8 Surprisingly Bike-Friendly Cities
Looking for a more active lifestyle? Discover 8 surprisingly bike-friendly cities in the U.S. that prioritize protected lanes, plowed paths and community trails over car traffic.
In This Article
The 2026 Biking Boom: Why Small Cities are Leading the Way
From weekend warriors to bike commuters, cycling is growing in popularity nationwide. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the number of people biking to work has risen about 60% over the last decade. In 2026, data shows a hybrid work commuting trend due to the permanence of remote work; however, recreational cycling is at an all-time high.
While big cities like Portland, OR, tend to get all the attention when it comes to cycling (and for good reason, the city has some of the most bike commuters in a large city!), there are plenty of other places where biking isn’t just a hobby; it’s a way of life.
Ready to ride? Here are a few places that deserve more credit for their bike-friendly cultures (and major props for supporting bike commuters year-round, no matter how crazy the weather gets).
1. Davis, California
Davis has cultivated an exceptionally bike-friendly environment despite its relatively small size. Thanks to its relatively flat terrain and well-designed infrastructure, Davis is a cycling-friendly city.
The Gold Standard for Small City Cycling: Protected Infrastructure and the 11% Commute Rate
Davis features protected bike lanes and dedicated paths. Frequent bike signals at intersections make navigating the city safe and easy. Because bicyclists can easily navigate around town, Davis ranks highly as a place to live for people who want a greener commute to work. In 2023, the bike commuting rate was more than 11%, nearly triple that of the next-highest city.
Beyond the physical infrastructure, this California city’s cycling community and culture are strong. Bike shops are plentiful, and several events celebrate cycling. Loopalooza is an annual event hosted by the City of Davis in collaboration with Bike Davis that encourages families to get out and about on the Davis Bike Loop, which extends for 12 miles around the city. There are various stations along the loop with activities, food vendors and booths hosted by different local organizations. The Davis Bike Club (DBC) hosts regular group rides and several events throughout the year, like the Davis Double Century, a 200-mile ride, and Foxy’s Fall Century, which offers different distances and rides. Finally, the Davis Bike Collective is a volunteer-run, non-profit, self-service bike shop that helps residents learn how to repair their own bikes.
2. Madison, Wisconsin
With an average annual snowfall of 43 inches, Madison may seem like an unlikely place to cycle.
A Year-Round Cycling Culture
Locals may let you in on a bit of an urban legend – that the bike paths are plowed more rigorously than the streets. People in Madison bike year-round, including on snowy days. The city, which nabbed the top spot in this year’s Top 100 Best Places to Live ranking, is home to more than 260 miles of bikeways that support an active outdoor community. Bike share programs are also widely available. Even more? The percentage of bike commuters in Madison has increased by more than 50% over the last 10 years.
One of the most significant bike-centric community events in town is Bike the Barns. This full-day cycling adventure connects cyclists to community farmers and benefits the FairShare CSA Coalition. Madison also has an annual Madison Bike Week that packs in more than 50 different events over nine days each spring! There are also several cycling clubs in town!
3. Tucson, Arizona
Finding your way around Tucson on two wheels is easy thanks to a network of multi-use trails and paved paths known as The Loop, which takes in 137 car-free miles. Although many bike to work, cycling isn’t limited to the workweek.
137 Miles of Car-Free Freedom
Locals tend to have their favorites: Popular road-biking trails include the leg-burning climb up Mt. Lemmon, and there are any number of mountain-biking trails. Cyclovia Tucson is a favorite community cycling event held twice a year – in the spring and fall – when several miles of streets are closed off to cars so people can cycle, walk and jog freely. With plenty of sunshine to encourage spending time outdoors, there are regular cycling events and rides that cater to a variety of skill levels – from leisurely cyclists to the more hardcore athletes; you’ll find it all in Tucson.
4. Fort Collins, Colorado
In the shadow of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, the streets and hills surrounding Fort Collins are just begging to be biked. As a result, the community and businesses throughout the region embrace cycling. In fact, Fort Collins earned the title of the most designated bicycle-friendly city in the country. For nearly 40 years, Fort Collins residents have celebrated a Bike to Work Day every June, part of Colorado’s Bike Month.
Most Designated Bicycle-Friendly City
With over 200 miles of bike lanes to wind your way through town, cycling isn’t just a mode of transportation here; it’s a way of life, from infrastructure to instruction and cycling initiatives. Take the roadways, for example – along with an extensive paved trail network, there are underpasses and overpasses available at almost every arterial crossing. And to fill all those bike roadways, the city supports bicycle education classes, including some at area high schools, a bike share program and much more.
5. Ann Arbor, Michigan
With a laid-back yet surprisingly cosmopolitan vibe, Ann Arbor, a city of nearly 126,000 (including all the students from the University of Michigan), welcomes cyclists. The city, which nabbed a top spot in this year’s Top 100 Best Places to Live ranking, boasts more than 90 miles of bike lanes and plenty of spots to park your bike while visiting the city’s many locally sourced eateries and restaurants. The Ann Arbor Velo Club (AAVC) hosts weekly community rides and several events throughout the year.
Connecting the University of Michigan to Greenways
Choose from more than 900 bike parking spots, many with bike hoops and a few with secured bike lockers. There’s also a thriving bike share program supported by the city, the University of Michigan and others.
Beyond the downtown cycling scene, the area continues to add hiking and biking trails to connect cyclists to greenways and other scenic spots, including one that loops through the botanical gardens and local parks.
6. Boulder, Colorado
About 30 minutes northwest of Denver, heading right towards Rocky Mountain National Park, is Boulder, a city with an unmatched bike culture. Take The Boulder Cruise Ride as an example – every Thursday evening from the spring through the fall, hundreds of cyclists don costumes and ride their bikes through town. And if your bike breaks down? Locals know they can get a quick fix from a bike repair station outside one of the area bike shops (there are also repair kits available for free at a visitor kiosk and even at a bike stand in town).
High-Altitude Biking and “The Cruise Ride”
It’s not uncommon for Boulder residents to have more than one bike – one for in-town and a mountain bike for exploring the nearby foothills. And like Madison, the city prioritizes plowing bike paths before the roads when it snows.
7. Alexandria, Virginia
Cyclists in Alexandria can ride on almost 30 miles of bike trails or opt for on-street bike lanes and neighborhood bikeways. If you don’t have your own bike, more than 600 bike share stations are available through the Capital Bikeshare program, making it easy to rent wheels from nearly anywhere in town. But, of course, commuting isn’t the only reason people here like to hop on two wheels: Alexandria is one of the most popular sections for cycling along the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile cycling route from Maine to Florida.
A People-Focused Pedal
Alexandria has a designated organization, the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), that advocates for improved infrastructure, policies and changes that promote walking and biking around town. Vélocity Bicycle Cooperative is a volunteer-run bike shop that hosts regular open houses to help cyclists learn more about bike maintenance and repairs. And, if you’re looking to build community, Conte’s Bike Shop hosts a cycling club and several events throughout the year.
8. Wausau, Wisconsin
Wausau, WI, ranked number one among the top small cities for cyclists, according to ratings from PeopleforBikes.org. Break out your mountain bike to venture into one of Wausau’s most beloved offerings for cyclists – the expansive Sylvan Hill Mountain Bike Park, which opened in the fall of 2017. As the name implies, the park is like a playground for cyclists, with trails of varying skill levels akin to downhill skiing: the more accessible, green-outlined routes for newbies and the more advanced black diamond and double black diamond routes for those ready for jumps, twists and more challenging terrain.
Small City, Big Biking Energy
Despite the city’s smaller size, the biking community here is BIG. The Wausau Wheelers Bicycle Club hosts weekly group rides for different experience and difficulty levels. The Central Wisconsin Offroad Cycling Coalition promotes mountain biking and trail advocacy in the area and organizes group mountain bike rides and events at local trails, including Sylvan Hill. And during National Bike Month in May, Wausau hosts several community-focused cycling events, like Bike to Work Week and Bike to Work with the Mayor, and caps off the week with a Spokes and Seltzers Social Ride. Finally, Wausau residents love the Wausau 24, a weekend-long mountain bike race with options to ride for 6, 12 or 24 hours.
Honorable Mention: Santa Monica, CA
Known as LA’s beachside city, Santa Monica feels like California’s quintessential playground – hugged by the ocean with a pedestrian pathway that follows the beach past eclectic eateries, artists’ galleries, clothing stores and, of course, the occasional surf shop. You can take your bike along the gently winding beach path or rent one from the famous Santa Monica Pier (a frequent backdrop in many TV shows and movies).
The Coastal Playground
Locals call the 22-mile multi-use path, which goes through the uber-popular Muscle Beach, “The Strand.’ But cyclists aren’t limited to just the beach. Santa Monica residents use dedicated bike lanes to make their way through town, which is much easier than finding a parking spot, and venture into the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and other back-country spots. Santa Monica SPOKE is an advocacy group working to improve walking, cycling and healthy transportation in town and hosts several community rides throughout the year. In fact, the Santa Monica Police Department just conducted a major Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Operation, highlighting the city’s focus on protected cycling.
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