Minneapolis is America's best bike city

Photo: Mykl Roventine

Steve Friedman crowns One on One Bicycle Studio on North Washington "the epicenter of all things two-wheeled," and owner Gene Oberpriller as "the godfather of the Minneapolis bike scene." He spends time with Gary Sjoquist of Quality Bicycle Parts, Tommy "Hurl" Everstone at Cars-R-Coffins, and Chuck Cowan of Behind Bars Bike Shop. He gives shout outs to Erik's, The Alt, The Angry Catfish, Freewheel Bike's Midtown Bike Center, mplsbikelove.com, "bike hangouts such as Grumpy's," and nonprofit repair shops like The Grease Pit.

He reports that Minneapolis is second only to Portland, Ore., in percentage of regular bike commuters, 5.9 to 4.3 percent. He praises our segregated bike lanes, municipal bike racks, bike boulevards, cyclists having the ear of local government, bike carriers on buses, the impending bike-rental program, the vibrant bike culture, and of course Grand Rounds, the Midtown Greenway, the Blaine velodrome, the Stupor Bowl alley cat race and a load of savvy bike shops.

Which is all fine. And we're very proud. But Friedman was mostly wowed by the sheer studly nature of Minneapolis bike riders, thousands of whom insist on pedaling around our frozen, windswept corner of the tundra in the dead of winter. He did the reporting -- and local riding -- for his story in January.

Here's the Top 10 of the 50 best bike cities in America, according to Bicycling.

1. Minneapolis
2. Portland, Ore.
3. Boulder, Colo.
4. Seattle, Wash.
5. Eugene, Ore.
6. San Francisco, Calif.
7. Madison, Wis.
8. New York City
9. Tucson, Ariz.
10. Chicago, Ill.