We make sure that bikes are considered in new projects, encourage communities across city lines to pursue funding together, support ballot initiatives dedicated to outdoor recreation, andlobby for federal funding for path and trail development.

We support local groups focused on increasing outdoor participation, help cities rethink how to provide more opportunities for close-to-home bike riding, foster the development of pocket bike parks and force the prioritization of bike trails and parks in underserved communities.

We work with state departments of transportation to add or improve shoulders on major county and state arterial roads, work to require that funding for highway projects is contingent on adding/improving shoulders, and ask state departments of transportation to prioritize road improvements that improve bicyclists safety and benefit bike riders.

We help prioritize projects that serve historically underserved and disinvested communities, advance bills that provide financial incentives to recreate by bike, connect bike riding with health and wellness outcomes, force equity considerations in planning and value electric bicycle access on the same level as traditional bikes.

Bike riding opportunities in rural, non-urban areas are revenue raisers for local communities through tourism. We support funding and policy measures that help build out trail systems, connected bike networks and the infrastructure needed to cater to visitors and residents alike.

In 1984, when Will Chavez was 17, he signed on to participate in a month-long, multi-state, 950-mile bike ride. A member of the Cherokee Nation, Chavez grew up in Eastern Oklahoma where he’d spend summer days riding a one-speed motocross bike with his cousins, exploring nearby Marble City and the local creek, where they’d go swimming. By the time he was finishing high school, Chavez was invited to participate in the inaugural Remember the Removal Bike Ride.

Founded by Mike Morris and Mose Killer, the Remember the Removal ride was envisioned as a way to better involve youth in their Cherokee culture. The school in Marble City only goes through eighth grade and about a third of kids often drop out when it comes time to transition to high school. Morris and Killer saw a need to cultivate leadership qualities in Cherokee youth, as well as help them build self-esteem and confidence to face life’s challenges. The pair settled on a bike ride that would not only test the youth mentally and physically but also allow them to honor their shared history.

The Remember the Removal Bike Ride retraces the Trail of Tears, a forced displacement campaign from the U.S. government that doubled as a form of ethnic cleansing. Between 1830 and 1850, some 60,000 people from the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations were forcibly removed from their homes in the southeastern United States and relocated west of the Mississippi River. The relocation to less fertile land took months, and more than 4,000 people died from exposure, disease, and starvation.

The Trail of Tears is actually a network of different routes  — Remember the Removal riders stick to the northern route.

By recreating the original route as a bike ride, Cherokee leadership hoped to expose youth to the hardships their ancestors faced when they made the same trek on foot decades before. That first year, Chavez joined 19 other students and ride coordinators on bikes, while support vans and a school bus followed with tents, food, and other necessary supplies. The group visited historical sites as they followed in their ancestor’s footsteps, averaging 60 miles a day. For Chaves, the trip was life-changing. 

“Before the ride, my self-esteem was not good and I didn’t have much confidence — that all changed after the ride,” says Chavez. “I credit the ride for giving me the confidence to take on numerous challenges like joining the army, finishing college, and having a career in journalism. The ride changed me because it forced me to go past my limits – physically and mentally. So, afterward, I had the fortitude to not give up when things got tough or when it seemed like a task was impossible.”

For the last 27 years, Chavez has been an assistant editor for the Cherokee Phoenix, which was first published in Cherokee and English in 1828 in New Echota (present-day Georgia), then the capital of the Cherokee Nation (the paper’s offices are now headquartered in the new capital, Tahlequah, Oklahoma). In addition to his full-time position, Chavez has worked as the coordinator and trainer for the Remember the Removal Bike Ride for the last four years. 

In addition to the inaugural ride in 1984, Chavez also participated as a mentor in the second iteration of the ride, 25 years later.

“In 2009, the chief at the time decided to bring the ride back and he consulted some of the original riders, asking how we did things,” says Chavez. “Except for 2020, it’s been going consistently since then.”

Today, the ride remains a youth leadership program for tribal members aged 16-24, with applications opening each year in September (there are also two mentor riders each year, for those 35 and older). The program interviews are comparable to a formal job interview — applicants are scored and selected by a panel at the end of October, before attending orientation in November. 

"When I was chosen to be on the ride, I felt a sense of pride grow within me," says Whitney Roach, who completed the ride in 2021. "I not only get to represent myself and my family, but I get to represent my ancestors who were forced on the Removal…I [had] the opportunity to retrace their steps in remembrance of their strength and resilience."

Selected participants sign a contract, committing to six months of rigorous physical training, clocking miles but also learning how to clip in and use a bike with drop handlebars and lots of gears. There’s also a cultural training component that includes Cherokee lessons.

“Most of our youth don’t speak Cherokee these days so that’s part of the training,” says Chavez, adding that the cohort’s formal introductions to the tribal council are always in Cherokee. “They learn the language, the culture, and the history of the Trail of Tears. They end up with a really good background of what happened so that they’re prepared when they go out on the road and people start asking them questions.”

Along the ride, which starts in Georgia, riders visit significant sites, including New Echota, the former Cherokee capital; Kituwah Mound, the original Cherokee homeland; Blythe Ferry, where Cherokees gathered during their forced removal; Mantle Rock in Kentucky, where the former Trail of Tears route is a hiking trail; and many, many unmarked grave sites. 

“There are so many points in history when the Cherokee people could have disappeared like some other tribes,” says Chavez, noting that in addition to surviving the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee survived a smallpox epidemic that decimated the tribe in the 1700s, the American Civil War in the 1800s, and the seizure of lands and destruction of tribal government the pushed the tribe into poverty in the 1900s. “Yet, we are still here today. From the standpoint of being a Cherokee person, the ride made me even more proud of who I am and even more proud of my ancestors for what they endured and survived,”

A body of research, published from 2020 to 2022, highlights the benefits of the Remember the Removal Bike Ride for participants’ physical, emotional, social, and cultural well-being. Past riders that were surveyed showed improvements in their diet and exercise habits, as well as their mental health, with reductions in things like stress, anxiety, depression, and anger. Perhaps most importantly, those surveyed also demonstrated improved social and cultural connection to one another, their Cherokee identity, and fundamental Cherokee values.

Participants from the 2019 Remember the Removal Bike Ride walk down a preserved section of trail used by Cherokees in Tennessee during their forced removal some 180 years ago.

Over the course of three weeks, the youth ride anywhere from 40 to 70 miles a day, some much more difficult than others (particularly those in Missouri, nicknamed “Misery” due to its constant heat, hills, and rough roads).

In 2021, the riders switched from using road bikes to gravel bikes, which makes traversing the mountains and backroads much easier. The Cherokee Education Department pays for rider’s helmets, shoes, sunglasses, a bike computer, custom cycling kits, and bikes, which are Fuji this year but have covered the gamut of quality brands over the last decade. To receive the kit, riders are required to pass a grueling 60-mile road test — friends and family are then invited to watch them receive their kits, an event with a strong ceremonial element. When participants complete the ride itself, they get to keep their bikes.

In an average year, Chavez takes 8-10 riders, although this year it’ll be a group of six, having lost two to injury. Interestingly, since 2018, the Remember the Removal riders have been trending female, and since 2021, the cohort has been completely female. 

This years Remember the Removal cohort, which will begin their ride on June 5.

“Elders and council members have been asking, where are all the boys?” says Chavez, noting that male youth just aren’t applying. “Obviously, the girls aren’t afraid to do it — it’s tough and these girls want to take on the challenge.”

At the end of May, Chavez accompanied the riders to North Carolina, where they met up with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who also has a team of six riders. While the two tribes share a lineage, there are still a few differences in language, which can become apparent in the call signs used, all of which are in Cherokee. After a training ride together to get on the same page, the group will travel to Georgia, where they’ll begin the Remember the Removal Bike Ride on June 5, traveling nearly 1,000 miles through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Upon completion, the riders will join more than 200 alumni, many of whom are still as committed to the ride as Chavez is, showing up to help with training, mentorship, or on-route support. It makes sense — after all, Remember the Removal is first and foremost a spiritual journey. Not only does it test the endurance and emotions of those who participate, but it directly connects them to their ancestors. In riding, they remember where they came from and find the strength to go on.

If you’re interested in following the riders’ journey along the northern Trail of Tears route, tune in to the official Remember the Removal Bike Ride Facebook page. 

This Annual Bike Ride Connects Cherokee Youth to Their History

North Carolina officially named 2023 the “Year of the Trail.” For most mountain bikers and recreationists who utilize trails to connect with nature, boost their mental health, and as a great form of exercise, the declaration was an undeniable win. But what exactly does the designation entail?

Palmer McIntyre, a conservation planner with the Greensboro-based Piedmont Land Conservancy, describes the Year of the Trail as a $1 million marketing campaign meant to raise awareness about one of North Carolina’s greatest assets and build a future where all of the state’s counties enjoy the proven benefits of trails. In addition to her full-time role as a conservationist, McIntyre also spearheads the Great Trails State Coalition, a 70-member-strong collaborative composed of nonprofits, government agencies, and industry partners. 

The coalition was formed with the goal of garnering more state funding for trails and came up with the Year of the Trail designation as a way to bring that vision to life. In 2021, the coalition pushed the North Carolina state legislature to name 2023 the year of the trail and House Bill 554 easily passed the House and the Senate before being signed into law by the governor. As written, “the State of North Carolina would encourage all North Carolinians to use their local and regional trail networks, to further enhance the State’s trail networks, and to pay tribute to those who maintain these public amenities.” 

“It’s literally the law — no one has ever done something like this to the magnitude we’re doing it,” says McIntyre, noting how the coalition drew inspiration from smaller legislative efforts in Indiana and Ohio. “It’s the biggest celebration of the outdoors in North Carolina history.”

The Year of the Trail goals are relatively simple: Inspire people to try trails of all different types and better connect with the landscape around them. By educating, informing, and engaging a broad spectrum of people — in part by hosting events in all 100 North Carolina counties — the Great Trails State Coalition hopes to also increase diversity among users and make trails more inclusive. DEI stipends for encouraging engagement from underrepresented groups and building partnerships with non-endemic organizations are key to the overall vision. To achieve its myriad of goals, the coalition enlisted the help of YouTuber Seth Alvo.

Alvo, who lives in Asheville, runs Berm Peak, one of the most popular mountain bike channels in the world with 2.5 million subscribers. A passionate trail advocate, Alvo successfully raised funds to build Berm Park, a free skills park located in nearby Canton that opened to the public in 2022. That same year, the Great Trails State Coalition reached out to Alvo to serve on its Year of the Trail advisory committee. In time, it became apparent that he’d have a greater impact by overseeing the campaign’s media strategy and creating content.

“What we’re really trying to accomplish is taking the Year of the Trail resources and making them last longer than the campaign itself,” says Alvo, who works in partnership with Daniel Sapp (the duo run a consulting agency called The Backslope). “We could just use our funding to build trails but I think we can do more to make people realize where trails come from and why they’re needed.”

Most people, even avid trail users, would experience a bit of sticker shock if they found out how much trails actually cost to build and maintain. By putting that investment into context, and helping folks understand the economic benefits and reduction in healthcare costs, for example, the campaign hopes to create more local advocates and allies in government. Alvo and his team’s strategy is to first get people engaged through the content they’re producing and building up an audience before segueing into legislative action to create lasting change. 

“We want to get all these voices together that are interested in trails and leverage their voices,” says Alvo. “Long term, we hope to provide the talking points to be convincing before helping them get in touch with local governments. We feel that can have a wide-reaching effect.”

The Year of the Trail website offers a Trail Community Toolkit so communities can use best practices when holding trail events and engaging community members with helpful resources, background information on the campaign itself, and the history, impact, and opportunities surrounding North Carolina trails. It also includes templates, logos, and other necessary branding assets. 

“We’re providing the resources so communities can do advocacy work for trails on their own,” says McIntyre. “Our ultimate goal is to help our residents and elected leaders understand the importance of trails as part of their community infrastructure.”

Investment continues to be crucial for trails in North Carolina and across the nation. Most outdoor recreation takes place on trails and with more people utilizing them each year, largely spurred by the pandemic, more money for infrastructure and improvements is needed to meet the growing demand.

Even more, studies prove that trails provide impressive economic and health benefits. “Economic, Environmental, and Social Benefits of Recreational Trails,” a report from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office released in 2019 found that investing in trails is worth the cost. For instance, the study found that for every dollar spent on trails, trail users saved $2.94 in healthcare costs. 

In North Carolina, the benefits to trail investment are no different, with one study showing that for every dollar spent on trails, the return is $1.72. Trails and greenways are a vital part of community infrastructure and are the cornerstone of North Carolina’s $11.8 billion outdoor recreation industry. Having lost much of their once-flourishing textile and manufacturing industries, many North Carolina communities are realizing outdoor recreation is one of their greatest assets for economic prosperity.

“We want to spur more intentional investment to make communities more attractive for tourism, improving the quality of life and health of all North Carolinians,” says McIntyre, noting that North Carolina has not traditionally invested a lot in trails — typically, it's all federal pass-through money. “We’ve built the Year of the Trail branding but we’re also building a more permanent vision for North Carolina — we're branding North Carolina as the ‘Great Trail State.’”

Relying on Alvo’s content team is key to this sustained strategy. Simply asking people to engage or watch an educational video doesn’t work in a world where everyone’s social media feeds are crowded and attention spans are short. A lot of the campaign’s content will touch on things many experienced trail users might take for granted, including Leave No Trace principles and explainers on why cell phones don’t work in the wilderness, but there will also be plenty of entertaining content on what makes trails enjoyable.

“You have to entertain people first. Give people something of value and once they see something interesting, they’ll come back for more,” says Alvo. “Making content that’s fun and entertaining — that’s more important.”

Going beyond just bicycling and ensuring content is accessible to all types of trail users is equally important. The Year of the Trail campaign is really about getting outside, and trails are the main mechanism for people to do just that.

“If it increases the access to mountain bike trails or off-road trails or gravel, that's great,” says Alvo. “But we're really trying to get everybody on board because that's the only way we're going to get governments and municipalities to dedicate resources to trails.”

Alvo points to Arkansas as another state where a small group of bike enthusiasts managed to have an outsized impact on the overall recreation economy, achieving notable wins for all trail users. As with most things that offer undeniable benefits to communities, once trails are built, promoted, and used, support for them continues to grow. The Year of the Trail is a model for fueling that cycle. If successful, every state should take note.

These four U.S. cities, all with populations under 50,000 people, scored well in the 2021 City Ratings. Here’s what they’re doing right.

Small cities have an inherent advantage when it comes to bicycling — since they tend to have smaller road networks, changes to a few key streets can really make a difference when it comes to bicycling. On average, the top small cities (those with populations of 50,000 or fewer) score higher in the 2021 City Ratings than the top medium and large cities. Independent of a city's efforts to build great bike infrastructure, there are a few possible explanations for this scoring trend.

First, many of the smaller cities and towns in the 2021 City Ratings tend to have smaller boundaries than we might think. We often envision a small city as extending into the land surrounding it, while in reality, its borders might not encompass much beyond a few main streets. Our 2021 City Ratings are based on our Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA), which only evaluates trips that start within the city boundary. Thus, if your home falls outside the city limits and it’s difficult to bike downtown, that wouldn’t impact your city's score. Inaccurate or missing data in OpenStreetMap will also have a larger impact on a small city's network score, with poor data sometimes improving a city's score. 

Moreover, small cities, especially more rural ones, often consist of a traditional downtown street grid, a few main connecting streets and one or two roads that lead out of town. If speed limits are low, the downtown grid becomes largely low stress, offering multiple routes to reach the same destination. The flip side is that if there’s only one high-stress road to your destination, it can be impossible to bike there using only low-stress routes.

Although the four small cities below definitely benefit from their size, we’ve chosen to highlight them for reasons that go beyond breadth. While completely different in terms of geography, culture and approach, they're all doing something right when it comes to bicycling.

“You hear a lot of people talking about the 15-minute city,” said Rik Ahlberg, chair of the Provincetown Bicycle Committee and owner of Pedal Ptown Bike Tours. “Well, this is the five-minute town. I can get from one end to the other in seven minutes on my bicycle.”

Located on the northern tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown has a year-round population of 3,000 people and five bike shops. Bicycles were introduced to Provincetown in the late 1800s — the first bike path was proposed in 1899 — and they’ve been a primary mode of transportation ever since. Today, residents are able to access all essential services, from the grocery store to the dentist, within a two-mile bike ride. 

“There’s virtually no corner you can stand on in Provincetown and not see a bike rack somewhere,” said Ahlberg, noting that there’s even waterfront bike parking at the beach. “Our bike racks were old and not attractive, so we invested in upgrading them all to the APBP [Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professional] standards.” 

Commercial Street, Provincetown’s main drag, is one way for cars but two way for bicycles. Almost every other street is small, forcing drivers to go slow, creating naturally low-stress bikeways. It also helps that development is dense in Provincetown and no highways bisect it. In the summer months, Provincetown’s population balloons to nearly 60,000 people, and although many people arrive by car, they also bring their bikes.

“Bikes also aren’t tied to economic status here,” said Ahlberg, noting that Provincetown has one of the best year-round commuter rates, as high as 20% by some counts. “Across the board, people ride bikes just because it’s convenient.”

This year, we featured Provincetown in our Advocacy Academy series, “Lessons from the Best Biking Cities.” Watch to learn more about how the town has embraced and encouraged bicycling, engaged its community and invested in low-stress, complete streets.

Traverse City, located in the northwest part of Michigan’s mitten and bordering Lake Michigan, has a population of roughly 15,000 people. With a total area of 8.66 square miles, the small city is flat and laid out on a grid, making it easy to navigate by bike for folks of all ages and abilities. There’s also a strong history of recreational mountain biking, which helped lay the foundation for in-town bike culture.

“Most of the biking in Traverse City really started off as recreation and we have a lot of very large areas of mountain bike trails right around downtown,” said Shawn Winter, planning director for the city. “Within five minutes you can be in the woods — everything is just compact and accessible.”

Although recreational riding helped jumpstart the bike culture in Traverse City, Winter attributes the larger shift to different organizations that have come together and advocated for change over the years. Nonprofit TART Trails, for example, maintains a network of multi-use trails, 5.4 miles of which are in Traverse City proper, and has been hosting a bike commuter event for 27 years. Likewise, Norte, a bike-centric, youth-focused advocacy organization, has been instrumental in achieving a 473% increase in participation in kids actively transporting themselves in the Grand Traverse region. There are also three bike shops in town and regular workshops where residents can learn about things like winter biking.

“Winter is very real in Michigan — it’s a legitimate season that dominates most of the calendar,” said Winter, noting that people sometimes use it as an excuse for not investing in non-motorized infrastructure. “Traverse City does a great job of plowing the sidewalks and people have the gear to bike year-round. Winter really doesn't have the impact on bicycling that I think people assume it would.”

In the summer, tourists flock to Traverse City, taking part in Kayak, Bike & Brew tours and using the bike racks on BATA, the local transit system, to pedal trails further outside of town. According to Winter, Traverse City’s downtown, as well as most parks and beaches, are so popular that they’re actually more accessible by bike due to limited parking. The city’s main east-west corridor, 8th Street, was also redesigned to be more walkable and safe, with lowered speed limits and new bicycle tracks.

“When they redid the street, they added three mid-block crossings in that stretch and did a lot of streetscape improvements with landscaping design, lighting and benches,” said Winter, noting that there are now brand new multi-story buildings under construction in a once bleak stretch. “It's a great example of how public investment can be a catalyst for additional private investment.”

Pella is a small midwestern town of around 10,300 people, home to Central College and famous for its Dutch roots. The tourist town, which covers just 8.73 square miles, celebrates that history with a fully functional 1850s-style windmill, an annual tulip festival and a downtown canal. Like the Netherlands, Pella is also a great place to bike — although it could do more to embrace that aspect of its heritage.

“It’s a small, grid town that’s just easy to get around in,” said Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. “Pella also has a pretty substantial trail system leading out of town.”

That trail, the Volksweg Trail, is a 17-mile asphalt path that extends from town to Lake Red Rock, Iowa’s largest lake. Aside from the miles connecting the trail to town though, Pella hasn’t invested in the infrastructure that might set it apart as a bicycling destination. Chris Van Gent, who owns the sole bike shop in town — Iowa Bike Co. — believes relatively inexpensive investments like wayfinding signs, sharrows and crucially, more much-needed bike parking, would help boost ridership.

“Protected bike lanes don’t really make sense here,” said Van Gent, adding that the bike “advertising” that comes with some of the low-cost fixes does. “People would bike more and shop more if there was bike parking.”

In 2018, Pella launched a bike share system in partnership with VeoRide, which despite being profitable and working well, was pulled by the national micromobility company in 2020. In large part, Pella scores well because the town has grown around its downtown core and is evenly dispersed with clusters of essential services, retail shops and residences. Unlike many other small towns in rural America, Pella’s main street is also distinct from the highway, leaving a series of connected, low-stress streets intact. 

Iowa is also home to RAGBRAI, Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, an epic seven-day bicycling adventure that changes routes every year. The longest, largest and oldest bicycle touring event in the world, it’s an Iowa institution that has a real effect on the whole state. For many, the race is the reason people start biking in the first place.

“It can be a real financial generator, with 20,000-plus bicyclists rolling through,” said Wyatt. “It’s created this opportunity for rural Iowa to see bicycling as an economic generator.”

Pella is blessed with a setup that naturally makes it a great place for riding bikes. With some smart investments and political willpower, it could easily become a true bike town, thriving economically and benefitting from safer streets in the process.

With a population of 47,302, San Luis Obispo, or SLO, is the largest city on this list. Located in California’s Central Coast region, the city is just under 13 square miles. Its relatively small size coupled with the temperate climate makes SLO a great place to bicycle, whether you're going to work, recreating or running errands. Around town, you’re as likely to see a mountain biker as you are two kids on the back of their parent’s cargo bike.

“It’s a dynamic community and we have a major university in California Polytechnic State,” said Rick Ellison, executive director of Bike SLO County. “College towns bring a certain energy that’s good for the whole bicycling community.”

The city is also phenomenally progressive when it comes to roadway safety, consistently improving bike lanes, planning for a safe, complete network and promoting bikes as a way to address climate change. 

“The city recognizes that the key to getting more people on bikes is to have effective and safe infrastructure,” said Ellison, noting that greenways, neighborhood networks, bike lanes and traffic calming efforts all play into that vision. “Our leadership believes that San Luis Obispo can be the leader when it comes to climate action by making bikes part of the solution.”

Last year, SLO was featured in our Advocacy Academy series, “Lessons from the Best Biking Cities.” In the episode, we learn from SLO Active Transportation Manager Adam Fukushima about the city’s 75-mile-plus bike network and how climate action funds are allocated for bike improvements.

How does your city rank? Check out our 2021 City Ratings and learn how to improve your score.

Have you ever driven through somewhere on a road trip that you thought was unforgettably cool, only to get home and realize you don’t remember the name of the place, or even where it was? It’s difficult to remember such awesome places when you’re moving through them so fast, which is what makes sightseeing by bike the best! Sightseeing on a bike connects you with regions, towns and people in a way that simply isn’t possible with other forms of travel. So hop on your road bike, cruiser, or e-bike and explore these amazing sightseeing cities.

Ranking #7 overall in this year’s City Ratings is Aspen, Colorado. This little mountain town in the Roaring Fork Valley is full of mountain peaks and valley views and is well-known for its four winter sports resorts. Winter sports aren’t the only popular outdoor activities in Aspen, biking is too! Aspen encourages locals and visitors alike to get around on two wheels with its bike share program, We-Cycle. There are 15 stations and more than 100 bikes around town, so one is never away. The first 30 minutes of every We-Cycle fare is free to all riders and the service made Aspen the first-ever resort town to have an official bike share program.

Using a We-Cycle bike (or your own!), you can explore the energetic downtown and visit any one of the galleries, gift shops, or restaurants lining Aspen’s main drag. If you are seeking more adventure, consider biking Independence Pass or the Rio Grande Trail. As the state’s highest elevation pass, Independence Pass is a favorite route for cyclists craving a breath of fresh air. At a sweeping 12,095 feet, riding Indy Pass is one of Aspen’s most sought-after cycling achievements for its breathtaking views and incredible landscapes. The Rio Grande Trail is 42 miles of continuous paved trail protected from vehicle traffic from Aspen to Glenwood Springs and is suitable for all ages and skill levels. Any ride throughout Aspen is sure to provide you with beautiful views of the expansive forests, the Maroon Bells, and the entire Roaring Fork Valley.

You may want to switch out your road bike for a beach cruiser when it comes to our next destination. Key West, Florida, is a biking paradise because of its small size, easy navigation and always-open bike parking. 20% of folks who live in Key West commute to work and just about everywhere else by bike. There are so many attractions to visit as if the views weren’t enough! Surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, you are never more than just a head-turn away from mesmerizing views of the turquoise blue water and white sand beaches.

If you’re looking for more sights, hop on one of the bike lanes to visit the southernmost point in the continental United States, working your way up to visit the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the Key West Lighthouse Museum and the Eco-Discovery Center. A must-stop on your list should be the Seven Mile Bridge that links points between the Florida Keys. If you want to go even further, consider completing the entire Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, a 106-mile, completely paved trail that stretches the majority of the Keys and is a suitable ride for anyone. The flat topography and 237 sunny days per year can almost guarantee that any ride you take in Key West is going to be a great one — just keep an eye on the weather and don't get caught in a notorious Florida thunderstorm!

San Francisco, California, is a lively melting pot of hippies, inner-city professionals, artists, and everyone in between. 14.8 million visitors flocked to the city in 2021, making it one of the busiest tourist destinations in the world. The city works hard to maintain its current 464 miles of bikeways, adding additional miles every year. Bicycles are the transportation of choice for locals and tourists alike, with more than 82,000 trips being made daily and travel by bicycle increasing 184% since 2006!

You can start your city tour off at one of the 280 bike share stations spread throughout the city. From there, you can bike to any amenities you may need in less than 15 minutes, then to the postcard-worthy destinations San Francisco is famous for! Buzzing past pedestrians on the bikeway, you can cruise down the steep and windy Lombard Street admiring the flower-filled gardens, stopping by the San Francisco Botanical Gardens to enjoy even more greenery. From there, make your way to Golden Gate National Recreation Area and cross the Golden Gate Bridge on two wheels. If you’re tired out from there, you can always take the ferry back across the bay. After all that riding you’re sure to be hungry, so head over to Valencia Street to grab a bite to eat at one of the many vibrant restaurants. After the day is over, you can head out to experience the city’s nightlife or relax while watching the sunset over the Golden City. San Francisco is for everyone, especially bikers.

Arlington, Virginia, is next on our list! Known for its treasured national monuments and memorials, Arlington has so much more to offer that can only be experienced by using the 49 miles of paved paths woven throughout the city. After grabbing a bike from the local bike share, consider taking the Arlington Loop, a 16-mile bikeway that will bring you past some of the most famed attractions in Arlington. Cruise past attractions like the Arlington House, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, and the Arlington National Cemetery. The Arlington National Cemetery is a must-visit place as it is the resting place of more than 400,000 servicemen and hosts regular graveside services and memorial events.

After paying your respects, you can continue your journey through the charming neighborhoods, beautiful parks, and waterfront views of Arlington into Washington, D.C., where you can see other historical treasures like the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and even the White House! Arlington offers a very unique experience on a bike — there is almost no other city where you can see so many treasured places and artifacts of United States history in just a short bicycle ride. However, if history is not your forte, the Mount Vernon path is an 18-mile paved recreation trail known as Northern Virginia’s Scenic Trail. Running down the west bank of the Potomac River, the ride offers many places to hop off and take a break. Arlington is made to be seen by bike!

Located on the northwest edge of Michigan’s lower peninsula (the mitten) is Traverse City, a vibrant small town and a great spot for wine connoisseurs, history lovers, and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Traverse City is also known for its craft beer, and everyone in town takes advantage of that. A Traverse City must-do is the Kayak, Bike, and Brew, a brewery pub crawl along Traverse City’s beautiful Boardman Lake and River and West Grand Traverse Bay.

Throughout the city, there are more than 60 miles of trail known as the Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation, or TART for short. TART is the city’s effort to provide and promote a trail network that enriches people and communities throughout the greater Traverse region. Through these trails, you can see attractions in town like The Grand Traverse Commons, Front Street, and the State Theatre. Or you can choose to venture outside of town into magnificent outdoor areas like the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore, where a 22-mile paved multi-use trail passes through the National Lakeshore. Traverse City is a small-town gem that offers a wide variety of activities for every age, skill level, and interest.

Last on our list, but certainly not least, is Santa Monica, California. Santa Monica is a charming seaside town with a small-town feel but urban metropolis amenities. Set in sunny southern California, it boasts stunning ocean views, a gentle, humidity-free climate, and a city design that caters to cyclists. The city has installed more than 100 miles of bikeways, 19 miles of green lanes, and several hundred public bike racks. The bike share service in town, Breeze Bike Share, allows locals and tourists to use well-maintained bikes and e-bikes.

This town is meant to be seen on two wheels. You can take your cruiser on the 22-mile Marvin Braude Trail that leads straight to bucket-list attractions like the Santa Monica Pier, the Venice Skatepark, and Muscle Beach. After relishing in the unique culture and exciting shops, switch out bikes and head over to the Santa Monica Mountains for some thrilling mountain trails. Topanga State Park is just 20 minutes from downtown and features 36 miles of trails through open grassland, live oaks, and mountainous terrain. Santa Monica is a great destination to sit back, relax and enjoy the city’s many attractions. Every cyclist is guaranteed to find their favorite Santa Monica bike route.

Twenty years ago, the small, Northwest Arkansas city was relatively unknown. Today, it’s the mountain biking capital of the world.

Bentonville, Arkansas, tucked in the heart of the Ozarks in the northwest corner of the state, is probably most well known as the birthplace of Walmart. Over the last 15 years, however, thanks in large part to investments made by the Walmart-founding Walton family, the city has dubbed itself the “Mountain Biking Capital of the World.”

Some die-hard mountain bike enthusiasts may throw up their arms at that statement and say, “What about Moab, Whistler or (insert said enthusiast’s favorite local trails here)?!,” but those who have visited Bentonville can attest that the city has truly done an incredible job of growing a strong community of dedicated cyclists, all within recent memory.

For 2022, Bentonville ranked #1 in Community Score in PeopleForBikes’ annual City Ratings. The program, which evaluates, identifies and compares great places for biking, determines a city’s score by combining its Network Score, measuring the quality of a city’s bike network, and its Community Score, measuring how people feel about biking in their city. While the Network Score may be worth 80% of a city’s overall rating, the Community Score offers an important look into understanding local resident’s perceptions of bicycling where they live, work and play.

With a Bicycle Network Analysis score of 43 and an overall score of 48, Bentonville sits right on the cusp of being considered a great place to bike by City Ratings standards, with an overall score of 50 being that gateway to greatness. However, touting a Community Score of 70, the Northwest Arkansas hub offers many potent lessons on fostering a community of bike-minded residents. 

Bentonville’s journey began relatively recently, with the city’s first five miles of singletrack opening in 2007 on the north end of town. By 2010, those five miles grew to 17 miles, and the Slaughter Pen network of trails stretched further south, connecting to the heart of downtown Bentonville. Over the next 10 years, the region’s network of trails continued to expand, with 100 more miles of trails opening in Bella Vista, Bentonville’s northerly neighbor. Today, Northwest Arkansas is home to more than 500 miles of trails, stretching from Bella Vista to Eureka Springs.

But Bentonville’s success lies in more than just building miles and miles of trails — according to Gary Vernon, senior program officer for the Walton Family Foundation, the organization responsible for funding a majority of the trails across Northwest Arkansas, the key is building trails for all types of riders. 

“When the first few miles of trail were built, it wasn’t just a check written by a family foundation. Tom and Steuart [Walton] were out riding the trails in the community and building the trails that most benefited those who lived in the community,” said Vernon. “We wanted to build trails that connected communities, both physically and socially, and that are able to be enjoyed by riders of all skill levels. We wanted to get families out riding together that normally wouldn’t. Instead of packing up the car and driving a few hours to ride, you can roll out of your driveway in Bentonville and be at a trail in minutes. We like to say that the best trailhead in Bentonville is your garage.”

For Vernon, accessibility, connectivity and progression are the key pillars to introducing new riders and welcoming more people to the fun of mountain biking. “Just start with that first 10 miles of trail and build them in a way that there’s trails that are fun for all skill levels,” he said. “Build trails that parallel greenways so parents can ride on pavement alongside their kids riding dirt for the first time. You don’t need 150+ miles to be successful; if you have 10-15 miles of fun, connected trails, you can be successful.”

While Bentonville trails may lack the one-way distances of other mountain biking meccas out West or in the Northeast, Vernon also points to the “lapability” of local trails as another benefit to Bentonville’s success in growing riders’ confidence and love of biking. 

“Growing up, we would build one jump and hit it 1,000 times. That’s how we got better,” said Vernon, noting how Bentonville’s dedicated climbing tracks sprinkled throughout its trail networks make it easy to hit the same lines again and again and again. “You don’t get better by hitting a different jump every time you ride. Beginners can benefit so much from repetition, and when you can hit the same line five times in a row, you’re going to be a lot more confident on the bike because of it.”

Don’t just take Vernon’s word for it either — Bentonville’s investment in biking has proven to be instrumental in growing the number of residents who love to ride. Based on a 2021 survey conducted by PeopleForBikes, 26% of Benton County residents reported riding more than 35 days a year, placing them in the “enthusiastic rider” category. The study also found that a resounding 79% of residents either agree or strongly agree that bicycling is good for the community and 70% think that bicycling in their area has gotten better in the past three years. For any cities on the fence about community response to an investment in biking — hard work pays off. 

While Bentonville is still breaking ground on new off-road trails every year, the city’s biggest push now is turning all of that community support for recreational riding into support for more safety for on-road riding and biking for transportation.  

“We want to be the safest place in the Heartland to ride a bike,” said Hunter Garrison, Bentonville’s bike and pedestrian planner. “We want people to be able to access the entire city — trails, restaurants, bars, you name it — without ever having to get in their car.”

Bentonville’s first on-street protected bike lane is slated for completion later in 2022, and Garrison says changing the image of non-recreation biking is essential to continuing similar projects in the future. 

“In Bentonville, schools don’t provide access to a bus if you live within a mile of a school system. That means we have hundreds of kids biking to school,” said Garrison. “When all people see are adults in lycra, they don’t really care as much about those on-road facilities. When they see kids biking, they feel the need to support the creation of facilities that get them to school safely.”

Garrison also says that even if people don’t care about bikes, everyone cares about economic boosters, and it’s hard to look past what bikes have done for economic growth in Northwest Arkansas. In 2017, a study showed that bicycling brought $137 million in economic benefits to the region. Bicycling put Bentonville on the map, and with how cheap bike investments are compared to similar infrastructure projects, Garrison says you can’t prove a better civic investment when it comes to ROI than bikes. 

Building on the city’s efforts to improve biking for transportation, PeopleForBikes founded its Northwest Arkansas Bike Business Innovation program in 2020 to coordinate workplace programming, incentives and infrastructure changes to grow the number of employees riding bikes for commuting and transportation in Benton County. 

“This is an opportunity to build on the public sector and philanthropic investments in biking in the region as well as put a new lens on our work,” said John Paul Shaffer, PeopleForBikes’ Northwest Arkansas business innovation director. “We’re looking at the private sector with major employers in the area and how they can meet their own goals around sustainability and employee health while also supporting PeopleForBikes’ own mission of getting more people on bikes more often.”

PeopleForBikes is assisting Walmart, the largest employer in the region, in their goal of getting 10% of Home Office associates to commute to work by bike by 2023, and Shaffer thinks that’s just the beginning. “If we can expand that mission and get 10% of all Benton County residents to commute by bike, we can start rivaling the Portlands and other U.S. leaders in that space. That community of dedicated recreation riders already exists, now it’s working to build the infrastructure and culture to incentivize them to ride for transportation.”

There are many reasons why Bentonville is a great place to bike, but they all have one thing in common: community. By prioritizing investments that build and center a sense of community and lower barriers to entry, any city can welcome new riders and grow public support for bicycling.

Join PeopleForBikes in Bentonville October 18-20, 2022, for SHIFT'22 — a dynamic, peer-to-peer gathering surrounded by a can’t-miss week of bicycling events. By bringing current and future leaders together, we're moving the bicycle industry forward. Register and book your hotel today.

The Secret Behind Bentonville’s Success

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed a bill into law on March 9, 2023, expanding the eligible uses of electric bicycles statewide. House Bill 2062 clarifies the current state law, allows for Class 2 electric bicycle use throughout the state, and eases restrictions on Class 3 e-bike use.

PeopleForBikes believes that electric bicycles are the future of transportation and recreational riding due to their ability to increase communities' health and decrease carbon emissions by replacing trips that would be otherwise taken by car. E-bikes are replacing single vehicle trips, helping people ride their bikes further with more convenience, and making folks happier and healthier in the process.

Before the bill was passed, West Virginia law did not define Class 2 electric bicycles. Instead, only Class 1 (pedal-assist up to 20 mph) and Class 3 (pedal-assist up to 28 mph) were defined. Class 2 electric bicycles use a throttle and can be pedal-assist to propel the bike up to a maximum speed of 20 mph.

Now that Gov. Justice signed the bill into law, Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles can now travel on roads and trails in West Virginia where traditional bicycles are allowed and will be given the same rights and privileges of analog bicycles.

According to the bill’s sponsor, Delegate Heather Tully, the intent of the bill is to promote tourism and increase access to public lands, including individuals with disabilities, health issues, or age-related limitations. 

In addition, West Virginia State Parks Chief Bradley Reed told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, from which the bill advanced in January, that he had never heard a complaint about excessive electric bicycle speed from a park user or customer.

Nationwide, PeopleForBikes’ goal is to clearly define electric bicycles and provide sensible rules for their use. We strive to pass our model three-class legislation in all 50 states to ensure that:



Outdated vehicle regulations are updated to reflect technological advances.

Low-speed electric bicycles are regulated similarly to traditional bicycles.

Consumers and retailers are not confused about their state’s electric bicycle laws.

The public is encouraged to take advantage of the benefits that electric bicycles offer.

You can find details on your state’s specific electric bicycle law here. With any questions or for more information, please contact PeopleForBikes’ eMTB Policy and Program Manager Rachel Fussell at rachel@peopleforbikes.org.

West Virginia’s New Law Legalizes Class 2 E-Bike Access

Adventure is out there, you just have to bike to it! Adventure biking is all about taking exciting and out-of-the-box routes to see some of the most beautiful destinations our country has to offer.

In this year’s City Ratings, PeopleForBikes’ annual program to evaluate, identify and compare the best cities and towns for bicycling, many places in the top 100 out of more than 1,000 rated cities offer some truly incredible adventures by bike. Whether you are biking on the road, gravel, downhill, or long-distance, all of these cities have something great to offer!

Affectionately known as the “Moab of the North,” Kalispell, Montana, less than a two-hour drive from the Canadian border, is home to 24,000 people. Kalispell is in the heart of the Swan, Mission, Whitefish, and Salish mountain ranges and boasts beautiful views of the surrounding valleys, rivers, lakes, and nearby Glacier National Park. Here, there is biking for everyone, from paved rail-trails for the kids, mountain bike parks for the thrill-seekers, and the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

The must-do trail for anyone visiting Kalispell is a 22-mile section of the Great Northern Rail Trail which was advocated for and completed by Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana, a grassroots organization founded in Kalispell. The start and end point is Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. In town, Wheaton's Cycling Shop has been the beloved local bike shop for nearly 17 years and they offer great suggestions for other in-town ride destinations including Lone Pine State Park, Crane Mountain Trails, and the Broken Leg Trail (Trail 544). Kalispell is an exciting and beautiful adventure biking destination with unique trails and views everywhere you look, making it the perfect addition to any Western road trip.

The most remote location on our list, Soldotna, Alaska, is known for its cold and dark winters, with an average temperature of 10 degrees Fahrenheit and less than six hours of daylight in January. However, come summertime, this sleepy Alaskan town becomes a lively destination for locals and tourists alike. Soldotna is home to nearly 4,700 people year-round but its population doubles to nearly 10,000 people in the summer.

The sometimes wild climate and challenging terrain do not stop cyclists: Nearly 80% of Alaskan households own a bicycle and more than 60% of Alaskans bike or walk for recreation. Soldotna is a popular destination for folks passing through for the Kenai 250, an approximately 265-mile race featuring tons of single track and nearly 30,000 feet of elevation gain. This race is for experienced backcountry endurance riders and traverses some of the most beautiful landscapes Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula has to offer. Soldotna may not be the most conventional adventure biking destination, but its unique location offers plenty of gravel, mountain biking, and bikepacking opportunities.

Monterey, California, is a picturesque town in Central California that follows the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as it weaves along the coast. This classic California town is home to 28,575 people and has a prominent cycling scene. Monterey’s flat topography, mild climate, 190 miles of bikeways, and encouragement of sustainable travel make cycling a great option to explore the city and surrounding area.

This former military base is also the site of the Sea Otter Classic, regarded as the world’s largest cycling festival, attracting nearly 10,000 athletes and more than 74,000 fans every April. The race at Sea Otter is an 18-mile loop that includes an exciting mix of forest roads and singletrack. The Sea Otter Classic isn’t the only thing that attracts thousands of people to Monterey each year — the crown jewel of adventure biking in the region is bikepacking down the Pacific Coast Highway through the Big Sur Mountains. This rugged and mountainous section of road is known for its dramatic landscape where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. Even for an experienced bicyclist, the ride through Big Sur may be the best ride you’ve ever taken. For those seeking a more relaxing experience, the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail is an 18-mile trail protected from vehicles that crosses through some of the best attractions in Monterey. This coastal cycling town provides something for every rider!

Flagstaff, Arizona, is home to about 73,319 people and provides stunning peak views, clean mountain air, and abundant wildlife. Established in 1894, this high desert town is nestled right below the San Francisco Peaks, the tallest mountains in Arizona. There are seven national parks and monuments right in the backyard of Flagstaff, earning it its nickname “The City of Seven Wonders,” but locals might argue that there is an eighth wonder: biking. Driving into Flagstaff, you’ll see cyclists zipping by on some of the city’s 117 miles of bike lanes. Just about every local owns a bike, 5.2% of work commutes are made by bike and most other trips can be made on two wheels in just a few minutes.

Passing through town, you might see bikes adorned with lots of bags, as there are some great bikepacking trails in Flagstaff including the nearly 800-mile-long Arizona Trail (AZT), which passes through the majority of Arizona, and the 250-mile-long Coconino Bikepacking Loop that connects Flagstaff to Cottonwood. Just outside of town, Fort Tuthill Bike Park is a great network of mountain biking trails to build your skills to use on other local trails like the ones in Buffalo Park or Campbell Mesa Loop. If you ever get bored of Flagstaff (you won’t!), Sedona, another world-class biking destination, is just 27 miles north. Close to some of the most remarkable places in the U.S., Flagstaff is the perfect road trip destination for adventure biking.

Burlington, Vermont, lies on a gorgeous hillside overlooking Lake Champlain with a view of New York’s Adirondack Mountains in the distance. Rising from the shores of the lake is the Island Line Trail, a 14-mile-long shared path that offers great views of the lake and downtown Burlington all in one. In the coming years, there are plans to add tens of miles of new bike paths added throughout Burlington as a part of a “quick-build” program by Burlington Public Works.

If you desire more of an off-road experience, you can head over to Catamount Outdoor Family Center to take advantage of their 20 miles of trails that include gravel, wooded sections, open fields, steep climbs, technical terrain, and two pump tracks. Once you’ve tuned up your skills, take advantage of Lincoln Peak at Sugarbush Resort, a lift-serviced area with tons of trails that promise high-speed fun and lots of features. If downhilling isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Many bikepacking adventures pass through the region as well. The Green Mountain Loop runs through Green Mountain National Forest and covers 377 miles of beautiful rolling hills, mountains, and forest, eventually ending up back in downtown Burlington. Backroads, an award-winning travel company, also offers great bikepacking adventures from Burlington to Montreal, Quebec, covering more than 250 miles along the way. In Burlington, there are opportunities aplenty for a two-wheeled adventure!

From world-class mountain biking to wine tasting tours on two wheels, don’t forget to bring your helmet the next time you pack your bags.

For most Americans, the pandemic forced leisure travel to the back burner throughout 2020. Instead, people began to explore the outdoors closer to home: A survey of American adults conducted by PeopleForBikes found that, in 2020, 10% of American adults engaged in bicycling in a new way and that 87% of those new riders plan to keep riding in a post-pandemic world.

For those looking to combine their newfound (or longtime favorite) hobby with their next getaway, here are five vacation cities to experience by bike. 

In a region known for great mountain biking, Fayetteville stands out, although that hasn’t always been the case. “Trying to ride a bike across town as a kid and even into my teenage years, we didn’t have any bike lanes and there wasn’t even a sharrow until the early 2000s,” said Fayetteville Mobility Coordinator Dane Eifling. “Then, our mayor got support to fund a trails program. No one knew quite what it was at the time, but it led to the creation of the backbone of our trail system today.”

Since the installation of its first trails, Fayetteville’s bike network has grown exponentially. Eifling nods to smart planning by the city being a major factor behind the network’s success. “We built trails that would get the most use — not ones that would be the cheapest or most convenient to build,” said Eifling. “Focusing on trails that would get the most activity first helped us get funding and support to build more.”

Today, Fayetteville is one of the best cities to visit for hardcore bike enthusiasts and general outdoor recreationalists alike, reflected in its top Community Score among all medium-sized cities in our 2021 City Ratings. For mountain bikers, 50 miles of paved multi-use paths throughout town mean you never have to load up the car to access a great ride. Dozens of trails, including brand new Centennial Park, are within a short pedal from town, offering up enticing terrain for riders of all abilities. And if you’re looking for an epic road ride, Fayetteville’s unique topography allows for some all-time rides. 

“We host a lot of world-renowned stage races,” Eifling said. “The rolling hills of the Ozarks are the perfect terrain for those looking for something advanced.” 

Trying to spend more time around town? Eifling says there’s a laundry list of hotels that cater to bicyclists throughout Fayetteville’s downtown area. “You can stay at a bike-friendly hotel and easily ride to a coffee shop or take a leisurely ride on the paved trails,” said Eifling. “Our recreational trails follow along the creeks to avoid major hills and the trees lining the water keep things shaded and cool during the summer months. You can truly see all of Fayetteville from a bicycle.”

Going forward, Fayetteville is working to build a shared-use paved trail within a 10-minute walk of every resident, a goal that’s 80% complete. Once it’s done, it’ll benefit visitors too.

Looking to add a little pedal power to your next relaxing tropical vacation? Look no further than Key West, Florida, one of the top 10 small cities in our 2021 City Ratings. Perched at the southernmost tip of the U.S., just 90 miles north of Cuba, the island is known for its bright, pastel-colored architecture, lively nightlife, beaches and historic sites. It’s also best experienced on two wheels. 

Sizing up at just under five square miles, Key West is incredibly bikeable — it takes less than half an hour to bike from one end of the island to the other. Car-Free Key West, a program developed by the city’s planning department dedicated to promoting a smart and attainable future for the island, champions a “Park It and Forget It” approach to visiting by car. Once you arrive, everything you’ll need is an easy walk or bike ride away.

Key West’s tourist destinations include everything from the Southernmost Point, an Instagram-worthy spot marking the lowest latitudinal point in the continental U.S., to the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, which offers daily tours of the famous writer’s estate. Pedaling around southern Florida all day is sure to work up an appetite, and the island’s main drag — Duval Street — is flush with restaurants and bars serving up local specialties like fried conch.

Round out your trip with a truly unique bicycling experience: the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail. Paralleling U.S. Highway 1, a designated National Scenic Highway, this paved, multi-use trail stretches nearly 100 miles between Key Largo and Key West. Crossing 23 historic Flagler Railroad bridges built at the turn of the 20th century, the trail passes through some of the most scenic nature southern Florida has to offer. It also offers access to two national parks, four wildlife refuges and 10 Florida State Parks, making it a must-pedal for nature and bicycling lovers alike.

Solvang, California, nestled in a lush valley about 125 miles north of Los Angeles, is easily one of the most unique destinations on this list. Part wine country, part Danish, this southern California treasure is truly one of a kind. 

Solvang prides itself on being “a little slice of Denmark in Southern California,” and when you walk through the quaint downtown, it’s easy to see why. Old-world Danish architecture lines the streets and Solvang’s rich cultural heritage is evident around every corner. Like many of the customs borrowed from its lineage, Solvang is also an amazing place for bicycling, ranking fifth out of 307 small U.S. cities in our 2021 City Ratings.

The surrounding rolling hills are home to some of the best road riding in the United States. Solvang is the spring basecamp for many pro cycling teams training in the U.S. and there’s an abundance of wine country cycling tours available to riders of all abilities. Upwards of 125 wineries speckle the Santa Ynez Valley, serving as pit stops for private tastings. Whether you come for the biking and stay for the wine, or vice versa, Solvang is the perfect destination for folks looking for the very best of both. 

Back in town, more than 35 restaurants within an easy biking distance of 18 hotels offer up international cuisine (and more wine) for the appetite you surely worked up while out in the saddle. Plus, it’s California — even in the coldest winter months, daytime highs average around 66 degrees.

Park City is primarily known for its skiing, but Trails and Open Space Manager Heinrich Deters says the rise of mountain biking during the early ‘90s helped transform it into a year-round destination. “It used to just be people that would come to ski during the winter and leave during the summer,” said Deter. “Mountain biking was something that caught on with 10 or 20 of us who would build trails on the old mining company property. In my opinion, that was the first shift from winter-only resort to full-year resort.”

Today, those ski-bums-turned-trail builders who stuck around are the reason Park City has a family-friendly bike culture and earned one of the highest Community Scores among small U.S. cities in the 2021 City Ratings. “Everyone that lives here now are the ones that stayed for the summers, and now they’re raising kids,” said Deters. “The core group of locals have been here 25 to 30 years, and that's a lot of who you’ll see out on trails — a mom, a dad and some kids.”

Deters also notes that Park City’s immediate access to trails makes the town perfect for bike enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. “In Park City, we like to say that your garage is your trailhead: You can ride out of any neighborhood around town and be at a trail in two to three minutes,” said Deters, adding that there’s plenty of options to keep even the most avid riders busy. “You can visit Park City every summer and not ride the same trail for at least five years.”

Less than an hour drive from downtown Salt Lake City, Park City’s high mountain locale blesses it with favorable weather during the summer months. “The elevation change is a couple of thousand feet between the valley and here, and with that, we get great weather,” said Deters. “It’s not too hot, there are no bugs and it’s fairly temperate during the biking season.” 

While Park City’s bike culture definitely leans more off-road, Deters says there’s still plenty to do around town on two wheels. “Our public bike share system in town is a cheap, economical way to experience everything Park City has to offer — whether it’s stopping by a free concert happening every other block or just pedaling out to one of our many parks and open spaces,” said Deters. “You can come up and have a great, entry-level cycling experience with little investment.”

A small college town bordering Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Marquette is an ideal off-the-radar vacation spot. The city of 21,000 sits adjacent to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Isle Royale National Park along with scores of lakes, rivers and forests, and hosts a vibrant, easily bikeable downtown — full of restaurants, art shops and breweries. 

Marquette’s been investing in active transportation since the 1970s, building routes along former railway corridors and other scenic spaces. According to David Stensaas, planner and zoning administrator for Marquette, the city has a winning combination of easily accessible singletrack combined with paved trails along the Lake Superior shoreline and through the downtown corridor. 

While lake-effect weather systems blanket Marquette in snow from October to May, the long winter season has fostered a diehard community of fat bikers. The fat-tire trails are maintained by the Noquemanon Trail Network (NTN) organization, who grooms dozens of miles of trails within biking distance of downtown for use throughout the winter. 

“For those who believe in ‘cyclotherapy,’ biking through the dark days of winter is a much better option than Prozac,” joked Stensaas, noting the colder months of the year not only see a lot of snow, but also little sunlight for the northern latitude city.

In the milder summer months, NTN has hundreds of local members who help maintain 40-plus miles of singletrack mountain biking trails surrounding Marquette. In the fall, those same trails boast some of the best leaf-peeping in the Upper Peninsula, with the entire forested region covered in stunning hues of yellow, orange and red.

Marquette prides itself on an extensive history of mining in the region, highlighted through the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. The 47-mile, multi-use paved trail follows corridors that brought lumber and iron ore to the Lake Superior Harbor. Equal parts recreation and education, the heritage trail connects communities across Marquette County and allows visitors to experience historical sites while winding through a stunning natural landscape. Marquette’s diverse biking amenities, which earned the city ninth place among small U.S. cities in our 2021 City Ratings, make it an easy choice for repeat visits.

Every summer, Provincetown, a coastal town with 3,000 year-round residents on the tip of Cape Cod, floods with tourists drawn to the scenic beaches, small-town charm and abundance of LGBTQ+ festivities. Provincetown has long been a queer vacation destination, with gay culture in the town dating back to as early as the start of the 20th century. Celebrations like Carnival, a weeklong celebration of LGBTQ+ life, see upwards of 90,000 visitors every August, and Provincetown’s gay and lesbian events stretch all summer long.

Ranking number one overall for U.S. cities in our 2021 City Ratings, Provincetown’s open, accepting culture combined with its ease of bikeability make it the perfect destination for anyone looking for a relaxing summer vacation. Whether it’s whale watching along Race Point Beach, letting the pup off the leash at the Pilgrim Bark Park or catching one of the countless parties and parades that stretch down Provincetown’s main drag — Commercial Street — every destination is no more than a 15-minute bike ride away from the heart of town.

No matter your reason for visiting, everyone is welcome in Provincetown. While it may be small in size, the town is filled to the brim with places to see and things to do — so much so that many visitors have been returning every summer, year after year, for decades.

If you’ve ever attended a town hall meeting to support a proposed bike lane or trail, or simply engaged in a lively discussion about one on Nextdoor, you know it can often be a pretty frustrating process. These days, when discussing anything that involves growth or change, there’s almost always a small, vocal contingent that relies on emotion to argue why something shouldn’t happen. You might know a new bike lane — or another proposed project, like a housing bill that indirectly affects bicycling — would be a good thing for your community, but without data or research to back up your argument, speaking up can feel like a lost cause. 

That’s where our new guide comes in. At PeopleForBikes, we spend our days firmly entrenched in the research and data that supports building better communities for bicycling. We developed this 15-point fact sheet to help counteract misconceptions that often arise when advocating for change, as well as to promote strategies we know work. Bookmark it, print it out, and email it to everyone you know — let this article support you in shifting the larger conversation around the power of bicycling.

This might feel like a given, but if Utah Senator Mitt Romney’s recent remarks are any indication, we’re not all on the same page about the climate benefits of getting more people on bikes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), transportation makes up 28% of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, with 57% of those emissions coming from passenger vehicles. When we build more (and better) bike lanes, the environmental benefits are clear: higher bike ridership, less driving, and an overall reduction in emissions.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon found that “if even 10% of short car trips during peak afternoon travel were replaced with micromobility, more than 4,800 car trips would not happen, decreasing vehicle miles traveled by more than 7,300 miles a day.” While this would translate to a 2.76% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, it would only be possible with “wide-scale bike lane deployment.” This study confirms similar findings from McGill University that spotlight bike infrastructure in Montreal, as well as research from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, which found new bike lanes lowered emissions in Guangzhou, China, and Bogota, Colombia.

According to another European study, if 10% of the population were to replace one car trip a day with a bike ride, overall carbon emissions from transportation would also drop 10%. Research done by Portland State University showed that if 15% of car trips were instead taken by electric bicycle, we could see a 12% decrease in transportation-related emissions. Add in the fact that bikes are one of the lowest carbon-emitting modes of transportation, and it's safe to say that any way you look at it, bicycling benefits the environment.

Ask most people why they don’t bike and they’ll likely name safety as a key concern. A nationwide survey from the National Institute for Transportation and Communities found that a whopping two-thirds of U.S. residents would be more likely to bike if they were separated from cars by a physical barrier. There is so much research that shows people will bike if cities build good infrastructure. Overall, the average protected bike lane sees bike counts increase 75% in its first year alone.

Notably, bicycling in Sevilla, Spain, increased 435% when the city added 86 miles of dedicated bike lanes. Even smaller transformations to include protected bike infrastructure can have a huge impact. After buffered bike lanes were installed on Philadelphia's Spruce and Pine streets, bike traffic increased 95%, while intersections in Montreal with protected bike lanes saw 61% more bike traffic than comparable intersections with no bike infrastructure. There’s also evidence that protected bike lanes are better for bike share.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, a 2022 upgrade brought a two-way protected bike lane to a section of Garden Street, where before there had only been sharrows and door-zone bike lanes. The changes transformed the entire neighborhood: Bike mode-share nearly quadrupled and increased by more than 2%. Even accounting for seasonal dips in ridership, bicycling in the area increased more than sixfold since the separated bike lanes were built.

3. Yes, protected bike lanes are better than sharrows or standard bike lanes

As a rule of thumb, if something’s not going to be comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to ride, then don’t build it.

For decades, U.S. traffic engineers assumed that people on bikes could almost always share the road with cars. But a shoulder — even a striped bike lane — on a street with fast traffic isn’t an appealing place to bike for most people, especially women and less experienced riders. Putting a bike symbol in the middle of a busy thoroughfare does little to make it a place where parents feel comfortable riding with their children.

We now know, based on both U.S. and international experience, what kind of infrastructure designs give people of all ages and abilities the sense of safety, comfort, and enjoyment that makes them want to ride. This includes protected bike lanes, which are located next to the road and physically separated from traffic, as well as things like better lighting, traffic-calming barriers, and well-marked crosswalks. While sharrows might have a place in small towns or on low-stress streets, protected bike lanes should be the default for roadways with speeds above 25 mph or when vehicular volumes exceed 6,000 average daily traffic (ADT).

People living in bike-friendly communities tend to have better health outcomes due to increased physical activity, improved cardiovascular health, and reduced stress levels. A 2015 Columbia University study showed that New York City's $10 million investment in bike and pedestrian improvements resulted in an estimated societal health savings benefit of $230 million. Put another way, every $1,300 New York City invested in building bike lanes provided benefits equivalent to one additional year of life at full health over the lifetime of all city residents. 

According to the British Medical Journal, regular bicycling is associated with a 41% decrease in the risk of death from any cause, a 45% decrease in the risk of cancer, and a 46% decrease in the risk of heart disease. And the benefits don’t stop there: a PLOS Medicine study showed that people who began bicycling regularly after age 50 saw a 20% decrease in the risk of Type II Diabetes. 

5. Bikes lanes and trails are good for business

In response to proposed or newly built bike lanes, it seems like store owners often complain about reduced parking and customers lost. All of the evidence, however, points to the fact that installing protected bike routes tends to boost local shops. For example, after a hugely contested bike lane was installed on Skillman Avenue in Queens, New York, data shows that sales in the stores, bars, and restaurants on the seven-block commercial stretch collectively rose by 12%.

Other streets in New York have seen similar results: After the construction of a protected bike lane on 9th Avenue in Manhattan, local businesses saw a 49% increase in retail sales (on other streets in the borough, the average was only 3%) and a redesign of the city’s Union Square to include a protected bike lane resulted in 49% fewer commercial vacancies, compared to 5% more throughout Manhattan. And it’s not just in New York: In Salt Lake City's Broadway, replacing parking with protected bike lanes increased retail sales. 

There’s also evidence that customers who arrive at retail stores by bike spend the same amount per month compared to people who arrive by car — they tend to make smaller purchases but return more frequently. What’s more, neighborhoods that don’t require a car to move around are more economically resilient. Bike trails and greenways also benefit communities economically by attracting visitors, promoting job growth in tourism-related industries, and revitalizing communities through the "Trail Town" model and Trail-Oriented Development.

6. More bike infrastructure can benefit drivers, too

It’s important to remember that even if the infrastructure is perfect, not everyone will choose to bike. Die-hard drivers can still become bike advocates, however, especially when they realize that the more people ride bikes, the less car congestion there is. 

This was a key messaging point in Austin, where the city completed 115 miles of new bike lanes in just two years. By shifting traffic from cars to bikes and making it easier to reach transit stops, Austin's planned 400-mile protected bike lane network is projected to increase the city's traffic capacity by about 25,000 trips per day at about the same cost ratio as a single expressway widening.

In 2014, a New York City Department of Transportation (NYDOT) study found that after a six-foot buffered bike lane was installed on Columbus Avenue, car volumes were unaffected and that those cars moved 35% faster. According to an NYDOT statement, the “study found that on corridors with protected bike lanes traffic flow was maintained or improved on average because of the enhanced organization of the roadway.”

7. Protected bike lanes and reduced speeds save lives

Inclusive Biking

Sustainable Transportation

Electric Bikes

Bike Business

Recreational Bike Access

City Riding

Policy

Improving Recreational Access for Bikes

Securing Funding for New Parks and Trails

Helping Cities Build Great Places to Bike That Are Close to Home

Improving Road Cyclist Safety

Increasing Access for Kids, Veterans, Electric Bicycle Riders and Underserved Communities

Promoting Recreation-Based Economic Development in Rural Areas