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Any cycling fans in the area have info on safety and accessibility of bike trails. Is it possible to commute on a bike? Do the buses have bike racks? Any towns in particular better than others?
Thanks for any input
I'm not sure about bike trails - but I can tell you that getting out into nature or the country is very difficult in that it essentially demands having a car.
I had a bike when I lived there, but would only ride it in this old graveyard that was close to my house in Montford. Riding it around town was too dangerous between the heavy traffic and dogs running loose.
I knew a guy who commuted on his bike once when his car was in the shop. He did OK with it for a while, but you have to be prepared for really wide weather changes, especially the temperature.
The bus system during my time was so difficult that most people I knew would rather walk, drive, or bum a ride. Public transportation there is a huge issue - there are so many cars on the road, and the polution in the area is just awful.
I commute by bike and buy a bus pass every month. I would guess there are 50-100 bike commuters in the city. It is very possible. There are racks on all buses, most of which hold three bikes. If you work downtown, the best places for a bike commuter to live are West Asheville, Montford, and North Asheville/Woodfin. Beverly Hills and Kenilworth are good, too.
I stay on-road, but the majority of cyclists around here prefer mountain biking, and say there's no place better. Bent Creek (Brevard Rd @ the Blue Ridge Parkway) is a great place to ride, and you can get to within two miles of it on the bus.
the best places for a bike commuter to live are West Asheville, Montford, and North Asheville/Woodfin. Beverly Hills and Kenilworth are good, too.
North Asheville = Merrimon Ave, Beverly Hills/Kenilworth = Tunnel Rd.
Riding on these congested 4 lane roads in rush hour sounds more like a death wish than a reasonable bike commute. I cannot imagine navigating the Asheville Mall area at 5 PM to get to Beverly Hills. 6 lanes and NO ONE has any idea which lane they need to be in and are constantly making dangerous and likely illegal lane changes.
i have been getting all pumped up about visiting these NC towns and hoping for bike friendly areas. Then most people say "stay away if you bike" or something of that sort! Man, this is not helping my motivation to survive one more Boston winter before getting outta here, at least for some period of time. I can't tell if most people who post just don't ride bikes, or if it really is tough to get around in NC.
North Asheville = Merrimon Ave, Beverly Hills/Kenilworth = Tunnel Rd.
Riding on these congested 4 lane roads in rush hour sounds more like a death wish than a reasonable bike commute. I cannot imagine navigating the Asheville Mall area at 5 PM to get to Beverly Hills. 6 lanes and NO ONE has any idea which lane they need to be in and are constantly making dangerous and likely illegal lane changes.
Bingo. I worked on top of Beaucatcher Mt (boy, what a view I had in my office) and lived over in Montford. Would not, would not ride my bike to work.
Riding from my house over to the cemetery was OK though, although I stayed on the sidewalk the entire way.
I had forgotten about this until just now, but at that time, Boyfriend and I were looking into moving to Black Mountain where we could ride our bikes more and just do without a car in general more often.
Oh yes, absolutely yes. Almost like Cicely Alaska on Northern Exposure. If you look on the map at Asheville, Black Mountain is nearly due east along I-40 or hwy 70. It is an easy commute from Asheville.
North Asheville = Merrimon Ave, Beverly Hills/Kenilworth = Tunnel Rd.
Riding on these congested 4 lane roads in rush hour sounds more like a death wish than a reasonable bike commute. I cannot imagine navigating the Asheville Mall area at 5 PM to get to Beverly Hills. 6 lanes and NO ONE has any idea which lane they need to be in and are constantly making dangerous and likely illegal lane changes.
NO.
North Asheville= Kimberly/Charlotte St.
Beverly Hills/Kenilworth= Thompson St/Swannanoa River Rd.
I have ridden the AVL Mall area. It is actually not bad heading south/eastbound since it's mostly downhill. I ride on Hendersonville Road almost every weekday. Non-cyclists, please stop the fear-mongering. There is exactly ONE road I will not ride in this city: Patton Avenue.
Black Mountain would be OK. However, there is one bus every three hours between there and Asheville. And it's a loong bike ride (18 miles, one way).
that is good to know. SO it would then not be possible to live in Black mt. and work in ashevilee. Without a car that is. Doh! Another strikeout.
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let down
