Cycling is growing every year, and we are seeing more and more people out riding bikes. With towns and cities getting busier and populations increasing, many of us are looking for alternative transport, or some people are looking for an escape from it all, and a bike is a perfect tool for this.
Cities in the past decade have had a big push on improving cycling infrastructure, but many people ask what are the best cities to be riding a bike in. In this article, we’re going to discuss six of the best cities for cycling and why they are so good.
What do we look for in the best cycling cities?
There’s a lot we look for when it comes to the best cycling cities. Here’s what we feel gives a good judge of a cycling city.
- A good cycling infrastructure
- Amount of protected bike lanes
- If there are already many bike commuters
- Bike facilities such as bike specific traffic signals
- What are they doing to further the growth of cycling
- A high rating on the Copenhagenize Index
These are typically good signs of a city that you might want to commute on your ebike in. We will be looking at cities all over the world and will give you our top picks.
Copenhagen
Voted the best city for bike commuting for many years, Copenhagen must be spoken about. Copenhagen is the Danish capital, and it is by many considered the best biking city in the whole of Europe. 62% of people here are bicycle commuters, and on average, they invest over 40 euros per person to help improve the city to ensure more people take to their bikes. They also have a huge amount of bike tools stations for you to use, and everywhere you go is bike friendly. Not only are they investing heavily in the city but also in the surrounding countryside by adding lots of new bike paths and protected bike lanes for everyone to enjoy.
Utrecht
Utrecht is one of the biggest cities in Holland, and they are making some incredible movements for bike commuting. Being a Dutch city, you can expect to see bikes everywhere, and it is the most popular form of transport. They have miles of protected bike lanes and are making heavy investments into special fast lanes for ebikes with smart traffic light systems, and even guidance systems. Not only are they improving the quality of riding, but they are also adding bike parking garages. One is currently being built to house more than 20,000 bikes.
Oslo
Oslo is the Norwegian Capital and recently has made a big jump up the rankings as a bike friendly city due to their 2015-2025 bicycle plan. They recently made some huge changes, such as banning cars from 1.3 square miles from the city center. In turn, they have gotten away with car parking, made it bike parking, and improved pedestrian facilities. They are giving huge local incentives to drop cars and buy bikes and have even provided over 400 urban bikes with winter tires as winter weather gets cold. Oslo recently won an award in the Copenhagize Index because of its huge improvement in a short space of time.
San Francisco
All the way over across the pond, we have San Francisco. The city is becoming increasingly popular for commuting on an ebike due to lots of new cycle paths being built and the heavy investments into cycling they are making. With over 456 miles of cycle paths and many buffered bike lanes, you will have a huge number of routes to choose from, including slow streets made purely for cycling and pedestrians. The weather is great for cycling all year round, and with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition supporting you all the way, it’s even great for beginners. There’s also a huge amount of recreational cycling and many cycling clubs to choose from.
Berlin
Berlin is a huge city in Germany and has become very popular for ebike commuters. The 2018 Berlin mobility act is very focused on cycling. Since it was instated, commuters have seen many improvements, and it is working toward some big goals, such as 100,000 new bike parking spaces, protected bike lanes that are seven feet wide, and reduced road traffic. Berlin generally has lots of on street bike lanes, but with more bike infrastructure, they will see safer bike lanes and many dedicated bike lanes. Statistics have shown seven in ten people in Berlin own a bike, and for 13% of people, their main mode of transport.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of the world’s best cycling capitals and is based in Holland. With a huge number of bike lanes and minimal cars, it’s ideal for cycling. They are constantly improving the city and are currently widening bike lanes for safer overtaking and also working on removing vehicles such as mopeds. 75% of people in Amsterdam cycle, and it’s home to nearly 900,000 bicycles. It’s one of the most unique biking cities and even has a museum you can cycle through.
Are Electric bikes part of cities sustainability plans?
Ebikes are a huge part of a city’s cycling future. They allow a cyclist to travel further, faster, and even reduce the workload on the legs. Many cities are making huge developments to cater to ebikes. For more information, check out our blog on sustainability.
Are Ebikes good for commuting?
Ebikes are perfect for commuting, and we highly recommend them even over a normal bike. Most bicycle commuters are considering switching over, and many have done because Ebike’s offer so much more than a typical bike and are just perfect for commuting. For more information, check out our blog about why Ebikes are excellent for commuting.
Conclusion
In recent years cities have been making a huge push to improve cycling infrastructure, which is welcomed in bike culture. Many people are moving to bike friendly cities and switching to two wheels as they are just fed up with car traffic but love living in a city center. These are only six cities we feel are excellent as far as cycling goes, but there are even more such as Antwerp, Strasbourg, and even Paris. You can find them all on the Copenhagenize Index.
One Response
I like Amsterdam