the week, riding the famouns Blue Ridge Parkway. Sebastian at work was explaining to me today that cycling is the new golf. Instead of a golf resort or a ski resort (think Jackson Hole, WY), George Hincapie himself is working on creating a "cycling resort" for wealthy folks along the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC. I haven't verified this, but it's a really neat idea.

All I really want to do is ride my bicycle. In shorts and a jersey. In warm sunshine. Every day of the year. Is this too much to ask?