A primer on the best burgeoning bike scenes in North America

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1. revathi
   

   In any list of the best biking cities on the continent, Portland, Oregon, would certainly come out on top (with some cries of foul from San Francisco cyclists). But there are plenty of other North American cities where people move on pedal power. And in the wake of the 2008 spike in gas prices and boom in bike sales, municipal governments are attempting to make things easier for riders. We’ve measured everything from the League of American Bicyclists’ comprehensive Bicycle Friendly Community ratings to the frequency of informal street races to bring you snapshots of seven places where the gears are turning.
   With mountain trails in the Sandia range next door and flat roads in the city, Albuquerque has options along with its near-constant sunshine. The access roads to the city’s flood-control canals have become a car-free system of paths, and you can spot roadrunners off the Paseo del Bosque trail along the Rio Grande. The city is scheduled to launch a bicycle-rental program called Q Bike this year, and the advocacy group BikeABQ recently won cyclists the right to the equivalent of a whole lane on regular streets. Riders take advantage with poker rides, during which participants cruise from one bar to another, drawing a card at each stop until they have a full hand to play for prize money. Bikers here also have their hearts in the right place: The handful of volunteers at the Community Bike Recycling Program refurbished and donated more than 1,000 bikes to elementary school students and the homeless. For those in need of a little more action, the city also boasts the world’s largest covered BMX track, Duke City BMX.

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