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I have seen some lists for cities that are best for biking and have always wondered why Hilton Head Island is not on there. Perhaps it is not considered enough of a "city." But it is the best place I've been to for biking. It has miles and miles of trails devoted just to bikes and walkers; you can bike to just about anywhere on the island and, for most of the time, don't have to be on a road. AND it's really flat, so you can go for miles and not get tired.
I vastly prefer these dedicated off-road trails, like Hilton Head has, to the bike lanes on roads. Does anyone know any other community that has bike TRAILS that are PRACTICAL for getting around to work, shopping and entertainment? I think it would be great to someday live somewhere where I could cut down on my car usage and do some of my errands by bike.
Davis, California would have to be the most bike-friendly place in the country, in my opinion. A lot of California cities could be in consideration based on the fact that many of the roads and infrastructures are new, and new enough that they have in many cases been fitted for bike lanes. Davis, though, is just a completely different story - on some days, bikes outnumber the cars driving through town. Davis, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Their logo is also a bicycle!
Boise has been named on occasion the best city for biking, commuter biking, and mountain biking. The city has over 150 miles of trails including the Boise River Greenbelt and then there are endless single track miles in the mountains and woods outside of the city. The bike culture in Boise is huge and I mean really huge, you have to have a bike here to fit in.
According to the Census Bureau, Boise ranks fourth in the country for bicycle commuters, Per capita
Among major cities, the ones I think are best for biking include:
Denver: has an excellent funding mechanism to expand their trail system throughout the metro. Cherry Creek trail provides good access to downtown
Minneapolis: has a long established system of trails around the city lakes, creeks and the Mississippi River, plus the Midtown Greenway (a former RR corridor) extends excellent biking through the heart of South Mpls. Plus the metro area also has an extensive series of trails (both recreational and commuter)
Portland: I don't have much familiarity with their system, but everything I hear is positive
Portland: I don't have much familiarity with their system, but everything I hear is positive
I was gonna have to put the smack down if someone didn't mention Portland soon. From the travelportland.com website:
Portland has the nation's highest percentage of bicycle commuters, 3.5 percent — about eight times the national average (U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, July 2007). The 2000 U.S. Census found that more than 5,000 Portlanders commute to work by bicycle.
Portland boasts 272 miles of developed bikeways: 171 miles of lanes, 71 miles of off-street paths and 30 miles of shared bicycle boulevards.
Portland is one of the only two cities – and the largest – to currently hold a Platinum level Bicycle Friendly Community designation (League of American Bicyclists, May 2008)
Manhattan has the riverside bike trails, and Central Park, which are quite practical. But the rest of the city doesn't have very practical trails... mostly for leisure riding.
Chicago as well has a riverside path, which is quite practical if you live near the coast.
Personally I prefer streets, with a grid and one way streets. Old cities in the northeast and midwest are great for this (and probably old western cities too? Portland, Seattle, LA?), because you have many options for a route that are fairly direct, without having to ride on fast busy main roads. Newer and suburban type areas tend to have strict street hierarchy, which is a real pain for bicycling... you're relegated to the sidewalks (if there are any), or else risking your life on a busy 50mph main road, or weaving through endless twisting residential subdivisions.
Montclair, that is some video. The most amazing part is I watched most of it and didn't see a single accident, even with all that traffic. I hearby nominate the Vietnamese as the best bike/motorcycle riders in the world.
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