Adventure Cycling Association Forum
Bicycle Travel => Urban Cycling => Topic started by: swaters on November 03, 2006, 12:15:04 pm
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The Washington Post contacted both Adventure Cycling and Bicycling
magazine to submit their favorite bicycling cities and towns. The
reporter, Andrea Sachs, decided to combine both organizations lists in
the article, 10 Other Great Biking Cities, published on 10/1/06. The link to the article is:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092900490.html
Read the parent article, Denver's Trails Stretch From Urban Chic To Rockies Peaks at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092900626.html
We are looking forward to hearing about your favorites.
Susan Waters
Media Director
Adventure Cycling Association
This message was edited by 900 on 11-3-06 @ 9:18 AM
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I live in the Washington, D.C. area, and personally, I think it's a good place to bike due to the bike path system that travels in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia.
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The best bicycling towns are college towns. They have plenty of bicycling people, bike lanes, trails and considerate drivers. Tallahassee FL and Eugene OR come to mind. New York and San Francisco are quite good as major cities go mainly because of the excellent motorists. In NY especially they really know how to look six ways at once.
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I'm disappointed that the Washington Post did not contact the League of American Bicyclists (http://www.bikeleague.org/index.php). They, are, IMHO, the preeminent advocate of bicycle friendly cities and towns.
Paul
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I live in St. Paul, Mn and I think the city is pretty bicycle-friendly. I would say it's better than St. Louis and Chicago by far and better than Milwaukee, on a par with Madison. Those are other cities I'm familiar with.
There is noplace in the cities I wouldn't go on my bike because of traffic or safety issues. I've even biked at night through some of the worst. The one problem I had was that I used to work in Eden Prairie and there wasn't a good way to get there from East St. Paul. The rivers, railroads, and expressways are barriers but can be dealt with. Usually there are alternatives to busy roads.
One year I lobbied hard to get a 500-yard long bikeway made to go over an abandoned interurban streetcar bridge. The pols were in favor and it got funded but a resident complained to the mayor about it and it got eliminated. I waited about 20 years and tried again through my city bicycle advocate committee and they got it done. At least my grandchildren can use it if they live here.
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On the Northern Tier route you will run into a town called Mentor, Ohio. Watch out the people do not like cyclists at all. Even though it's a "Bicycle Friendly town" someone forgot to remind the people of it. People use horns, taunts or various other stupidities here so watch it this town stinks for cyclists !
And That's All There Is !
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If "Bicycle Friendly" relates to Bike Paths, then I vote for Xenia, OH. From the hub at Xenia Station (Old Railroad Station) you can travel South to Cincinnati, East to the outskirts of Columbus, OH, West to Downtown Dayton and even further South towards Middletown, OH, and North almost to Urbana, OH (just north of Springfield).
The paths lead you through various landscapes (mostly flat) and towns which make for great rides. They are well maintained and for the most part everyone one the paths (walkers, rollerbladers, etc) are courteous.
Then again if "Bicycle Friendly" relates to roads - I have yet to find a city that is truly "Friendly". Motorists have yet to understand their responsibility to "Share the Road". I find this true if I "take my lane" at an intersection or simply riding to the right. Motorists are always very eager to prove they can maneuver a 3,000 lb hunk of steel around us and be in front.
Even the media doesn't get it! Anytime there is a story about an accident involving a bike - it's presented in a way that the cyclist was at fault. I'm not saying we (cyclists) are perfect - we're just not in the wrong 100% of the time.
So, where do I ride; I ride the roads around Xenia and beyond. The bike paths are great for a leisurely ride but I like the openness of the road. There are plenty of back roads out there where motor vehicle traffic is minimal and to top it off there are hills!
This message was edited by Seel on 11-21-06 @ 2:14 AM
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Belfast,Maine is on the way toward being very bike friendly. The two main thorougfares now have bike lanes. Our local bicycle shop bends over backwards to help people. Belfast Bicycle Club is very active--three group rides a week and an active time trial schedule. The club also does bike safety rodeos for kids. and our police department registers bikes for 25 cents to cover filing and the cost of a numbered decal. The snowfall is very light here on the coast so we ride pretty well year round. All the fat tired steel bikes come out around this time.
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I would agree with Char2006 that Washington DC is pretty hard to beat for a city its size, especially in the Eastern US. We have a growing network of hundreds of miles of bikeable trails including the Mount Vernon, Capital Crescent, Washington and Old Dominion, and Rock Creek Trails, and the C&O Canal towpath. DC can't hold a candle to Davis California however. I visited Davis in 1979 and I was amazed. Bike lanes and facilities everywhere. A community that is totally committed to bikes as transportation. Great weather. And flat terrain.
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I live in Portland Oregon. I moved here 6 years ago from the east coast. Portland is the most bike friendly city that I've ever seen. I bicycle commute to work year round (with the exception of ice storm days or wind storm days - not that frequent). My one-way distance is 13 miles with 10 of those miles being on dedicated bike paths. It can't be beat.
Work to Eat
Eat to Live
Live to Bike
Bike to Work
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..being on dedicated bike paths.
Where do you get these? All of the "dedicated bike paths" I've ever seen are shared with walkers, runners, kids on skateboards, baby carriages, dogs on loooong leashes and, in general, users not paying the slightest attention to traffic discipline. In fact, most of them look at bicyclists as unwelcome intruders on THEIR trail.
In many ways, they are far more dangerous than road riding.
I agree that rail-trails far away from residential areas and at least one mile from major road crossings or parking areas can be nice to ride on but city trails are a horror for biking.
This message was edited by DaveB on 12-15-06 @ 9:40 AM
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I can vouch for Madison. FANTASTIC biking city. I live in Las Vegas now and it's the pits.
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I lived in Eugene for a while and it is a good cycling city.
I lived in Tucson a long time. It claims to be bike friendly but it is not. There are a lot of hostile motorists there. It's dangerous to be a pedestrian there too.
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I am dismayed that the Washington Post rankings are based largely on paths.
If a city wants to be this cyclist's friend, give me restriped thoroughfares to create wide right lanes, safe & convienent ways to cross freeways, rail lines and rivers (dedcated space on existing bridges & overpasses or bike bridges), traffic lights that sense I'm waiting, yellow lights that are long enough for me to cross the entire intersection, reasonable bike parking at shops, retail & places of employment and good connectivity from neighborhood to neighborhood.
TCS
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....give me restriped thoroughfares to create wide right lanes,...
Be careful what you wish for. Chicago has done just that and the results couldn't be more dangerous and less bike friendly if they set out to make them that way.
The "bike lanes" in Chicago are striped dedicated lanes outside of the parking lane and inside of the auto travel lane. Do you see the problem? Every parked car pulls across the bike lane either while parking or while coming out of the parking space. Drivers open their doors directly into the bike lane. None of them ever looks for bicyclists.
As i said above, be careful what you wish for.
This message was edited by DaveB on 12-23-06 @ 7:19 AM
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??? Wide right/curb/outside lanes are a different thing from the mispositioned striped-off bike lanes you seem to be describing.
TCS
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??? Wide right/curb/outside lanes are a different thing from the mispositioned striped-off bike lanes you seem to be describing.
True but what I described is much more common that the bike lanes you desire. You ask for well designed bike lanes but get terrible ones and the local officials then gloat about their great attention to the "needs" of bicyclists.
There is a downside to the wide, curb side bike lanes you want too. Cars from the auto travel lane that are turning right at an intersection cut across them and bicyclists that are going straight are too often overlooked. Also, cars pulling out from a side street or driveway will often pull out into the bike lane to see what auto traffic is coming. It's the same hazard riding on sidewalks pose.
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Well, there's a downside to almost everything! Certainly a motorist can pull around a cyclist and immediately turn right with lanes of any width.
Please note I haven't asked for or expressed any desire for ~bike~ lanes - or even any more heat absorbing, run-off producting pavement. I've only asked for restriping on thoroughfares to create wider curb lanes. These lanes benefit buses and trucks and buffer pedestrians, plus there's no stripes or signage to contain or restrict the cyclist. Riders can use the extra space to co-exist or move out further into the lane to protect their position as conditions warrant.
Best,
Tom
This message was edited by TCS on 12-28-06 @ 9:16 AM
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I will echo applause for Madison, Wisconsin and also for Washington DC. Not only to these cities offer terrific infrastructure for commuters as well as resources and a sizable cycling community but excellent roads and paths recreational cycling are directly connected to each city's internal network of commuter paths.
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......(O) (O)...........
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i'd rather be biking.
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Five Stars for the Twin Cities, Minnesota is certainly a bike friendly large city in which a rider could spend many days exploring. They have a bike/hike trail map of the metro area (Transport Press). In the 1960s I biked all over the cities and suburbs. Now in the 2000s I find it a easy city to navigate as I end cross-country tours.
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I have to put in a good word for Nanaimo, B.C. We have pretty decent riding weather being on the West Coast, a decent amount of paved multi-use trails that actually take you somewhere. I know that they are just about useless when the weather is nice and they are full of dog-walkers and rollerbladers with I-Pods. However, they can be used to get around a couple pieces of road that are not bicycle friendly. The bigger streets have all got a wider curb lane to accomodate both (although it still confuses some motorists) and the bike routes are marked on the pavement-not a separate "lane"- just a bike symbol and "share the road"-most of these don't have on-street parking. The "freeway" around the City has a bike (multi-use)route parallel to it, but also has gorgeous wide shoulders so its quite safe to ride. The City has tuned all the traffic light sensors to be tripped by bicycles, and when one light was not working, an email got it fixed. There is a good sized community of commuters, and a ton of recreational cyclists, and the City has tuned in to that fact.
Its not perfect, but does a good job serving most riders out there. All the safety measures won't protect you from a careless driver though. Just as there are dozens of minor accidents daily between cars, there will be some with bicycles-and the bike loses every time unfortunately.
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Fluetz once again you have chosen to disparage the people of Mentor and I take exception to it once again. I have no more problem riding my bike in Mentor then any other community in the entire area,including your city Concord, Ohio. I not only will put our residents but our bike path system against any other city when it comes to committment to biking.
Ray Kirchner, Mayor/President
Mentor, Ohio City Council
This message was edited by raylrode on 2-9-07 @ 12:32 PM
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Please give me a call at 440-974-5755 if your going to be in the Mentor area and I would be only to happy to give you a personal bike tour of our wonderful city and it's great bike way system.
Mayor Ray Kirchner
This message was edited by raylrode on 2-9-07 @ 6:36 PM
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regarding dedicated bike paths. There are few walkers, strollers, joggers at 5:30 in the morning.
Work to Eat
Eat to Live
Live to Bike
Bike to Work
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In the summer I often head out on a ten mile pre-work ride at 5:30am
and seldom even see a car on the streets. I can't imagine fooling with my
town's paths when there are empty streets to ride.
Best,
Tom
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For a smaller town I have to give a shoutout to Corvallis, Oregon. It's another flat college town with lots of bike paths/lanes, lots of bike shops, mild weather, etc.
I live near Corvallis in Albany, OR and it's also pretty good, all things considered. The only real complaint I have is that some businesses still don't have good bike racks.
I've had good luck with striped bike lanes on roads. Honestly, one of the biggest problems I have is cars that are *too* courteous; a car may have plenty of time to turn before I reach the intersection, but they remember passing me in the bike lane so they stop and wait... and now I have to figure out what they are going to do. :quest: In this case I generally just jump out into the regular traffic lane and pass the turning car on the left.
This message was edited by undies on 2-14-07 @ 11:04 AM
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I have to agree with Corvallis. I've lived here for about 6 months now and I think it's a great place to cycle. I wish there was a good bike friendly way to ride from here to Linn-Benton Community College in Albany though. Hwy 34 is not enjoyable riding.
Corvallis has five bike shops that I know of, and there's only about 50,000 people here.
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thing is--everywhere's good to cycle really when ya consider the alternative. assumin' you're not one of those who live way out in edge city and feel you have to drive to work in town.
boston's often cited by different bike rags as a bad place to be a cyclist, but we got a seriously vibrant bike community here. lot's o' bike shops, custom builders, activists, etc.
anywhere's good if you cycle it.
word.
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I am new to the urban commuuting. I recently moved to the raleigh area in nc and have had many new commuuting experiences since my old commute was on country roads. I sat for what seemed like ten minutes at a red light at five in the morning before I realized the light didn't know I was there. I have had semis turn right in front of me when I was going straight. (now I ride in the middle of the straight lane so no one is tempted to go around) I definately think you have to stake a claim to your part of the road. Down here they are pretty proud of their bike routes but they are no more than signs with a picture of a bike on busy roads with no shoulder.
in michigan the worst thing that happened to my daily commute was the rails to trails path that paralelled my usual route for several miles. I will agree there are few people on them at five thirty in the morning, but at six at night it can be a different story. everything from dogs on fifteen foot leashes to baby strollers roller bladers and people walking three abreast that wont yeild. when I chose to ride the road at these times I get nothing but motorist honking and pointing at the trail. I even got pulled over riding the trail at tenthirty pm by a police officer who thought I was on a motorcycle!!
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Where do you get these? All of the "dedicated bike paths" I've ever seen are shared with walkers, runners, kids on skateboards, baby carriages, dogs on loooong leashes and, in general, users not paying the slightest attention to traffic discipline. In fact, most of them look at bicyclists as unwelcome intruders on THEIR trail.
In many ways, they are far more dangerous than road riding.
I agree that rail-trails far away from residential areas and at least one mile from major road crossings or parking areas can be nice to ride on but city trails are a horror for biking.>>
Well said..I HATE the so-called 'bike paths'...open roads and just a little consideration go a long way in my book. MOst people drive like jack-holes and as if it is a nascar race everywhere they go. They are mostly inconsiderate and hateful towards ANYONE on a bike..however..the few people that just drive like sane individuals make up for the vast majority of jackholes out there especially most truckers, they are a danger to themselves and everyone around them. [/rant off]
"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb
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My pet peeve is bike lanes or bike trails that just suddenly end for no reason, as if Scotty were there to beam you up.
Why should cyclists have to dismount to cross roads where they cross bike trails? Why can't cars yield to bicycles when the cars are coming out of side street?
Bike trails that are intended for transportation use should either follow major streets or be signed in such a way that orient the user by direction, distance, & destination.
Crabby old Uncle John
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1 October 2008 St. Paul, MN
I live in St. Paul, moved from bicycle-friendly town and rural Iowa in '91. Recent St. Paul Pioneer Press articles are noting that the increased use of bikes is accompanied by car-bike accidents. Several bike riders have been killed in the past three months in the Mpls-St. Paul area. Most recent death was a woman biking in the afternoon on broad Summit Avenue. Clearly bike riders and car drivers need to ramp up their safe behavior and attentiveness. As an example, bicyclists blowing through stop signs is the rule here. Better planning for bike traffic is needed, too.
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I do not know of any particularly bike friendly cities, and the town where I am from in Florida is not what I would call bike friendly. The bike paths that were here for years were pot-holed and terrible. Half a mile would have about fifty major slams to your wheels. There are bike lanes, but that is because new roads had government funding, and government mandated lanes for cycling, and even those are right out in traffic. My town is right on the Atlantic coast bicycle route. It is not recommended that anyone cycle south of here to West Palm Beach on Highway US One. A much better route is A1A starting on Jupiter Island and going south.
No, I cannot call this place bike friendly, but some drivers do watch out for people on bikes, and some are quite courteous in ways that you would never ever see in other parts of the world, such as in China for example.
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Seattle is a great bike town, once you get to know the routes, traffic patterns, etc. It is very scenic, too. There are hills on many of the routes, buts lots of areas with few hills, too. I've enjoyed countless hours getting to know the bike system there and keep going back for more. The 50 mile ride around Lake Washington hasw to be one of the most beautiful, fun day rides anywhere!
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Even tho I live in Long Beach, CA my vote would go to Irvine, Calif. There are usually generous bike lanes and bicyclist controlled intersections (tho not on left turn).
Even the drivers seem to be more patient.
Driving the rural areas of the Mid-West (Ks, Il., Wi), if I show a little wiggle of my handlebars indicating unsteadiness, I'm usually given a wide berth.
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Belfast,Maine is on the way toward being very bike friendly. The two main thorougfares now have bike lanes. Our local bicycle shop bends over backwards to help people. Belfast Bicycle Club is very active--three group rides a week and an active time trial schedule. The club also does bike safety rodeos for kids. and our police department registers bikes for 25 cents to cover filing and the cost of a numbered decal. The snowfall is very light here on the coast so we ride pretty well year round. All the fat tired steel bikes come out around this time.
That sounds beautiful. Where are you in relation to Bar Harbor?
http://www.bikecarrierdirect.com
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Thanks everyone for your support, you're the best!!
pret auto (http://pret-auto.org)
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1 October 2008 St. Paul, MN
I live in St. Paul, moved from bicycle-friendly town and rural Iowa in '91. Recent St. Paul Pioneer Press articles are noting that the increased use of bikes is accompanied by car-bike accidents. Several bike riders have been killed in the past three months in the Mpls-St. Paul area. Most recent death was a woman biking in the afternoon on broad Summit Avenue. Clearly bike riders and car drivers need to ramp up their safe behavior and attentiveness. As an example, bicyclists blowing through stop signs is the rule here. Better planning for bike traffic is needed, too.
Forget St. Paul, come on over to Minneapolis for some great biking! The bridge on 34th st is killer at night, have you seen it yet?
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I live in NYC, some areas are nice for bike, like central park, hudson parkway, ...
whatced video about copenhagen - this is real city if bikes!!!
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Recently read about Davis in California - this is true bike city, they even have bike on the flag)))
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Yes, I remember hearing about Davis about 20 years ago. I've never biked there, though. I think I will check it out on my next trip to California, though.
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Consideration must be given to Damascus, VA on the TransAmerica trail. It's a town of about 1,000 people with 4 bike shops, all of which were open at 8. Locals were very friendly to cyclists as well.
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Yes, I remember hearing about Davis about 20 years ago
now it becomes even better, one of my friends was riding their recentLy, - nice 8)
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I ride, Miami Key Biscayne. Safest place to ride in miami! the drivers will kill you...!! lol
but there is nice scenery and trails near crandon
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I ride, Miami Key Biscayne. Safest place to ride in miami! the drivers will kill you...!! lol
but there is nice scenery and trails near crandon
Agree with you Miami drivers are crazy, so you should choose wrigt places.
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I lived in Montreal (PQ) until last year and am now in the washington DC area. I have to say that the capital region s*cks. It is true that there are some bike paths starting nowhere and leading nowhere, but as soon as you want to use your bike for real transportation, you have to ride on some of those nasty highways. Also... Washington is a maze.
In Montreal streets follow a grid scheme and most of them are fun by bike with enough room between parked vehicles and traffic to ride. Anything under 10km is faster by bike that with any other transportation.
Bicycles belong to the road, not to those poorly designed bike paths populated with dogs...
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I'm disappointed that the Washington Post did not contact the League of American Bicyclists.
I was on a review panel for our local LAB application, and I was appalled at the criteria they applied. The LAB's so-called "Bicycle Friendly Cities" are, in my opinion, interested only in cities that match their preferred lobbying profile, and NOT with nominating cities that are friendly, or even safe, for bicyclists.
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Santa Cruz California...one of the most bike friendly cities in the USA!
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I really love new york but it is not a bike-friendly city at all.
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About twenty miles south of Atlanta, Georgia is a shady little suburb called Peachtree City. It's a strange and beautiful little town. The population is officially under 40,000, but because of the inter-connectedness of Atlanta's suburbs it lacks a genuine small town vibe. There are a couple of good bike shops, a plethora of good restaurants, and a half-dozen golf courses. (Golf was quite obviously a central concern when the town was founded.) Peachtree City is very much a planned community. Philadelphians and Bostonians may take such things for granted, but no part of Georgia had seen a planned community before this place sprang up in the 1960s.
The entire city is crisscrossed with multi-use paths. The paths are filled not only with walkers, joggers, children, and dogs on long leashes, but also with golf carts. Yes, golf carts. People here drive them around like cars. Some people in fact own only a golf cart and not a real car. They go grocery shopping in their golf carts. They go out to eat in them. Those lucky enough to work in town commute in them. (It is a driving culture and most people work too close to the city to reasonably take anything other than an automobile.) The paths extend far and wide. The network links together residential roads in such a way that you can cut through areas that would otherwise be dead ends, allowing you to avoid heavily-trafficked streets. A map of the paths can be found here: http://www.peachtree-city.org/index.aspx?NID=350
This place isn't like a "real" cycling town. But if you are a cyclist and you get trapped in Atlanta, this is the best place to be. Georgia in general is a horrible place to cycle. The roads are fine. It's the drivers who are evil. This weird little city on the southside, with its perfectly manicured lawns and distinct Stepford vibe, is the only place in Atlanta where you can safely straddle your bike and roll around having fun. I realize this doesn't make it a 'Best Cycling City' like Portland or Madison. But I figured that at some point one of our members will end up moving to Atlanta for a job and have no idea what to expect. If you want to ride, Peachtree City is your best option.
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The Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul MN are very cyclist friendly, especially around the U of M but many of the suburbs and recreational parks and lakes in the area have caught on too.
My vote for number one has to go to Fargo ND which is going all out to promote cycling and other healthy lifestyles. Wide MUPs been added throughout the city and are being included in all new development, but, beyond that, the city has restriped many of the main arteries through the city with well marked bike lanes and downtown there are signs everywhere that state "Bike may use full lane". There are nice bike racks everywhere in much of the city both in public places and in front of businesses. There are three separate high quality bike shops and an active bicycle co-op, several cycling clubs, numerous parks and trails, including long uninterupted paths along the river. There is even a cyclocross/MTB park and a skateboard/freecycling park. There are bicycle mounted police who are also active in the cycling community and don't hesitate to ticket anyone harrassing riders or illegally crossing/driving in the bike lanes. It doesn't get the publicity of some of the bigger cities, but for absolute bike friendliness, Fargo should be at the top of the list.
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I live in Sunnyvale, California & commute into downtown San Jose. Coming from New England & Kansas I am used to living in areas not all that friendly to cyclists, but this region as a whole, from Davis & Sacramento down to Santa Cruz and back up to San Rafael.. the whole region is going bike it seams... I can't go anywhere without seeing someone on a bike, and more often then not it's several in a row. Bike lanes are nearly everywhere as well.. I joined the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition because I want to do my part to make sure it stays this way if not make it a whole lot better...
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Missoula, Montana is the most bike-friendly town I've ever lived in. In my experience almost all drivers are very careful and considerate when passing me, giving me plenty of space if they can, even drivers of big semi trucks. And many drivers will actually stop for bicyclists and pedestrians to let you cross at intersections and bike/ped path crossings or even entering a road from a driveway or parking lot.
Of course some of it is the law, but there does seem to be a genuine popular culture of respect for bicyclists here.
And it's the home of Adventure Cycling! ;D
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I think it's hard to beat cities in the Pacific Northwest like Portland, Eugene, or Corvallis, Or. But I'll throw in a vote for Long Beach, Ca. Downtown there are several new separately curbed Bike Lanes, along with wide Green Lanes, that encourage drivers to share space with cyclists. The City is also framed on the East and West by the L.A and San Gabriel River Bikeways. There are mapped scenic bikeways throughout with good signage. There's even a street co-named Bike Blvd, with no stop signs, through the affluent Belmont Heights area. There's also the Bike Path along the beach. Throw in some of the best weather in the US, and you've got something in Long Beach.
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Hermosa Beach is one of the best in opinion, biased opinion. However, http://www.motionbicycle.com/ is a shop that prides itself on being one of the top bicycles shops in the Hermosa area, AND I absolutely love those guys! Adam is really cool, an I think the owner was there too. Anyways, they were all great and it ads to Hermosa being the best bicycle city.
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I visit the Carmel/Monterrey Calif area regularly due to relatives. Over the years, I have found some great routes in the area, oftentimes incorporating parts of the Pebble Beach roads, which you can ride on free on a bike but cost $10 for cars! That always feels good. I just got a map and made up routes. It's a hilly area, though.
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I live in Klamath Falls, Oregon. You don't see many bikes in town, because the separate bike trails that generally follow canals get the cyclists. One can travel from Oregon Institute of Technology diagonally across the entire city and suburbs with short hops on city streets to get wherever you want to go. Getting out of town is easy too since the trails connect to the OC&E Woods Line State Trail a 105 mile Rail to Trail conversion that runs from Klamath Falls eastward out into the woods. All the trails are asphalt paved (except the OC&E past the hamlet of Olene), smooth and clean.
Just south of town there are miles and miles of relatively flat and smooth rural roads with essentially no traffic - just for exercise.
Winter? Well, that's another story . . . .
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In United states I think best place for biking is
- Chicago.
San Francisco.
Portland, Oregon.
New York City.
Austin, Texas
But I think New York City is on of the great place for Road biking. click here (http://www.bikejar.com/best-beginner-road-bike/) to get more information.
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Philadelphia is actually a very bike friendly city, with plenty of bike lanes and a good network of rail trails in the area too.
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While Portland is at the top of the list, take a ride around and look at the "ghost" bicycles on the corners. That's where cyclists have been killed by not following the rules of the road or by an unattentive driver of a truck or car.
I would put it pretty high up on one of the friendliest and most dangerous bicycle sites around.. Ohh, and the most bicycle thievery around as well. One gut runs a repair/cannabaliing shop under one of the many bridges. He gets caught with stolen bicycles all the time yet, he's still going strong.
Portland is recently considering making bicyclists pay for licenses to help fund some of the bike paths, bike parking spots, etc..
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I haven't lived there, from what I've seen on my time there, Grand Rapids, Michigan has to be one of the most underrated.
The city itself has a tremendous amount of bike lanes and they are well-engineered and take you anywhere in the city. The main reason that its exemplary, however is because of the rail trails.
One of the trails, the White Pine Trail, takes you 90 miles straight north. A huge section in the middle that was almost unusable, just got paved two years ago. This trail connects to the Pere Marquette Trail which will get you east almost to Lake Huron. Another rail trail takes you west to the big lake, then north another 50 miles with just a few mile clip on the road. And finally, just outside GR is another trail that gets you like 45 miles east.