top bicycle-friendly cities and towns

[princesslittle]

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

[Cairnwalker]

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.  

[Westinghouse]

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.

[johnsondasw]

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!

[centrider]

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.

[mikedirectory2]

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

[obamausa8]

Thanks everyone for your support, you're the best!!


pret auto

[lender]

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?

[bikemanNY21]

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!!!

[bikemanNY21]

Recently read about Davis in California - this is true bike city, they even have bike on the flag)))

[johnsondasw]

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.

[siden420]

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.

[bikemanNY21]

Yes, I remember hearing about Davis about 20 years ago

now it becomes even better, one of my friends was riding their recentLy, - nice

[funcycle21]

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

[bikemanNY21]

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.