Cycling enthusiasts know how freeing it can be to ride down a bike path, soaking in the beauty of a city without the hassle of crowded public transport or traffic jams. As governments around the world aim to reduce carbon emissions, more cities are encouraging people to use bikes instead of cars.
So, which cities are the most bike-friendly? According to the Global Bicycle Cities Index this year, most of these cities are in Europe.
The digital insurance company Luko evaluated 90 cities worldwide, ranking them based on six criteria: the percentage of bicycle users, weather conditions, crime and safety (such as accident and bike theft rates), infrastructure, bike-sharing opportunities, and events like “no car days.” The results are measured on a scale from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more bike-friendly cities.
European cities dominated the list, largely due to excellent cycle paths and favorable weather conditions with many “cyclable” days. No U.S. city made it to the top 10 or even the top 20, but some appeared among the 90 ranked: San Francisco (39th), Portland (41st), Seattle (50th), Washington DC (53rd), Los Angeles (57th), Boston (61st—interestingly ahead of London), New York (67th), Chicago (71st), and Detroit (72nd).
Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 best cities for cyclists worldwide:
Hannover in Germany, located in Lower Saxony, offers beautiful parks that are best explored by bike. The city’s strong infrastructure and cycling events, including “no car days,” earned it a high spot.
Bremen, another German city, boasts flat terrain and extensive cycle paths connecting it to nearby towns. It is the first German city with an entire “bicycle zone” in the Neustadt district, where bicycles have priority and can cycle side-by-side.
The Swiss capital has heavily invested in quality cycling infrastructure, scored high on bike-sharing, and regularly organizes “no car days.” The city also reports a very low fatality rate among cyclists.
Hangzhou, an unexpected entry from China, is the only non-European city in the top tier. With 30% of its population using bikes and high scores for bike sharing, Hangzhou stands out.
Malmö, Sweden, has a particularly low cyclist fatality rate, thanks to its quality infrastructure and regular cycling events.
Amsterdam, known for its biking culture, surprisingly did not top the list, possibly due to its high accident rate with over 1,000 incidents per 100,000 cyclists.
Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, is safer for both cyclists and their bikes, with a low theft rate and “no car days.” The city invests significantly in cycling infrastructure, and residents continue to cycle even during harsh winters.
Antwerp, a Belgian port city, may lack extensive cycle paths but compensates with a robust bike-sharing system and “car-free Sunday” events, making it very cyclist-friendly.
Münster, Germany, enjoys a low cycling fatality rate despite over 39% of residents using bikes daily, and frequently hosts events promoting cycling.
Leading the list is Utrecht in the Netherlands. It scores high in cycling infrastructure and favorable weather, with over half of its residents (51%) using bikes daily.