This U.S. Island Was Just Named the Most Bicycle-friendly City in the World

When you think of bike-friendly cities, European capitals like Copenhagen and Amsterdam likely come to mind. And while these cities have some of the world’s best biking infrastructure, including designated bike lanes and bike parking, there is nothing relaxing about cycling alongside rush hour traffic and cruising at high speeds with thousands of other riders.

The antidote to high-stress cycling like this is Mackinac Island off the Michigan mainland. The island lacks some of the infrastructure you’ll find in many European cities but was still ranked the No. 1 most cycle-friendly city in the world thanks to its complete lack of motorized vehicles and the high percentage of “low-stress” bike routes.

The recent study was run using data from PeopleForBikes, a charity that promotes safe bike riding policies and access to riding. It prioritized destinations where everything from hospitals to shops was bike-accessible, along with how many low- and high-stress miles there were in each city.

Mackinac Island surpassed the competition in most areas, scoring over 99 points (out of a possible 100) in four categories and a perfect 100 for its bike access to parks and sports facilities. Mackinac Island is particularly notable regarding what the study calls “low-stress miles” thanks to the lack of cars or motorized vehicles on the island. The study found there to be over 107 miles of low-stress riding compared to the island’s nearly 13 miles of high-stress biking.

“If you want to avoid stressful rides through car-clogged streets or marathon cycles just to get to the shops, you’ll want to check out these 10 cycle-friendly cities,” John Vinton of Aventon Bikes, which shared the study with Travel + Leisure, said. Aventon Bikes is a company that designs and manufactures high-performance electric bikes.

Following Mackinac Island on the safety- and accessibility-focused ranking were a handful of other U.S. cities along with three destinations in Europe. Provincetown, Massachusetts, on the tip of Cape Cod, came in at No. 2 in the ranking. PeopleForBikes recognized the seaside town for its impressive bike access to jobs, essential services, grocery stores, public transit, and recreational sites.

The full list with final ratings (out of a possible 100) is listed below:

1. Mackinac Island, Michigan (Score: 99.35)

2. Provincetown, Massachusetts (Score: 96.03)

3. Harbor Springs, Michigan (Score: 92.27)

4. The Hague, Netherlands (Score: 89.47) 

5. Springdale, Utah (Score: 89.19)

6. Washburn, Wisconsin (Score: 89.06)

7. Fort Yates, North Dakota (Score: 88.03)

8. Paris, France (Score: 87.33)

9. Crested Butte, Colorado (Score: 87.21)

10. Brussels, Belgium (Score: 86.9)

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