Suggestions for a week long training location in the USA?

[hobolord]

I'm in the PNW and a couple of us in the school team would like to go ride someplace without rain for a week. Tucson seems to be a very popular place, I was wondering if anybody else had any other suggestions. Being students, price of accommodations is pretty important to us.

Thanks!

[Louis]

You guys going to drive down, or fly?

IOW, how important is proximity?

BTW, welcome to the forum. :)

[sjbraun]

Tucson

[eddief]

http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/maps.htm

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/austin-tx/78701/february-weather/351193?monyr=2/1/2015

[aramis]

I keep seeing teams training right outside my house this week. complete with the follow car and everything. Im in the Santa Cruz mountains area.

[BobO]

If you can be in Tucson on a Saturday do the shootout, it is legendary.

[texbike]

Not sure when you're wanting to go, but this is coming up in Texas in March:

http://hellweek.com/texas.html .

It's a LONG way from the PNW and there isn't any guarantee that it won't he raining that week, but it is a good option that offers a structured program with a lot of solid, seasoned cyclists around to keep you company.

Texbike

[carpediemracing]

If you can find something around Carlsbad CA I think it's fantastic riding. I went to that area 2004-2011 for two to almost four weeks and did a ton of riding while out there.

Find a youth hostel in the San Diego area, preferably a bit north of the city itself. I stayed at the one near Ocean Beach back in the day. I think I stayed here (http://www.hiusa.org/california/san-diego/point-loma).

If you're driving down then you can drive a bit north from the hostel to get some riding in - I have no idea what it's like in that immediate area, especially now as it's been so long. I'm more familiar with riding along the coast between Torrey Pines and Camp Pendleton (I'd stay in Vista at a friend's) and I also rode out to Palomar and back so through San Marcos, Escondido, Hidden Valley, and out to Palomar.

The youth hostel is nice because it gets you out for the day and you can cook your own food. Keeps eating costs really low, esp if you have a car. If not then it's tougher. I had a car when I stayed there so I just jumped in to go somewhere.

[Dead Man]

Oregon or WA?

Either way, more than half of your state is desert, and a lot of it is mountainous desert.... just go east, over the hills, and stay in cheap motels.

[Ken Robb]

when?

[hobolord]

It'd probably be driving, with the cheap gas prices I think we'll suffer the drive (could be fun bonding time as well).

I'm in Vancouver, seems like most of my friends like the Tucson suggestion, but the Cali scenery looks very nice as well.

Around the week of 14 Feb

[Louis]

If you're driving, I'd say CA rather than Tucson - it's a heck of a lot closer and there are some pretty awesome places to ride in California in February.

[CaptStash]

You might want to look at the Palm Springs area as well. Plenty of flat terrain as well as kick ass climbing. Lots of accommodation options, including condos which would work well for a team (since you could cook to save money). I know of one local club that does a training camp there every winter.

CaptStash....

[Mikej]

PNW sounds like a stay-cation place to a guy in Milwaukee WI! Tuscan looks good.

[Gummee]

If you head to AZ, you've got options: Mt Lemmon for some serious climbing, ditto with the Mogollon Rim. Sedona for mtn biking, etc.

Head to Sandy Eggo and you've got many many group ride options from weekday AM Stadium Ride (assuming its still going on) to the weekends up N. Co. Coastal.

Get to the outskirts of Vegas and I've heard the riding's pretty good, but haven't ridden there or Palm Springs personally

One of the guys I know runs a B&B in Scottsdale. Bespoked Inn. On-site shop. They're neat people.

Good luck

M

[guido]

San Diego gets my vote. Lots of different route possibilities including great mountains to climb. Great food.

[ptourkin]

Borrego Springs, outside of San Diego is a popular and inexpensive spot for training camps. You can hit many major climbs every day including Palomar Mountain, Mount Laguna, Montezuma Grade and Banner Grade. I just did a camp there. I highly recommend it.

[classtimesailer]

North County San Diego. Do the Swamis rides.

[LiveFreeOrDie]

Well...if was in the Fall, I'd say Asheville, NC. :)

[azrider]

Fine I’ll be the bad guy and say it.

Tucson for the ‘most’ part is pretty dumpy. With regard to cycling you have Mt.Lemmon and Shootout and that’s where it ends. At least for me. My wifes work allows us to stay at affiliate resorts and we’ve tried staycation’ing down there twice and both times have left us vowing to never go back.

I think the PHX metro area has just as much, if not more to offer. You always hear of Shootout, this is true, but in PHX metro you have ATM, BOS, BicycleRanch-ABC, Underground Crit and many other group rides that have 60+ riders. There are also some pretty amazing rides such as South Mountain, Bartlett Lake, Seven Springs, Mt Humboldt, Tortilla Flats, 4 Peaks, Faster group ride, West Side from Lifetime Fitness, Tribe Multisport, Hour of Power on Tues and Thurs………….you get jist. Again, there could be many more rides in Tucson that I’m not aware of but for most part you can find everything you’re looking for in PHX……and plus Tucson is another 2hrs south so there’s that 

[Idris Icabod]

Tucson for the ‘most’ part is pretty dumpy. 

The OP is a student on a budget, I would think pretty dumpy is what he is shooting for!

To the OP I'm in Tucson and have plenty of time on my hands (broken collarbone) so if you do decide on Tucson and want some advice shoot me a PM. Below is a website that lists some other nice rides:

http://psy1.psych.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/megahurtz

[azrider]

Again, there could be many more rides in Tucson that I’m not aware of


http://psy1.psych.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/megahurtz

well there ya go.....;)

[ptourkin]

North County San Diego. Do the Swamis rides.

Swamis is one ride on Saturday. Not really a camp situation. If you don't know the routes inland, coastal San Diego is a waste of time in traffic. Serious riders here go inland except on the Pendleton Wednesday ride, which is very fast - Cav and Sagan have participated in the off season.

[hobolord]

Swamis is one ride on Saturday. Not really a camp situation. If you don't know the routes inland, coastal San Diego is a waste of time in traffic. Serious riders here go inland except on the Pendleton Wednesday ride, which is very fast - Cav and Sagan have participated in the off season.

Yeah that's my main worry about going to a Cali city, having to navigate traffic in order to get out and actually ride. I haven't been anywhere south of San Francisco and even driving through there once made it seem terrifying. There do seem to be a number of smaller cities along the coast that might be nice, Solvang was brought up by my friend.

Main reason not to go to Tucson at this point is the fact that it is a very long drive (26H)

[Idris Icabod]

well there ya go.....;)

Come down again, I'll be your tour guide. Try the Ritz Carlton at Dove Mountain, it would be a nice place to ride from. You need to be north of River in Tucson generally speaking, my wife calls it the 'line of nastiness'.

But I agree, Scottsdale is a beautiful place. We come up a few times a year but never ridden there.

[Lanternrouge]

If looking at Southern California for someplace pretty darn likely to be warm and dry, I would go with Borrego Springs or the Palm Springs area. North Coastal San Diego County has a lot of traffic and you are going to be spending a bit of time to get to where you would really enjoy riding the most, such as the Fallbrook/Bonsall area. While there are some cheap places up here, you may get a better value in the desert because, for some crazy reason, being near the coast is more expensive than elsewhere.

But for the fact that it's not as warm, I would likely recommend NorCal over SoCal for doing a week of riding.

[Ken Robb]

Feb. in NorCal is likely to be cold/wet. Winter storms start in Alaska and move south (you know this) but relatively few make it as far south as Los Angeles. Since you are driving you have lots of flexibility with itinerary so I would plan to go at least as far south as San Luis Obispo. Before leaving you can see if there are storms in all areas and make your decision about how far south to go then. There are lots of small/cheap motels along Rte.101 with discount ads in free magazines distributed along the way. Name-Your-Own-Price on Priceline.com can get you some amazingly cheap deals too.

RE: Borrego Springs. Very small town with few options for dining/shpping for groceries and it's at least a 45 minute drive to Palomar Mtn.

[Wayne77]

Moab, UT.

The road biking is spectacular... Should be 60-70 deg this time of year. Ride around in canyonland country, Arches, Dead Horse Point, etc. Moab has great food and is very cycling friendly. There's also a 60-70 mile loop that goes up through the Lasalle mtns so you can get some alpine riding in as well. The major climb is around 5000 feet if I remember correctly.

We did our team training camp there in 2013 and loved it (Zanconato). There's a condo that sleeps 6-8 comfortably on the outskirts - it's owned by Poison Spider bicycles in town. They go out of their way to make you feel at home, including invites to group rides. I think it was between 250-300 a night. It's a really nice place and even has a nice Park Tool bike stand in the garage.

If that's interesting to you, let me know and I'll connect you with the owner.

[ptourkin]

Feb. in NorCal is likely to be cold/wet. Winter storms start in Alaska and move south (you know this) but relatively few make it as far south as Los Angeles. Since you are driving you have lots of flexibility with itinerary so I would plan to go at least as far south as San Luis Obispo. Before leaving you can see if there are storms in all areas and make your decision about how far south to go then. There are lots of small/cheap motels along Rte.101 with discount ads in free magazines distributed along the way. Name-Your-Own-Price on Priceline.com can get you some amazingly cheap deals too.

RE: Borrego Springs. Very small town with few options for dining/shpping for groceries and it's at least a 45 minute drive to Palomar Mtn.

We RIDE to the mountain, Ken. Up Montezuma and then up Palomar and back. It's a CYCLING camp.

[F150]

I thought eastern Washington was low precip, low humidity. Guess it all depends what month(s) are planned. Plenty of unique country from what I understand; sorry, no first hand experience so may not be what you desire. But if you come from humble origins and have as little to work with as I did ('66 Bug, 6V electricals, push start everywhere I went for 6 yrs), I'd take a look closer to home, spend more time on the bike, less time in transit. Of course, if you want to mix it up with other like-minded folk, heading to one of the sites mentioned below might be more to your liking.

Regardless, sitting around a campfire probably a better way to get to know the team than huddled around an X-Box at the Marriott. No snotty concierge to give you a look when you roll the bikes thru the lobby, either.

[azrider]

Moab, UT.

The road biking is spectacular... Should be 60-70 deg this time of year. Ride around in canyonland country, Arches, Dead Horse Point, etc. Moab has great food and is very cycling friendly. There's also a 60-70 mile loop that goes up through the Lasalle mtns so you can get some alpine riding in as well. The major climb is around 5000 feet if I remember correctly.

We did our team training camp there in 2013 and loved it (Zanconato). There's a condo that sleeps 6-8 comfortably on the outskirts - it's owned by Poison Spider bicycles in town. They go out of their way to make you feel at home, including invites to group rides. I think it was between 250-300 a night. It's a really nice place and even has a nice Park Tool bike stand in the garage.

If that's interesting to you, let me know and I'll connect you with the owner.

THIS......sounds amazing

[bking]

somebody mentioned Vegas above, we don't get much love from biking community, but it's not a bad place at all. weather and quality of roads are excellent. only rap is not an over abundance of roads.
you can ride ever day, you can find plenty of stuff to climb. you can also stay relatively cheaply, as far as things to do, well it is vegas.

and i've made the drive from here to portland many times, not too bad.

[classtimesailer]

Swamis is one ride on Saturday. Not really a camp situation. If you don't know the routes inland, coastal San Diego is a waste of time in traffic. Serious riders here go inland except on the Pendleton Wednesday ride, which is very fast - Cav and Sagan have participated in the off season.

There are rides all week. Yes, you must ride inland--rollers, climbs, relatively friendly cars.

[Ken Robb]

We RIDE to the mountain, Ken. Up Montezuma and then up Palomar and back. It's a CYCLING camp.

Real cyclists would ride over Mesa Grande to get to Palomar. :)

[Ralph]

From where you are.....I second Moab, Ut. Great cycling, and price is right. Small town with no traffic issues, cycling culture, and you can ride right out of your motel/hotel/condo every morning. Can ride to everything really.

Lots of big race teams come to the hilly part of Central and N Central Florida in dead of winter. Mostly have perfect weather and cheap accomodations out in country. Then they move N and W for harder training as weather improves in those locations. But won't work from where you are.

[nooneline]

I just got back from San Francisco.

Stayed with friends in the Mission. Rode over the GGB to Marin on one day, rode up Mt Diablo another day, spent a few days poking around in the East Bay hills. A few rides that required 30-min BART rides; one down to the Peninsula that required a 30-min Caltran ride. Amazing roads, amazing views, great weather.

Plus good burritos.

[ik2280]

Yeah, I just got back from a week of training in LA. Excellent riding (Latigo, Old Topanga, Big Tujunga, Angeles Crest, Red Box), wish I could've stayed for longer. Not sure about places to stay, though, as I slept on friends' couches.

[cnighbor1]

Suggestions for a week long training location in the USA?
You could do the southern part of the CA coast around San Lugs Obispo
the US Postal team trained there
Weather is good this time of the year little rain Start around 9:30am to let any weather clear up inland riding is even nicer weather
charles

[jeo99]

Tucson

Best Winter Option! No question!

[hobolord]

Thanks all, Tucson seems to be the place we're looking to go now, the road trip down will be fun with a stop in Vegas :)

Anybody have any recommendations for cheap accommodations? The plan right now is just to find a cheap motel and have 4 in each room. A place with a kitchen or cooking area would be nicer though, but we'll make do with what we can find.

Also, looked into a local rider who is in Tucson right now, and that Saturday Shootout ride is faaaaaaaast

[BobO]

Also, looked into a local rider who is in Tucson right now, and that Saturday Shootout ride is faaaaaaaast

If that's too fast, show up 15 minutes early and join the old man shootout. That tends to be about 21mph average.

[rzthomas]

Reno-Tahoe.

Amazing climate, epic climbs, base elevation of 4,400 feet, lots of fun stuff to do. Cheap.

[zmudshark]

Moab, UT.

The road biking is spectacular... Should be 60-70 deg this time of year. Ride around in canyonland country, Arches, Dead Horse Point, etc. Moab has great food and is very cycling friendly. There's also a 60-70 mile loop that goes up through the Lasalle mtns so you can get some alpine riding in as well. The major climb is around 5000 feet if I remember correctly.

We did our team training camp there in 2013 and loved it (Zanconato). There's a condo that sleeps 6-8 comfortably on the outskirts - it's owned by Poison Spider bicycles in town. They go out of their way to make you feel at home, including invites to group rides. I think it was between 250-300 a night. It's a really nice place and even has a nice Park Tool bike stand in the garage.

If that's interesting to you, let me know and I'll connect you with the owner.
I did the first Moab Gran Fondo a few years ago. It was the first weekend of May. It snowed.

Agreed, it is a great place to ride, i would think it would be bloody cold in Feb.

I vote for PHX, because, like azrider said, Tucson is dumpy, colder at that time of year (Mt Lemmon could be closed), and PHX has tons of great rides, and plenty of climbing.

[Ken Robb]

Reno-Tahoe.

Amazing climate, epic climbs, base elevation of 4,400 feet, lots of fun stuff to do. Cheap.

Good skiing in Feb.

[Jeff N.]

Head straight to Solvang, CA. Hotels out the ying-yang and the best riding anywhere, IMO. -Jeff N.

[whatwolf]

Might as well do some california rides on your way to Tucson!

[hobolord]

Haha yeah this is mainly for the team training for a week, I might cruise down to cali and couch surf with my friends for a bit, seems like a fun way to train instead of being in the rain.

[Dead Man]

No rain today. No ride either..... ::le sigh::

[54ny77]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/5a/40/11/5a40112abd83f2d32e16fd86acd4dff3.jpg

[Scooper]

Sonoma and Marin Counties just north of San Francisco.

[hobolord]

Looks like we've decided to hit up Tucson next week, I'm excited for the warm weather.

Anybody have any recommendations for cheap lodging? Found a couple cheap hotels but was wondering if anybody had any opinions as to which ones.

Thanks all

[BobO]

Anybody have any recommendations for cheap lodging? Found a couple cheap hotels but was wondering if anybody had any opinions as to which ones.

The hotels along I-10 in the downtown area are dirt cheap, but, don't leave anything in your car. The Days Inn in Marana at Cortaro Road is OK, and usually around $55, that's what I would do. Plus that leaves you right on the frontage road which is good access to most cycling routes.*

*Suggestion, Kitt Peak.;)

[Ti Designs]

It's not raining in Boston...

[fiamme red]

It's not raining in Boston...And you can live cheaply there too. Just find a nice big pothole that will accommodate you and your bike.

[adhumston]

Looks like we've decided to hit up Tucson next week, I'm excited for the warm weather.

Anybody have any recommendations for cheap lodging? Found a couple cheap hotels but was wondering if anybody had any opinions as to which ones.

Thanks all

No opinions on hotels, as I've never even been there, but have you checked VRBO? I've used it quite a bit. It's nice making your base camp at an actual house, where you can cook your own meals and have more room to relax.

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/arizona/tucson-area?from-date=2015-02-16&to-date=2015-02-22&sort+by=Price%2fAscending

[Jaq]

Too lazy to read everything. Did you say you're college kids? Why not email the U of A cycling team/club (assuming they've got one), get to know 'em, and see if they can put you up? Maybe it's a little late. But they could probably show you a few rides, too.

[hobolord]

Just for completeness sake I'll post to say that we ended up going to the Super 8 on Grant road, was about 80/night for 2 beds. The Super 8 is by a couple other motel/hotels as well and was super convenient for biking since it is right on "the loop" greenway path.

The rides organized by Fairwheel bikes served us well, starting with the tuesday ride where I got out of a car after 2 days of driving and got dropped immediately since I wasn't expecting the acceleration. The wednesday casual ride brought us to the base of Mount Lemmon where I suffered all the way up the hill as well. Then I also did Kitt Peak the day after which was amazing, but also very hot unless you do it early in the morning. And finished my mini week in Tucson with the Saturday Shootout ride with Fairwheel bikes where I got dropped again after I couldn't hold on to the group.

Great fun, would definitely go back to ride Mount Lemmon multiple times. (Also saw Tom Danielson there)

[Idris Icabod]

If you want to feel a bit better about yourself, the shootout is pretty fast this time of year because of all the out of town pros that are down for the winter, you'd have probably hung any other time of the year!

[oldpotatoe]

Just for completeness sake I'll post to say that we ended up going to the Super 8 on Grant road, was about 80/night for 2 beds. The Super 8 is by a couple other motel/hotels as well and was super convenient for biking since it is right on "the loop" greenway path.

The rides organized by Fairwheel bikes served us well, starting with the tuesday ride where I got out of a car after 2 days of driving and got dropped immediately since I wasn't expecting the acceleration. The wednesday casual ride brought us to the base of Mount Lemmon where I suffered all the way up the hill as well. Then I also did Kitt Peak the day after which was amazing, but also very hot unless you do it early in the morning. And finished my mini week in Tucson with the Saturday Shootout ride with Fairwheel bikes where I got dropped again after I couldn't hold on to the group.

Great fun, would definitely go back to ride Mount Lemmon multiple times. (Also saw Tom Danielson there)

Yep, sounds like a riot:eek:.

'Hot'?? mid 70s, perfect..high of 18F here yesterday and a foot of snow. Stop whining...:)

[hobolord]

If you want to feel a bit better about yourself, the shootout is pretty fast this time of year because of all the out of town pros that are down for the winter, you'd have probably hung any other time of the year!

Apparently it was a bit slower because the first crit of the season was that day as well.