Reasonably warm, 1 week bike trip in the U.S.?

November 10, 2014 10:16 AM

I want to take off the first week of January to do a bike tour someplace warm in the United States (or possibly in Mexico or Latin America). Where should I go?

More details: We're not expert bikers, so would really like some place without aggressive street traffic and ideally with bike lanes. We're fine with choosing a home base and then biking to a new location for different day trips. Weather ideally would be 60 F or above on average.

Ideally, I would love to fly/drive some place in the south east that had a lot of nice nature and small towns and spend a scenic week doing that. But I think this type of vacation depends heavily on choosing the right place so most interested in thoughts on what the right place may be.. We're trying to keep flights under 400 pp from NYC.

posted by neematoad to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

God, easy one. Austin.

It's the bikingest city in the country. Drivers are biker considerate. Tons of rental places. Bike for barbecue, or just simply some of the most lovely big-sky country in the country. In case you don't know, east Texas is verdant and meadowy, not scrubby and desert-ish like El Paso (which is nice, too).

Forgive me for lazily declining to make a stronger case. I just think it's so obviously your answer that I merely need to speak the word: "Austin".

Fly into Dallas for cheaper fares.
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:34 AM on November 10, 2014 [1 favorite]

PS: bike-able BBQ destinations near Austin include Lockhart, Luling, Driftwood, and Elgin, TX. . There's really varied terrain around (and en route to) all those destinations.

Just to get you started (it's just a list, not the best list): The Austin Barbecue Belt

Oh, and if you're vegetarian, you should still do this in Austin.
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:38 AM on November 10, 2014

I don't know if you can find plane tickets in your price range, but San Diego county tends to have day time temps in the 60s or higher in January, and it has bike lanes, lovely scenery, and a string of small towns along the coast that are interesting to check out.
posted by Michele in California at 10:44 AM on November 10, 2014 [1 favorite]

Just remember that weird weather things sometimes happen even in the southern United States. I had a miserable spring break with no heat in my car around Pensacola, Florida when it dropped to Like 20 and sleet came down . This was early april.
posted by AlexiaSky at 10:45 AM on November 10, 2014

Austin as a home base. One day trip to Pedernales Falls State Park. Then to Fredericksburg, then back to Austin. Then go the other way to Elgin, Bastrop, Smithville, Luling, then back to Austin. That's a pretty easy week.

You could spend a lot of time just exploring the little towns out in the hill country.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:10 AM on November 10, 2014

The East Coast Greenway goes from Maine to Florida. It's still under development, so right now only 30 percent is traffic free. I bet an am email to the national office or the GA/FL rep would be enthusiastically answered; contact info here. Let us know if you learn anything interesting.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:14 PM on November 10, 2014

Tucson is an extremely bike friendly city. Bike lanes everywhere. Miles of bike paths. Great winter weather. And those "polar vortex" storms have missed us.
posted by azpenguin at 8:50 PM on November 10, 2014

Austin very well may be cold and shitty in January. I live here.
posted by liet at 2:06 PM on November 11, 2014

"Cold and shitty" for an Austinite is still paradise for a New Yorker.
posted by Quisp Lover at 3:12 PM on November 11, 2014