joseph santaniello wrote:
I have I beileve enough info for most of the places I will check out,
but I recently became interested in Santa Maria. Can someone fill me
in on what the racing/riding scene is like there?

I hope you like wind! Seriously though, Santa Maria is a great place for
riding.

As for racing, it's good news/bad news... there's a somewhat active racing
community right in Santa Maria, but not as big as nearby San Luis Obispo (to
the north) or Santa Barbara (to the south). But the main drawback is that
you'll generally be at least 2-3 hours drive from most of the races. Santa
Maria, just like the rest of Central California, is in between the racing
hotbeds of LA/OC/San Diego and the Bay Area. But you could turn that around
and recognize that you usually have two equidistant race options every
weekend. Also, I'm pretty sure there are regular group rides and training
races in Santa Maria, but certainly you could find rides of any level ride
you wanted by going to SLO or SB. Plus, if you're into centuries, the
world-famous Solvang Century goes right through Santa Maria (it even has a
start location there).

How far do you have to ride to be out of range of stop signs, etc.

Not far at all. Couple miles at most and you're in the Santa Ynez Valley
which has some of the best riding in the state. Like I've mentioned before
to someone in rbr, there's a reason many pro teams hold training camps
there.

In general what is it like?

The town or the cycling? The town is growing fast, with lots of housing
tracts sprouting up. It's an agricultural economy mostly. Lot's of vineyards
and strawberry fields. The riding is really good and the weather over most
of the winter is better than the rest of the state.

Any suggestions on particular things/places I should check out
when I am in the area?

Go climb Figueroa Mtn. Visit some wineries. Go to Los Alamos and eat at
American Flat Bread Pizza (only open Fri/Sat nights). Visit SLO and SB. Go
to the beach.

Here are some cycling resources for the area....
http://www.slocycling.org
http://www.teamtailwinds.com
http://ridesb.com

Good luck!

Mark
http://marcofanelli.blogspot.com