Bristol beat the likes of London, Cambridge and Bath.
Hectic city centre traffic, cars blocking the cycle lanes, pedestrians jumping out in front of you- this is some of the fun that Bristolian cyclists most likely face day to day. However, Bristol does happen to be blessed with some picturesque routes that’ll have you leaping onto your bike in no time at all. And research shows we’re up there when it comes to traversing across the city on two wheels.
Research from MoneyBeach.co.uk has revealed that Bristol is one of the best cities in the world for a beautiful bike ride. The city was also ranked as the best cycling city in the UK, going by their research criteria as having more cycling related photos shared on Instagram per square kilometre than any other city.
Renowned as one of Europe’s most bike friendly destinations, Bristol boasts some impressive cycling routes such as the Bristol to Bath cycling path (a 13.9 mile trip that snakes through the stunning countryside) and the Bristol to Portishead route (with most of the route running alongside the River Avon). Plus, there’s the challenging Avon Cycleway, an 85.5 mile stretch full of jaw dropping views and ancient attractions.
The Thai city of Chiang Mai bagged the top spot in the world followed by Miami and Paris, with Bristol in fifth place behind Beirut and just ahead of Cambridge. Bristol also achieved the top spot for UK cycling routes beating London, Cambridge and neighbour, Bath.
The 20 most picturesque cycling cities in the world
1. Chiang Mai, Thailand
2. Miami, USA
3. Paris, France
4. Beirut, Lebanon
5. Bristol, UK
6. Cambridge, UK
7. Barcelona, Spain
8. London, UK
9. Dublin, Ireland
10. Athens, Greece
11. Amsterdam, Netherlands
12. Copenhagen, Denmark
13. Bath, UK
14. Florence, Italy
15. Atlanta, USA
16. Seattle, USA
17. Taipei, Taiwan
18. Warsaw, Poland
19. Berlin, Germany
20. Oxford, UK
Mike Rees, CEO of bicycle insurance search engine, MoneyBeach.co.uk, said: “As better weather and hopefully the ability to travel to new places is on the horizon, there can be nothing better than a bike ride. In major cities around the world, it’s long been a great way to take in the sights at your own pace. In 2021, it also makes a socially distanced, Covid-safe way of getting about, so we wanted to discover which city proves the most popular and picturesque for cyclists.
“The Instagram data provided the perfect way to find this out, and the research was filled with snaps of bike rides up beautiful mountains or across bustling cities. We hope our rankings can act as the ideal post-Covid travel inspiration for any keen cyclists, as well as some ideas for rides a little closer to home.”