Which cities are "Bicycle Friendly" cities? (neighborhoods, living)

[Sleestak]

Anyone know of a city that has plenty of bike paths and a layout that is conducive to traveling by bicycle?

The current trend in gas prices has gotten me thinking about the whole idea of alternate modes of transportation. Unfortunately, the city I currently live in is not really designed for cycling.

So... in your opinions... which cities have the best conditions for traveling by bike?

[gnubler]

Portland, Oregon - bicycle city USA. Many main roads have marked bicycle lanes and there are a few bike/ped paths around town. I recently read there are more bicycle commuters in Portland than anywhere else in the US.

But it rains a lot! The die hard cyclists put on rain gear and keep on pedaling all year long.

All the public transportation allows bicycles to be brought on (buses, light rail).

[GreggB]

Yep-Portland Oregon is bike friendly. So is Madison Wisconsin.

[GraniteStater]

I have heard that the bicycle lanes in Portland, Oregon are wider than the car lanes!

[recycled]

I use my bicycle for commuting to work and general transportation, as well as recreational rides in Orange County, CA. I've pedaled over 20,000 miles in Orange County in the in the last 7 years living here, so that counts for something. This county has about 3.5 million people, and in spite of being a car jungle, it is a fairly bike friendly place, especially in the southern half. I lived in San Francisco area most of my life. The scenery and variety of riding was better there, but here in the OC city streets are generally wider and better set up for bicycle riders in my view from the bike seat.

I can get anywhere in the southern half of the county on hundreds of miles of city streets that have wide marked bicycle lanes. There are countless miles of bike paths also, separate from the car traffic. I use several in particular when I want to get across the city of Irvine, without making any traffic light stops, The bike paths have elaborate undercrossings, tunnels and even freeway overpass bridges.

I pedal here all year long, rarely skip the bike due to weather. A handful of stormy rain days a year is about it, so those just become rest days. Never too cold to pedal in winter, and I usually avoid the afternoon heat in summer by riding in early morning or late afternoon.

[ontheroad]

When I lived in NYC, I used my bicycle as my sole means of daily transportation. While the city itself is not promoted as bike-friendly, it is has wide avenues, and east to west streets are one way. Several of the avenues also had bike designated lanes. This makes bike riding easy.

I did have one accident, but otherwise I'd say I would rank the City as above average as bike-friendly.

[j33]

I use my bicycle as my primary form of transportation here in chicago (in the summer, spring, and fall only) and there are quite a few marked bike paths and a great lakefront bike path. Additionally, you can take your bike on public transportation (not during rush hour though) if you need to. In that I think it is pretty bike friendly, but sometimes the drivers can be aggressive.

[jessemh431]

the LA and OC beach cities definately b/c we have bike paths running all the way through the whole county which never stop. also, you can ride year-round due to our fantastic mild climate and it rarely rains here. Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, and all the other _____ Beach in South Bay are full of bicyclists. IDK much about OC except that it is very similar to LA

[kwirk]

I've lived in Tucson and L.A....

Tucson has a very nice grid of class 2 bike lanes all over the city that make commuting to and from work very easy. The city streets are laid out like a checkerboard and very flat, so it's an easy place to ride. Tucson is also a bit more liberal of a city so people are more accepting of cyclists. The weather is mostly perfect for cycling, although it can get pretty hot in the summertime.

L.A. isn't what I'd consider a "bike friendly" city although I have more fun riding here than I do in Tucson. Commuting to work can be difficult because a lot of the streets aren't very wide. Some cities and neighborhoods are more bike friendly than others, such as Pasadena and Santa Monica. However there are some really nice class 1 bike lanes that are lots of fun to ride, especially the one that runs all the way down the South Bay beach towns. The weather is as close to perfect as you can get for cycling.

[ontheroad]

I was in Keene, NH today and very impressed by their bike designated paths, signs, and the number of folks, children often in tow on their own bikes, riding around the City.