According to a recent article in the Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN was just named the third best city, in terms of biking, in the United States. They’re behind Madison, WI and Portland, OR by just a couple of percentage points.

What makes Minneapolis such a great biking city? Let me count the ways…

The Best Way To See The Twin Cities Is On A Pair Of Wheels!

Throughout the Twin Cities, it’s not hard to find a Nice Ride bike to rent for the day. They’re convenient and easy to use. Bike the streets, the Green Way, the various parkways… get the feel of these two great cities the way we know our cities.

Miles and Miles To Bike.

According to the City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis on its own has 129 miles of on-street biking ways and 97 miles of biking trails. You’ll never be bored. It’s a great way to commute to work if you work within city limits and a neat way to explore the city and appreciate the Twin Cities’ unique balance between urban living and nature.

Growing Infrastructure.

Currently, Davis, CA is the leading U.S. city in terms of biking-- 19% of working people commute to work via bike. The Twin Cities is looking to grow their infrastructure so that the biking commuter population can grow from 5% now to 15% in 2025. Infrastructure comes in the form of barriers and space between cars and bikes and designated lanes for bikes painted on the streets.

Bikes and Community.

In Uptown Minneapolis and the part of Minneapolis where I grew up, it seems like you can’t throw a stone without hitting a bike shop or two. It has become more and more popular to build your own bike and learn how to fix your bike. There is vibrant community with biking in the Twin Cities area-- bikes are something to bond over and to make friends over. It’s a way of life-- a way to get from work, school, and anywhere else you’re going to your next destination. In the Minnesota winters, freezing cold and with several feet of snow, you can still see diehard bikers with thick snow tires making their way from point A to point B.

Having lived in a part of the world where biking is crucial to everyday life, even for a little while, it’s excellent to see my home city go in this direction. I love that it’s an environmentally friendly way to move about and explore any given city and I love that it’s a readily available form of transportation for anyone, resident or visitor. I look forward to seeing how Minneapolis and St. Paul grow into great biking cities in the next several years.