The Best Biking Cities in America
Almost everyone found ways to get outside more this past year. One popular activity is biking. In fact, 50% of the U.S. population is planning to ride a bicycle more post-pandemic. If that sounds like you, you’ll want to know the Best Biking Cities in America.
World Bicycle Day is June 3, and to celebrate LawnStarter ranked the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 18 key indicators of a bike-friendly lifestyle. Factors looked at included the length of bike lanes, the share of workers who bike to work, as well as access to bike stores and repair shops. The study also considered the air quality, weather, and availability of biking clubs in each city.
2021’s Best Biking Cities in America
- San Francisco, CA
- Portland, OR
- Fort Collins, CO
- Eugene, OR
- Minneapolis, MN
- Seattle, WA
- Washington, DC
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
2021’s Worst Biking Cities in America
- 191. Shreveport, LA
- 192. Murfreesboro, TN
- 193. Jacksonville, FL
- 194. Mesquite, TX
- 195. Chesapeake, VA
- 196. Montgomery, AL
- 197. Mobile, AL
- 198. Newport News, VA
- 199. Jackson, MS
- 200. Baton Rouge, LA
Charlotte came in number 82 on the list. This isn’t too surprising, while Charlotte has taken steps to be more bike-friendly in recent years there is still a long way to go.
Unsurprisingly, Southern cities tend to find themselves at the bottom of the list due to climate. Biking requires being outside, which isn’t as easy in the southern heat. Take a place like Montgomery, Alabama, with an average of 85 very hot days in a year and 53 inches of monthly rain. That’s not a good recipe for cycling.
The full ranking and analysis can be found here
