Gravel riding in NE + Virginia + Maryland

Flyer wrote:Hi all,  we are considering moving to the northeast (from Colorado) to be close to family.  We have a 2-year-old so want him to grow up near his cousins, and need to also be near good public schools but I want to check on gravel riding and road riding in the diff states like Vermont, Maine, but also Virginia and Maryland (yup, not part of the NE states but close enough).

I am a mountain biker but may have to rely more on gravel and road in that part of the country.  I ride gravel here too, of course.  I will practically stop if roads are more traffic-heavy where I move to. 

Could you folks tell me what the gravel scene is like where you live, or if you are familiar with these states I mentioned?  That would help me narrow it down a bit, since I am not too familiar with that part of the country.  

Flyer wrote:Bxcc & Djg21:  Thanks so much for this valuable input!!  We are older parents but have a 2.5 year old so school systems are important.  We like staying somewhat close to a city (though not really urban types) since we like some diverse food options and things to see and do at times.  Otherwise we like quiet areas to live in and like I said, we are not urban types.  We both work from home so would not need to find a local job BUIT it is still nice to at least consider areas where IT or corporate type jobs are not too far.  

The nice thing is that all these NE states have good school systems.  I assume those systems are most city-centric but need to research all that.  My family is in NYC and Gaithersburg, MD.  Anywhere there is closer than Colorado.  I shall look at all the areas you both mentioned.  we love Colorado and have a modest hime in the west side near the Red Rocks amphitheater.  We also have a tiny condo in Breckenridge (my favorite road riding and mountain biking area) but we will probably sell both before we move.  Sometimes we are tempted to hang on to the condo since it is located almost right in town and ski-in ski-out but we will see.

I'll also look at all the gravel and MTB areas you both mentioned.  Thanks so much!  This really gives me some more specific areas to research.  Cycling is my only passion so it is important for my sanity and happiness.  IDEALLY, I'd like to get a custom Moots gravel bike from Steamboat Springs before I move.  I'm not sure I can swing that but will try.  

Djc21- I'll PM you if and when I have questions or just need your thoughts.  Thanks for that.  -Neil

There are a lot of variables to consider such as the cost of housing and what access you want to more metropolitan areas.   Southern New England and NYS closer to NYC are incredibly expensive.  Housing is more affordable as you move away from the cities.  Portland and Burlington are getting very expensive.

Peruvian wrote:I live in Burlington and the gravel riding is great in northern VT.  VT has more miles of dirt roads than paved. Lots of well established routes, rides right from your doorstep, etc.  The mountain biking is excellent with well a half dozen maintained trail networks within 25 minutes of downtown and endless options within an hour or two. 

Assuming you are a skier/rider, the northern Green mountains are where you want to be. If you are unfamiliar, check out the Ski the East vids.

Bxcc is overselling the traffic.  It's bad for about 30 minutes in the morning and another 30 in the afternoon, but there is no time when I-89 comes to a complete stop like I-70 in Denver.  You can live within a half hour and be in the woods and still have easy access to the fun of a college town with no shortage of live music, arts, etc.  There are direct flights from Burlington to DC and the airport is tiny so it's always a breeze to get in and out of.  One drive down to Logan Airport from NH or ME and you will never want to fly again.

That said, bring your own job and all that CO real estate money cause you're gonna need it.

Reach out if you want more info.

I agree there is no traffic in Burlington as bad as the traffic you are used to.  I-70 through the Eisenhower tunnel on a Friday afternoon is reason enough for me never to live in Denver.

bnystrom wrote:I live in Southern NH, but in my experience, VT has the best gravel roads - or at least the largest selection of them - in New England.

^^^agree 100%^^^

I’m also in Southern NH near the seacoast. VT has a ton of gravel. There is good riding throughout New England. I can say that NH has what I think are decent schools. (We’ve been here around 8 years now). It’s also a no-tax state so there’s no sales tax or state income tax if that matters. 

GRVL Cycling hosts several events in the area (both VT and NH). Ted King also hosts some fun stuff both on road and dirt.

Hope that was helpful good luck  

Flyer wrote:
I am a mountain biker but may have to rely more on gravel and road in that part of the country.  I ride gravel here too, of course.  I will practically stop if roads are more traffic-heavy where I move to.