Gallery: America's top 10 bicycle-friendly cities

Increasingly, metro centers are prioritizing multimodal means of transportation alongside traditional motor vehicles, from electric scooters for the last mile to bicycle-friendly infrastructure. Some cities are more accessible to alternative transportation options than others.

New research from Rent.com ranks the friendliest American cities for cyclists.

“From having designated bike paths or lanes to easily accessible bike rental stores, there are plenty of ways for a city to be accommodating of its cycling residents,” reads an explanation about the findings. “Some of the most basic features include either having designated bike paths or allowing cyclists and drivers to share the road.”

Other important elements that make a city bike friendly include stoplights and signage, places to park, bike racks, rental and repair shops, and regular cycling events and races.

The ranking was made taking into account the number of bike trails, roadway connectivity, terrain, rental businesses and bike shops, among other criteria.

The brief notes that many American cities aren’t bike friendly.

“Some cities lack designated cycling lanes, while others may have too much traffic. There’s also the constant danger of drivers not paying attention to the road and potentially not noticing a cyclist until it’s too late,” the brief notes.

The top 10 ranked cities for cyclists can be found in the gallery above. Visit Rent.com’s website for more information about the methodology of the bicycle-friendly cities ranking and a complete list of the top 100 communities.