Minneapolis receives top rating for bike-ability

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis happens to be the best in the nation when it comes to biking.

That’s according to the non-profit PeopleForBikes, which calls the City of Lakes the best large city for bikes.

You don’t have to look far around Minneapolis to spot a bike, let alone, places to bike, like Lake of the Isles or the Greenway.

“It’s extremely accessible to get anywhere,” said Linden Hills Bike Shop Owner Ben Bigalke. “It’s got to be one of the most versatile cities to ride a bike in and commute with.”

Michael Crespo and his son Gabriel agree.

“I run on them he bikes on them, we really enjoy them,” said Michael Crespo.

The report from PeopleForBikes gave Minneapolis a top large city rating of 68 out of 100 rating, beating out other large cities like San Francisco and Seattle.

St. Paul received 7th place among the top large cities, meaning a population of 300,000 or more.

“It’s beautiful up here, the weather’s great, trails friendly for the most part they’re in pretty good shape so that’s why I’m here,” said cyclist Julia Gaarder.

The top cities had high ratings for things like protected or buffered bike lanes, off-street bike trails, lower speed limits, and safe crossings. Minneapolis received its highest score in the recreation category an 80 out of 100, for access to amenities like parks and trails.

“By looking on maps and seeing the gridwork and the hub of bicycle routes that you can get anywhere, I haven’t seen anything that compares with Minneapolis,” said Bigalke.

One area where residents say there’s room for improvement: Pothole repair.

“Around Bde Maka Ska, there were some bumpy parts and some potholes from the winter, but it seems like they’re starting to fill those in,” said Crespo.

“We need to have better pothole reconstruction, better road surfacing, because I even have some customers outside right now that are having to get their tire repaired because they hit a pothole really badly,” said Bigalke.