Celebrate the bicycle: 10 most bike friendly cities in the USA

Millions of people around the world use a bicycle as their primary means of transportation. For some it is to get their healthy dose of physical activity as part of their daily routine, while for others it's a fun and hassle-free way to get around. There’s really no better way to celebrate World Bicycle Day than taking a ride of your own.

Here’s a list of 10 bicycle-friendly cities in USA that weave a wonderful web of cycling routes and mountain biking trails all across the country, in urban and rural spaces and across every terrain imaginable.

Madison has become one of only five cities to reach platinum-level status as Bicycle Friendly Communities as awarded by the League of American Bicyclists.

Madison has a lot of places to ride, from bike paths to the loop around Lake Monona, the Arboretum, quiet streets like Kendall and Mifflin, to ride out of the city to places like Paoli and nearby mountain bike trails at Cam-Rock, Badger Prairie and others. The Capital City Trail, the Southwest Commuter Path, and the Cannonball Path operate like expressways, giving riders a quick and easy off-road passage throughout the city.

For hiking you can also drive an hour, north of Madison to the glacial Devil's Lake. The park has a trail for every skill level and locals recommend the 2.7 kilometre (1.7-mile) East Bluff/Ice Age Trail, which has stone steps winding to the bluffs, jaw-dropping views, and can be tackled in just over an hour. For a less strenuous route, the Tumble Rocks trail is a leisurely stroll along the lakeshore. If you’re visiting Madison during the chilly months, the Olbrich Botanical Gardens’s 15 meter (50-foot) tall Bolz Conservatory is a tropical paradise of orchids, free-flying birds, waterfalls and fragrant exotic plants—all housed in a glass pyramid that is wonderfully balmy year-round.

Minneapolis is a cyclist's dream destination, with its rolling landscape, lakeside splendour, and winding trails. No wonder then that it has been consistently awarded the Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community Award by the League of American Bicyclists. This city proves that biking isn’t just for fun, but also an alternative to commuting to work while cutting down on traffic congestion and parking woes.

You can cruise around and through the city on miles and miles of pathways. For a trip just south of the city, try the 9-kilometer Midtown Greenway, east-west city crossing path that takes you over the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge that grants access to the Chain of Lakes.

The USA’s first bicycle freeway, the Cedar Lake Trail, runs roughly 9 kilometres from downtown Minneapolis and has three lanes of traffic: two one-ways for cyclists, and a lane for pedestrians. A place where bike couriers still thrive and sub-zero temperatures don’t deter hardcore cyclists surely deserves accolades.

Jackson Hole is quickly becoming a summertime cycling mecca. It has some of the most diverse terrain and opportunities for cycling and mountain biking in the world. From leisurely pathways to thrilling downhill trails and everything in between! Nestled in a valley close to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, Jackson (as affectionately dubbed by locals) lends itself to over 90 kilometres of paved pathways and 185 kilometres of mountain bike paths. Legendary scenery like snow-capped peaks and verdant forestry paired with occasional moose and bear sightings puts Jackson in the upper echelon of cycling destinations.

Jackson Hole includes several towns: Jackson, Teton Village, Wilson, and a few other small towns. Head north from any of these towns and you’ll find yourself in Grand Teton National Park. If you keep driving north through and out of the park, you’ll hit Yellowstone National Park in just a few minutes. Riders can also take a spin “Around the Block,” taking them on a 161-kilometer journey west over Teton Pass, south on Pine Creek Pass and back north through the Snake River Canyon.

Some of the best trails in the country are in Jackson, like Snow King’s “Cache to Game” — a cycle up Cache Creek and onto Game Creek Trail that makes for an unforgettable 32-kilometer loop finishing in town. The new Jackson Hole Bike Park in Teton Village is the valley’s only bike lift that leaves passengers to choose from six different downhill paths of varying difficulty levels.

Need to rent bikes? Jackson has a wide array of activity rental companies. And don't forget your helmet.

Bellingham has surprisingly vast number of bike trails. Whether you want to mountain bike, pedal through town or flock to an annual biking event, the city has you covered with its mix of cycling options. Plenty of trails like the Cornwall Park Trail, Northlake Whatcom Park “Hertz” Trail and Lake Padden single track trail are all within the city limits. The South bay trail is an especially majestic ride that will take you along the water for some incredible views.

The Tour de Whatcom attracts 1,000 visitors every summer and offers riders a choice of 3 routes wide ranging in distance around the county. Bikers who really want to get their blood pumping might consider attending Bellingham’s Festival 542, a nearly 40-kilometer ride with a 1,310-meter elevation gain on Mount Baker Highway 542.

San Francisco is a gold level bike friendly community and is second best city for bike riding in California. Recent years have sparked an insurgence of cycling activity in the city. Many of the bike paths are located on the west side of the city, and bike lanes give your quads a break, as most of them traverse the flatter parts of town.

Riding across the Golden Gate Bridge is a must. Starting at Fort Mason, the breath-taking coastal views, and the experience of riding high above the bay, this ride is a classic for a reason. If you’re up for a challenge, take the Hawk Hill Loop on the other side.

From Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf, you can tour the best of San Francisco on two wheels. This bike route includes the 27-degree incline of Lombard Street. For the lovers of hustle and bustle, a trip in the bike lane through Valencia Street allows you to take in all the hubbub of nearby shops, restaurants and retail outlets.

If you’re an art and history lover, check out the Mission District Murals bike route. And of course, you can’t visit a coastal bike-friendly California city without a coastal ride to Embarcadero.

Bike parking stalls, quirky biking events (New Belgium’s sponsored Tour de Fat, no doubt an exercise in whimsy), and a detailed bike route map round out San Francisco’s cycling appeal.

With a show-stopping landscape and temperate climate, Santa Cruz is a bike-riding Nirvana. This county is laced with trails that lead alongside bay waters through idyllic farmlands and into atmospheric redwood groves.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is famous for its towering old-growth coastal redwoods. The park offers something for everyone - equestrians, cyclists and hikers may all enjoy select trails throughout the park.

Pogonip is a City of Santa Cruz Open Space and offers 8 miles of trail access for hikers, cyclists and equestrians.

No trip to Santa Cruz is complete without some time at the beach. Starting from Aptos Village Park in the bike-loving town of Aptos, head south through the small farms of verdant Larkin Valley to Sunset State Beach.

Boulder's love affair with bicycling has given rise to a distinctive bike culture. With over 300 days of sunshine a year and nearly 500 kilometres of dedicated bikeways, Boulder seems like a cyclist’s paradise. The city has been carefully planned with on-street bike lanes, contra-flow bike lanes, paved shoulders, multi-use paths and soft-surface paths. This best bike city in the United States also has a vending machine for cyclists to buy accessories at any hour of the day.

The 11-kilometer Boulder Creek Path is a popular, leisurely Boulder bike ride that stretches from east Boulder into Boulder Canyon, winding along the cool, scenic creek. Nature enthusiasts needn’t fret: With the foothills just outside Boulder's back door, there are plenty of trails to fulfil all your single-track fantasies. You can ride the beginner mountain biking Heil Valley Ranch trail just north of Boulder within Lefthand Canyon.

Seattle ticks all the boxes on cyclists’ wish lists. You can ride a protected bike lane from the Space Needle nearly two miles to Pioneer Square, with features like bike-specific traffic lights to make your cruise even safer. Seattle has a well-developed bicycle network consisting of several major urban and regional trails that allow nearly road-free travel to all major neighbourhoods and destinations in the Puget Sound area.

Seattle has some of the most incredible scenic views and the city focuses constantly on its bike infrastructure. The best bike rides include the Burke-Gilman Trail, Elliott Bay Trail, Bainbridge Island, Lake Union Loop and the Interurban Trail (North).

With dedicated bike lanes, riding trails and traffic-free areas, Oregon’s largest city has plenty to offer to make it perfect for pedaling. Over 7 percent of people commute to work on their bikes, ranking it the highest amongst all cities in the U.S. With more than 500 kilometers of bikeways, the city plays host to dizzying amount of biking events each year and has even inspired some residents to start up BikePortland.org, a daily news source for all things bicycle-related.

You can explore everything Portland has to offer on your bike - from its famously gorgeous parkland to more than 70 local breweries - on two wheels. Some popular rides include a cruise along the Eastbank Esplanade, a 2.5-kilometer corridor along the Willamette River; the Springwater Corridor which ultimately leads south to Mount Hood National Forest; and Forest Park, which highlights northwest Portland’s old-timber growth.

Chicago, Illinois is routinely lauded as a bike-friendly city. It is known in the country for its commitment to developing protected bike lanes within city limits. The inception of Divvy, the bike-sharing service that has 5,800 bikes and 580 stations around the city, is a game-changer when it comes to encouraging non-riders to join in.

Chicago is an enormous city and it’s impressive as to how well planners have managed to make bike infrastructure almost ubiquitous, especially downtown. Cyclists can enjoy hundreds of miles of protected bike lanes and scenic routes like the 30-kilometer Lakefront Trail, a multi-use path along Lake Michigan. For mountain bikers, the pump track at Clark Park or the trails around the Waterfall Glen Preserve offer rugged and exciting off-road adventures.