General Cycling Discussion - Which U.S Cities are the Easiest to Navigate by Bike?

I was just wondering...Which Major U.S cities do you think are the easiest to navigate in terms of estimated arrival times to various destinations, smoother terrains, number of bike lanes, mass transit accomodations, elevation considerations (not too many hills), bike-friendly citizens, and easy downtown manuevering?

I don't know about which city but thousands of small towns/villages all across America have always been a breeze to ride a bike in.

Now it more people will ride that's what's needed...........

I've only ridden in and around Los Angeles and in and around Portland, Oregon. Portland beats El Lay hands down.

I'm in one, a peninsula with a big hill in the middle, water on 3 sides.
stick by the water and it's a piece of cake, .

Numbers in one direction and names, in alphabetical order, in the other

some start and stop , , that is a bit tricky

I've only ridden in and around Los Angeles and in and around Portland, Oregon. Portland beats El Lay hands down.


What is it about L.A.?

I'm in one, a peninsula with a big hill in the middle, water on 3 sides.
stick by the water and it's a piece of cake, .

Numbers in one direction and names, in alphabetical order, in the other

some start and stop , , that is a bit tricky


Stay close to the water Fietsbob!

PS.

....But not too close....

What is it about L.A.?

Poison gas for an atmosphere, for one. Two seasons: brown hills for 10 months, green hills for 2 months for another.

I'll admit that I moved away 20 years ago (I grew up in Pasadena), but before then I did a heck of a lot of riding from home to the coast in several directions. I did a couple centuries without ever leaving city streets, and rarely were there any "bike-friendly" facilities. (I hope that's changed.)

If there's one downside to Portland's efforts to encourage bike riding, it's that the auto drivers are completely cowed by cyclists. Several times I've come to a four-way stop with a car on the cross street, and they won't move! "You go." "No, you go." No, you first." Dang frickin' polite drivers.

Poison gas for an atmosphere, for one. Two seasons: brown hills for 10 months, green hills for 2 months for another.

I'll admit that I moved away 20 years ago (I grew up in Pasadena), but before then I did a heck of a lot of riding from home to the coast in several directions. I did a couple centuries without ever leaving city streets, and rarely were there any "bike-friendly" facilities. (I hope that's changed.)

If there's one downside to Portland's efforts to encourage bike riding, it's that the auto drivers are completely cowed by cyclists. Several times I've come to a four-way stop with a car on the cross street, and they won't move! "You go." "No, you go." No, you first." Dang frickin' polite drivers.

Thanks Jeff, that was quite interesting!

- Slim :)

Thanks Jeff, that was quite interesting!

- Slim :)

FWIW: Portland's MAX light rail trains have bike hooks in each car. Many times, every hook is in use. Also, I work near one of the main bike-travel corridors. It's not unusual to see more bikes than cars at stop lights. And the bikes wait at the light, too.