Within the past few years many government programs have come to light in support of cycling and are trying to make their cities more bicycle friendly. European cities have been some of the leaders in this surge towards more cycling for visitors and residents. As petrol costs continue to soar and environmental conservation becomes increasingly trendy, the bicycle is seeing a major resurgence as an urban transportation tool.
City planning is a crucial aspect in deeming the urban area bike-friendly. While America remains slow to embrace the growing cyclist culture, many world cities have been long-term bike supporters all along. Here’s a list of some of the best cities around the world for cycling.
Amsterdam – The Netherlands
It’s no surprise to see Amsterdam on the list. 40% of the city’s daily commutes are done on a bicycle. Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities and is well known around Europe as the cycling centre. Bike lanes flood the whole city and allow cyclists to travel around Amsterdam with ease. The bicycle is also the perfect mode of transportation for visitors who want to take in the beautiful sites. The city makes it easy for visitors and bicycle enthusiasts to rent a bike with the convenient Rent-a-bike Damstrat (www.rentabike.nl). Their bike renting service features every style of bicycle one could think of including classic Dutch bikes, family bikes, children’s bikes and more.
The city is also planning to construct a giant bicycle parking area at the train station. This will make Amsterdam even more bike-friendly, truly a cyclist’s dream city.
Bogota – Columbia
Bogota does not feature any fancy government programs or expensive city remodeling; the city’s cycling fame relies solely on its demographic. A very small percentage of the population owns a vehicle; close to 13 percent. Cycling is automatically the more convenient and intelligent choice for transportation in Bogota. The city embraces its cycling population with weekly street closures (70 miles of streets closed). This allows cyclists, skateboarders, runners and others to freely enjoy their commute without fear of engaging a vehicle.
The city has built over 300km of protected bike paths. For bike tours and rentals in Bogota check out http://www.bogotabiketours.com/.
Copenhagen- Denmark
Touted as the “worlds best city for cyclists”, Copenhagen (Denmark’s Capital) is on the fast track (no pun intended) in becoming the world’s best city for cyclists by 2015. It’s known that 55% of all citizens cycle to and from work. The city is known for its bike lanes, cycle parking and unique traffic dedicated to cyclists as well as 340km of cycle lanes throughout the city and major roads. Recently, the city implemented a “green waves” program in which traffic lights are timed to allow cyclists’ ride on through a red light as long as they maintain a speed of 20km/h. Finally, to top it off, the city has implemented bike stands throughout the city to solve parking.
http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/
Trondheim – Norway
Geographically, the city has its fair share of hills like any other city, but this issue is laid to rest with the Trampe bicycle lift. This is the only lift of its kind in the world and is now referred to as the “CycloCable” by locals. To use the lift, one would have to buy a keycard that is inserted in the card reader after you load up your bike. A useful invention to avoid a profuse amount of sweating after completing the hill (For some of us).
Beijin – China
Like other developing metropolitan cities, Beijing has an abundance of vehicles on the road. With that being said, traffic is very slow and congested, therefore a bicycle would be the logical derivative. This is a great experience if you want to get around, as you most definitely won’t be the only one doing it.