To evaluate the 90 most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, the Global Bicycle Cities Index took into account cycle paths, bicycle theft rates and weather conditions.

Cycling enthusiasts know how great it can feel to ride along a cycle path and enjoy the charm of a city without the downsides of crowded public transport or traffic jams. As governments around the world strive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, more and more cities are encouraging people to ditch their cars and making it easier to get around by bicycle.

Which are the most bicycle-friendly cities? According to this year's Global Bicycle Index, most of them are to be found in Europe.

Digital insurance company Luko studied 90 cities around the world and ranked them based on six key parameters: the proportion of bicycle users, weather, crime and safety (for example, accidents and the number of bicycle thefts), infrastructure, bicycle-sharing options and special events such as “car-free days”.

The results are summarised on a scale from 0 to 100 points; the higher the score, the more bicycle-friendly the city is.

European cities have topped the list, primarily due to high-quality cycle paths and weather conditions that include a large number of “bicycle-friendly” days.

No city in the United States made it into the top ten or even the top twenty, though some were among the ninety cities included in the list: San Francisco (39th place), Portland (41st), Seattle (50th), Washington D.C. (53rd), Los Angeles (57th), Boston (61st, one place ahead of London), New York (67th), Chicago (71st) and Detroit (72nd).

Here are the 10 best bicycle-friendly cities in the world:

10. Hanover, Germany

The German city in Lower Saxony boasts magnificent parks. What could be the best way to see them? Hanover ranked tenth this year thanks to quality infrastructure and events promoting cycle tourism, including “car-free days”. Hanover holds 10th place in the 2022 Global Bicycle Cities Index.

9. Bremen, Germany

Bremen is another city popular with cycling lovers in Germany, with a very flat terrain and cycle paths that cross the city and connect it to neighbouring towns. Bremen is the first German city to have created a “bicycle zone” in the Neustadt district – a neighbourhood with a 30 km/h speed limit where bicycles have priority and where bicycles with sidecars are allowed to be ridden.

8. Bern, Switzerland

According to the index, the Swiss capital has invested heavily in high-quality cycling infrastructure; bicycle sharing is particularly highly rated, as are the regularly organised “car-free days”. The city has a very low cyclist mortality rate.

7. Hangzhou, China

An unexpected entry in the top ten: the Chinese city of Hangzhou, the only one outside Europe to feature in the top ten, has 30% of its population as cyclists; it scores higher than most of its competitors in the field of bicycle sharing.

6. Malmö, Sweden

The Swedish city of Malmö has an exceptionally low rate of cyclist fatalities, thanks to quality infrastructure and regular events to encourage cycling.

5. Amsterdam, Netherlands

You may have expected the Dutch capital to take first place in this ranking, but perhaps it is the safety statistics that hinder it: Amsterdam sees more than 1,000 accidents per 100,000 cyclists. That is almost five times more than its closest “competitor”, Copenhagen. If everyone cycled like the Dutch, global emissions would fall by nearly 700 million tonnes.

4. Copenhagen, Denmark

The Danish capital is safe for both cyclists and bicycles, as it has a low number of bicycle thefts and “car-free days”. The city invests heavily in bicycle infrastructure, and the majority of residents who cycle continue to do so even through the long and harsh Danish winter. Copenhagen is safe for cycling enthusiasts, with most locals cycling regardless of the season.

3. Antwerp, Belgium

The Belgian port city does not have dedicated cycle paths, but it has a strong bicycle-sharing system and “car-free Sundays” events, which have undeniably made the city bicycle-friendly.

2. Münster, Germany

The German city has a low number of cyclist fatalities, even though more than 39% of residents use bicycles in their daily lives. Münster also holds regular events to encourage cycling.

1. Utrecht, Netherlands

At the top of the ranking is the Dutch city of Utrecht. It can boast high scores for cycling infrastructure and weather conditions, with more than half of its residents (51%) using a bicycle in their daily lives.

The British city of Bristol takes a high 15th place on the list, highly rated for its low number of bicycle thefts and good infrastructure. Edinburgh follows, ranking 54th. Although French cities did not make it into the top ten, two were only just short – Strasbourg ranked 11th and Bordeaux 12th.