3 Bike-Friendly Cities to Visit

Many of you know all about our long distance bike trip (how has it been a year since we finished?) and you’ve probably guessed from the blog name that we’re all about the two wheels. So, we think we’re pretty knowledgeable when it comes to what makes a city bike-friendly!

For example, a place with accessible public transport is a bonus, so it pays to do your research before booking somewhere. A lot of places will be able to tell you if they have anything in place for those in wheelchairs, so this should give you some idea of how easy it will be to wheel your bike around.

Seeing the world or a new city via bike is such a great option, as it keeps you active and reduces your carbon footprint. Here are three of the best cities to do this in.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Often considered the most bike-friendly city in the world, there are around 242 miles of bike lanes around the city, as well as a Cycle Super Highway which runs from Copenhagen to Albertslund. Just like a car highway, has amenities on the route such as air pumps, as well as specialised traffic lights that are geared up to the average cycling speed.

There is so much to see and do in Copenhagen, from The Little Mermaid sculpture to Tivoli Gardens theme park, and Amalienborg, the Queen’s winter residence. You will want to bike between them all to make the most of this fantastic city.

I’ll be in Copenhagen in a couple of weeks, before heading off to Greenland to run the Polar Marathon. I’ll be sure to pop on a bike while I’m there, and explore the city.

cycling in cities
Amsterdam: Source

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

One of the iconic things about Amsterdam is the number of bikes that are whizzing around the city at any one time. Almost 60% of the population cycle every single day, and cyclists have a free-for-all in this city, in that they are able to ride almost anywhere.

There aren’t any special infrastructures for cycling as there are in Copenhagen, so things are a little rougher and harder to keep up with if you are a novice tourist rider. However, Vondelpark is a beautiful place to cycle around and get your bearings until you feel a bit braver and want to cycle across the city.

It’s true what they say, bikes in Amsterdam will stop for no one, so it’s important to be really aware of others around you, whether you’re a cyclist or a pedestrian.

Top Gadgets a Cyclist needs, brodie green bicycle circuit
My sexy green bike!

Utrecht, The Netherlands

Another win for The Netherlands. Utrecht has been working particularly hard over the past few years as part of a project called “Utrecht Attractive and Accessible”. This flagship project boasts an incredible 12,500 bike parking facility which is the largest in the world, and by 2020 the government hopes to have doubled the capacity.

Again, they are placing infrastructure specific to cyclists across the city in a bid to encourage more locals to choose a bike as their preferred form of transportation, but it’s clearly working as the numbers are soaring!

There are so many cities that are good for bike-riders, but these are three of the best, worked out by the Copenhagenize Design Company index. Each city is judged on 14 different categories and they can earn between 0-4 points in each of them, as well as a bonus of up to 12 points if there is anything a city has done that is particularly impressive.

The index is updated every year which is interesting as it allows cities to see whether they have moved up or down — for example, this year Utrecht has overtaken Amsterdam for the number two spot, so Copenhagen should keep working hard to stay at the top!

Have you been to any of these cities? What do you think about their bike-friendliness? Let us know in the comments.

 

 

One Reply to “3 Bike-Friendly Cities to Visit”

  1. I remember for the time I was living in the Netherlands that cycle was the primary mode of transportation for everyone. I think this is the reason their carbon emission rates are so low

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