20 Most Bike-Friendly Cities In America: Bicycling.com Ranks The Best Cities To Ride In (PHOTOS)

Bicycling.com released its definitive list of the most bike-friendly cities in the U.S. this week. The study surveyed only cities with 100,000 citizens or more, and was based on number of segregated bike lanes and municipal bike racks and bike boulevards, among other factors. Researchers also took into account more qualitative factors like support for a vibrant and diverse bike culture, and having "smart, savvy bike shops."

Check out the list below:

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#1 Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Comments

[metricfan]

08:56 PM on 04/12/2010

I live in Eugene, and I bike to work everyday. We have these amazing river paths, and for most of my ride I'm completely segregated from cars. There is this short part of the bike paths that goes onto the road, and there was more bike traffic than there were cars! This town is amazing for bikers, which is great for my health and happiness. I love this town.

[bridgeman]

09:07 AM on 04/12/2010

Davis and Santa Cruz Ca. should be at the top of the Bike-friendly list!

[SDZ1]

08:11 AM on 04/12/2010

St. Petersburg Florida should be on this list instead of Gainesville.

http://www.stpete.org/bicycle/index.asp

[Unimatrix42]

05:01 PM on 04/11/2010

I wish Boston was more bike friendly. There are a lot of bike paths in New England but the major cities here come up short.

[Nathaniel Mills]

11:48 PM on 04/10/2010

You forgot Berkeley, maaaaan.

[Rupesh Pawani]

02:11 AM on 04/10/2010

I was just thinking that there is one subjective element that gets people on backs that is hard to quantify: a civic culture that encourages people to ride or walk. Boston really is hard to bike, but throughout the nineties (when I lived there) there was a highly visible hardcore of bikers that asked everyone to imagine another way to live, and local groups like Bikes Not Bombs and Broadway Bicycle School were working with youth and teaching people how to repair and ride bikes. This also makes biking safer, because visibility causes motorists to be more careful. In some ways it begins with the riders and with community groups. Budgets and policies follow.
http://www.travelfront.com/bicycle-friendly-cities-in-north-america/

[patrickmcdougal]

03:48 PM on 04/11/2010

I got hit last week by a car while riding down Commenwealth Ave by Boston U. Boston could be a great city to bike in but the drivers here are crap.

[Jordan Stewart]

02:53 PM on 04/09/2010

@Deli You're right about San Diego. The fact that places like Southern California and Texas are among the most auto-centric highly populated areas in the United States when they enjoy such sunny weather most of the time is a tragedy.

[Jordan Stewart]

02:51 PM on 04/09/2010

Finally a bike friendly cities list that *doesn't* put Austin, TX in the top 10. This is a progressive city in a lot of ways, but not when it comes to transportation and accommodating cyclists. It's a long story but I cringe when I see Austin ranked in the top five (one magazine ranked it #2). The reputation this town has when it comes to cycling-friendliness is undeserved and likely a product of its otherwise legitimate Green reputation.

[metricfan]

09:30 PM on 04/12/2010

and the product of a famous cyclist who owns his own bike shops in town...

[Thomas Ver Hoeve]

01:27 PM on 04/09/2010

I like that of all of the beautiful bike paths that run in and around Madison, Wisconsin, they decided to choose the picture of some guy falling off his bike into a three foot snowbank to illustrate how bike friendly we are.

[Betrayed]

10:32 PM on 04/09/2010

LOL

Madison's a great town.

On Wisconsin, and GO PACK GO!

[onwisconsin]

01:21 AM on 04/10/2010

You rang?

Got the bike out today for a short ride this weekend around Lake Monona. Should be nice weather.

I am not among those who ride in the snow

[thegreenmileage]

11:36 AM on 04/11/2010

Maybe they're trying to show just how hardcore Madisonian bikers are? I know I've seen bikers in the dead of winter, cycling through blizzards. They're kind of like the kids who run around in shorts and flip flops as soon as it hits 40. We've got some dedicated outdoorsy people!

I also think that the surrounding areas in Dane County are quite bike-friendly, as well. There are lots of serious cyclists as well as hobbyists out on the country roads. It seems like we've got a pretty good setup!

-Haley
thegreenmileage.wordpress.com

[iamjones]

11:57 AM on 04/09/2010

i find it curious that most of these so-called bike-friendly cities are in the north and/or experience fairly extreme weather. as someone who lives in the south, i have always been so frustrated regarding the lack of city planning to include cycling and cyclers' safety. we have the warm temperatures and therefore should be out on our bikes more than our neighbors to the north.

currently living in florida -- cyclers have some decent routes, however, bike paths and bike lanes are still too few and far between. and i am not even going to go into the driving-while-geriatric issues that are a very real problem. i also once lived in NC and riding my bike almost anywhere in that city was pretty much taking my life in my own hands. crossing nearly any intersection was like playing chicken.

[mchgnjohn]

07:42 AM on 04/09/2010

I think Albuquerque should be 16th and Gainseville 17th - not the other way around.

[Patrick Gihana]

03:25 AM on 04/09/2010

and what about Davis, California? this list is a joke.

[Deli]

01:23 AM on 04/09/2010

It shows a complete lack of vision or leadership that San Diego is no where to be seen. Perfect weather, horrible biking and public transit. The city has been and forever will be controlled by developers and those they elect.

[Skye13]

11:17 PM on 04/08/2010

I can't believe Eugene, Oregon isn't number 2 on the list...

[SilentSolidarity]

07:20 PM on 04/08/2010

If you wanna d.ie. Ride a bike in San Diego. I guarantee it!

[Deli]

01:24 AM on 04/09/2010

I saw this after my comment above. Ha! So true. If you want to die even faster, go out with roller blades on.