Two-Wheel Bliss And Streets To Miss
People ride bikes for many different reasons: one might be to save some cash, another just for the fun of it. It does not matter what your reason is—the feeling of cruising on a bike is hard to beat. While the reasons to ride keep growing, not every city makes it easy to keep the wheels spinning. Some do roll out the welcome mat, but others? Not so much. If you love covering distances on a bike, let's kick things off with the top 10 cities that really set the pace.
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen features 390 km of bike lanes winding through the city, making daily cycling a breeze for locals. Even better, traffic lights favor bikers, and when snow falls, it's the bike paths—not car roads—that get cleared first.
Kristoffer Trolle from Copenhagen, Denmark on Wikimedia
2. Munich, Germany
This German gem is home to 1,200 km of bike infrastructure that weaves right into daily life. A significant chunk of daily traffic is pedal-powered, which makes bikes a staple on almost every street. Plus, Munich also offers bike tours exploring World War II sites.
3. Utrecht, Netherlands
Ranked #1 in the Global Bicycle Cities Index 2022, Utrecht is built around cycling. Most residents bike daily, not simply for fun. The city's commitment shines in its infrastructure, like the massive underground parking facility that can hold an impressive 12,500 bicycles.
4. Amsterdam, Netherlands
There are nearly as many bikes as there are people—847,000 bikes to 850,000 residents, which makes it a genuine cyclist's playground. With 767 km of bike paths snaking across the cityscape and dedicated bike-only bridges and ferries, riders can go just about anywhere.
5. Strasbourg, France
Strasbourg stakes its claim as France's cycling capital with 560 km of bike routes weaving through the city. What really stands out are the little touches: free repair stations and a popular annual "Bike to Work" week.
Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France on Wikimedia
6. Antwerp, Belgium
Here, hopping between the bike and public transport is a breeze—there's an integrated bike-train commuting system, and almost every metro stop offers bike-sharing stations. On top of that, Antwerp goes the extra mile with city-wide "Car-Free Sunday" events, giving bikers the exclusive run of the streets.
7. Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona gives bike lovers 230km of dedicated paths and a 7,000-strong public rental fleet for easy cruising. Best of all, you can glide along beachfront lanes or join a bike tour that winds past Gaudi's famously quirky and colorful architectural gems.
8. Bogota, Colombia
This city has embraced cycling like few others in Latin America. Sundays in Bogota are a vibe—thanks to "Ciclovia," major roads go car-free and become a cyclist's paradise. And if you're cruising through Bogota's historic districts, the bike lanes make sure you do it safely.
Felipe Restrepo Acosta on Wikimedia
9. Portland, USA
Riding in Portland is practically a rite of passage, offering 400 miles of bikeways that invite people to hop on for their commutes or just some weekend fun. Pedalpalooza—the city's famous bike festival—takes over the streets, while bike-specific traffic signals make downtown cruising easy.
10. Hangzhou, China
Hangzhou leads Asia's cycling scene with 116,000 shared bikes, the largest bike-sharing system globally. On top of that, smart parking stations use cards, QR codes, and RFID tags, effortlessly letting both locals and tourists ride hassle-free.
So, those were the bike utopias; now let's take a look at cities where two wheels struggle to roll smoothly.
1. Cairo, Egypt
Cycling in Cairo is often seen as something you do when you can't afford a car. For women, it's not just traffic they dodge—they're also targets for harassment. Moreover, no one wants to pedal through a cloud of Cairo's legendary smog.
Vyacheslav Argenberg on Wikimedia
2. Jakarta, Indonesia
With barely any bike lanes and gridlock traffic that doesn't care for anything on two wheels, cycling is often seen as reckless rather than practical. Even the city's short-lived push for "bike-only Sundays" has fizzled under the weight of poor enforcement.
3. Delhi, India
If you swapped your bike for a rickshaw in Delhi, no one would blame you. Any cycling lanes you spot probably host more scooters than bicyclists, if they exist at all. On top of that, the city's hazardous air quality is no joke.
4. Sydney, Australia
Sydney isn't rolling out a welcome mat for cyclists any time soon. The city posts some of the world's highest cyclist fatality rates, and the local drivers are famous for turning minor road rage into a full-blown sport.
5. São Paulo, Brazil
This city offers barely any cycling infrastructure, so injuries and tragic accidents are way too common. Wealthier locals have just given up and started commuting by helicopter (must be nice). Meanwhile, the rest of the city pedals through pollution, which is thick enough to shame a smog cloud.
6. Moscow, Russia
Although Moscow has added a few bike paths in recent years, the brutal winters, aggressive drivers, and heavy traffic still make cycling incredibly risky. Snow and ice can make lanes unusable for months. In summer, cyclists still struggle with limited connectivity and little respect from motorists.
7. Nairobi, Kenya
In Nairobi, cycling is far from a smooth ride. Bike lanes often vanish halfway down the road, abruptly leaving riders to fend for themselves in chaotic traffic. With no signage or safety measures in place, accidents are sadly all too common.
8. Los Angeles, USA
Every year, millions are shelled out in injury claims because bike lanes in LA often tend to double as parking spots. The cars dominate so heavily that two-wheelers are sidelined, and bike lanes rarely connect smoothly across the city.
9. Manila, Philippines
Manila has made some recent efforts to introduce bike lanes, but enforcement is not yet a serious thing there. Most lanes are either blocked by parked cars or abruptly end without warning. The chaotic jeepneys and high pollution levels make commuting by bike both physically exhausting and mentally draining.
10. Lagos, Nigeria
In Lagos, the aggressive driving culture makes sharing the road life-threatening for bikers. The city's dense traffic jams and lack of planning for non-motorized transport make bicycles more of a liability than a solution.
