World's Most Bike Friendly Cities

Invented in the 19th century, one of the simplest means of transportation, 100% eco friendly, affordable in every corner of the world. The bike. These days, when high-tech solutions, ultra fast vehicles and advanced technologies are shaping the world, the bike seems to be timeless and universal. Today there are one billion bicycles worldwide - twice as many as cars, and in many places the bike has become the most common way to get around.

See where bikes rival cars and which world's cities are the bike's best friends.

9. Ottawa. Canada.

Ottawa, the capital of Canada, has the biggest number of bicycle commuters in North America. Almost 3% of the city's residents commute to work by bike and 170 km of bike paths wind their way through the city - along the Ottawa River, Rideau River, and Rideau Canal. The city's authorities are constantly working on improving the network of bike lanes and bicycle storage facilities. Most of the public transit buses have bicycle racks, and organizers at major festivals and events offer free valet bike parking.

8. Paris. France.

Paris got into the list of "the most bike friendly cities in the world" thanks to its superb Vélib' system. Vélib' (vélo libre or vélo liberté) means free bicycle or bicycle freedom and it truly helps to get freed (in terms of transportation) in this jam-packed metropolis. It is a public bike rental program launched in 2007 - 10,000 bicycles were introduced to Paris with almost 1,000 rental stations. At present there are around 20,000 bikes throughout the city center and over 1,400 stations. The rental is paid by credit or debit card, and the good news is that the first 30 minutes can be enjoyed free of charge.

7. Tokyo. Japan.

The narrow, crowded and winding streets of Tokyo may not be the bike-friendliest environment in the world, but it is obvious that the Japanese do not care much about all these cycling obstacles. The city is literally filled with bikes and once you sit upon the saddle, you will discover that cycling Tokyo is not as crazy as it appears at first glance. Many people actually cycle on the pavements, as many streets are lacking bike paths. Due to limited space, also the multi-storey park areas for bicycles, called "bike trees", have been set up throughout the city. Have a look how it works:

6. Basel. Switzerland.

Actually, the whole Switzerland is a bike super friendly country and Basel, the third most populous city in the country, is one of the best examples of Swiss attitudes towards cycling. The city and its picturesque surroundings are connected by numerous bike paths equipped in their own traffic signals and left-hand turn lanes for bikes. Switzerland also boasts the Veloland Schweiz network - special bike trails that connect other parts of the country.

5. Berlin. Germany.

Berlin, the capital of Germany and the cultural hub of the country, is a two-wheeled city. Less than 50% of Berliners have cars, so cycling is a way to get around the city. Berlin's bike path system is ultra developed - cycling accounts for 13% of total traffic and the city's authorities aim  to increase the figures to 15% in 2010. There are 620 km of bike lanes in Berlin and 710 bicycles per 1,000 inhabitants. The city is also covered with the rental bike systems run by the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe and the Deutsche Bahn.

4. Lund. Sweden.

Lund is Sweden's most bike friendly city. Swedes call it the city of bicycles and it truly looks as if it was inhabited by more bikes than people. Lund is one of the country's main university towns with a large number of students, the majority of whom are, of course, cyclists. Thanks to mild winters and flatness, cycling has become the natural way of getting around the town. Since 1997 Lund's authorities have been working on implementing the LundaMaTs system - the program aims to increase the bicycle traffic in the urban areas of Lund by 70% by the year 2020 and would like to see car traffic reduced by 5% by 2020.

3. Trondheim. Norway.

Trondheim, Norway's third largest city, is praised by bike-users for its cool invention - a bicycle lift that works like a ski lift (watch the video below). This innovative solution truly brings the nightmare of cycling up the hill to an end. Moreover, the city boasts an extensive network of bike paths that run along most of the roads. There is also a number of cycling bridges that offer shortcuts as opposed to car routes. Today around 18% of the city's residents use their bikes to go to school or work every day.

2. Copenhagen. Denmark.

Cycling in Copenhagen is a cultural thing. Danes are addicted to their bikes like to Carlsberg, and life without two wheels would become simply meaningless to most of them. Around one third of Copenhageners commute to work by bikes, and using the city's extensive network of bike lanes is smooth and easy. Wind, rain and snow (occasionally) do not seem to bother the bike-users that ride their two wheels day and night all year round. The city also offers a free bike rental system - public bicycles can be found in every corner of the town and rented for a returnable deposit of 20 DKK.

1. Amsterdam. The Netherlands.

Amsterdam, the capital of Netherlands and the biking capital of the world, is home to around 0.5 million bikes that are used by all socio-economic groups from rastaman to white-collar. Riding two wheels is a way to be in the city and cycling is just so convenient - Amsterdam has super developed bike lanes, a small area and flat terrain. Moreover, driving a car in the city is such a hassle - parking fees are expensive, many streets are one-way or closed to cars.