Cycling is not only a great way to get in shape, but it can also be a cheaper and better for the environment way to get to work. Not every city is bike-friendly, but many cities have lots of bike paths, slow speed limits, and beautiful views that make riding a bike fun. Here is a list of the best US places for cyclists.
Best US Cities for Cycling
Minneapolis, MN
A study from PeopleForBikes says that Minneapolis is the best big city in the US for cyclists. There are over 16 miles of protected bikeways on the streets, 98 miles of bike lanes, and 101 miles of off-street bikeways and tracks in the Twin Cities area. A popular place to ride a bike is the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway. It’s a 51-mile loop that goes around the city and has amazing views of the lakes, creeks, forests, and riverbanks in the area. Also, over the past five years, more people in Minneapolis have ridden their bikes to work than in any other big city.
San Francisco, CA
Also, San Francisco is one of the best places in the US to ride a bike. San Francisco is a fun city to ride your bike around because it has beautiful views of the Bay and famous hills that make riding fun. The city took steps on purpose to encourage people to ride bikes, such as adding more bike paths, making bike parking better, and setting up a strong bike-sharing system. Because of this, the number of people riding bikes for fun in San Francisco has grown by 184% since 2006, and now about 22.5% of locals do it.
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Boulder, CO
Not only that, but Boulder, Colorado is also one of the best mid-sized towns for biking. There are more than 300 miles of bikeways in the Boulder Valley. There are 96 miles of bike lanes, 84 miles of multi-use paths, and 50 miles of bike routes. About 15.1% of Boulder people ride their bikes to work, and 17.9% ride their bikes for fun. Plus, it cares a lot about bike safety and keeps bike lanes (15 mph) safe for all bikes, even electric bikes. So, with a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 people, the number of bike deaths is very low.
Davis, CA
This is another mid-sized city in California that is known for its love of bikes. Davis has more than 63 miles of paths, 102 miles of bike lanes, 1 mile of bicycle boulevards, and 4 miles of buffered bike lanes. It is often called the “bicycle capital of the US.” The city has more than 4,300 bike racks, with 2,000 of them in the center area. Also, bike safety is very important to them, and 75% of the roads have signs that say 25 mph. Because of this, 23.5% of Davis people get to work on bikes, and there are no bike-related deaths.
New York, NY
New York City is also a great place to ride a bike. New York is known for its terrible traffic, so many people there own bikes because they have to. About 16.1% of people ride their bikes to work, and 25.1% ride their bikes for fun. That’s almost 2 million people riding bikes in one city. Plus, the city has a lot of bike-friendly features, like over 1,500 miles of bike lanes, with about 644 of them being protected. The city has done more to make biking safer, but the rate of cyclist deaths is still about the same as the national average: 2.7 per 100,000 people.
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