Minneapolis Named In 'World's Best Bike Cities'

The results are in: For the first time since 2011 a U.S. city has cracked the list for the Best Bicycle Cities In The World.

Minneapolis, Minn., was named the 18th best city in the world for bicycling. It is only the second city in North America to make the list, next to Montreal.

Compiled by the Copenhagen Design Company, an urban design consultancy that advise cities and governments how to build bicycle-friendly landscapes and infrastructure, the rankings were determined by factors such as bicycle culture, advocacy, politics, and infrastructure.

Worldwide, 155 metropolitan areas (with populations over 600,000 people) vied for the top 20 spots.

Unsurprisingly, Copenhagen and Amsterdam topped the list, and the lion’s share of cities that made the list are European. But a few regional powerhouses such as Buenos Aires also made the cut.

Minneapolis soared into the top rankings because of its network of on-street bikeways and bike paths and a “respectable” bike share program. A notable push from City Hall to improve ridership rates in the city also helped.

GearJunkie.com is based in Minneapolis, and we are thrilled with the ranking. Our head office is directly on the Midtown Greenway Bike Path (pictured above), and our editor and staff ride year-round.

The majority of the best cycling cities in the world are still in Europe, but many U.S. cities are steadily fighting their way closer to top rankings. Portland and New York City both made the list in 2011, but fell from the standings in subsequent years. With some work, we hope to see more representatives from the Stars and Stripes in the coming years.