At Wrench Science, we firmly believe that a bad day on the bike is better than a good day at the office (and we love our jobs). So, when looking for the best cycling destinations, don’t forget to look out your own front door. Just get on your bike and ride. You won’t regret it. And staying fit while at home will make sure that you can really hammer it when you do take that dream cycling holiday.
With that in mind, we have compiled a list of our favorite places to ride, and a few dream places yet to visit. From the best biking destinations in the US to some of the more impressive and desirable international cycling locations, it’s a list that hopefully will get your imagination spinning as fast as your wheels.
Best cycling destinations in the US
This is a big topic since there are so many nice places to ride and so many different types of riding we all like to do. The best destination for road riding may not be amazing for mountain bikes. And similarly, the best mountain biking destinations might not leave a lot of options for the skinny tire crew (even if road tires aren’t all that skinny these days).
San Diego
Starting from west to east, San Diego, California, offers amazing riding for road, gravel and mountain bikers. With incredible weather that is warm year-round, a ton of challenging road routes combined with a lot of local pros who join the group rides, a road cyclist could hardly ask for more variety and friendly competition.
If you’ve never been and are scared of the very urban feel of San Diego, make sure you hook up with a friendly cycling group who can show you the hidden gems. And if your interest tends more towards the off-piste routes, then all gravel riders and mountain bikers are in for a real treat since there’s a huge amount of open space either along the gorgeous coastline or deeper inland like the Cleveland National Forest, and you will find an incredible amount of trail routes of all different types of technical difficulty.
Boulder
Boulder, Colorado, not only has great riding, it has a deep history of hosting some of the greatest races and cyclists in the world. It may seem a little cliché, but there’s no denying that Boulder offers some of the best riding in the country, for road, mountain bike, and gravel.
It’s no accident that so many US pros settle in Boulder and international pros stay there when training in the US. The altitude, for one thing, gives it a huge advantage over many of the other awesome places on our list. No need to sleep in an altitude tent here. Sitting at 5,430 feet or 1,655 meters above sea level, Boulder’s altitude is higher than the highest town in Europe (Davos in Switzerland). And that’s just the starting point since the roads originating in the center of town climb much higher.
Did we mention the climbing? Though you can find some enjoyable flatter routes a little east of town, you can also be climbing Flagstaff, Boulder Canyon, Jamestown, or Estes Park within a very few minutes from the Boulder Mall. It’s a climber’s paradise.
That also includes mountain bike and gravel riders as well. So many of the roads in the hills are really gravel fire roads so that having a gravel capable road bike or all-road bike will expand just how far you can go. And the mountain biking trails will seem so endless that you can be there for weeks and never repeat a ride.
Greenville, South Carolina
Though gaining in notoriety, Greenville, South Carolina is perhaps the least well known of the US cycling locations on our list. Most people who have heard of Greenville but never been there might be aware that it is where former pro George Hincapie settled even when he was still a professional. He discovered to his amazement that a lot of the local riding resembled the types of climbs that he would have to face racing the major events in Europe like the Tour de France.
Even if Hincapie settled in Greenville in the early 2000s, several other former pros like Christian Vande Velde and Bobby Julich followed suit, agreeing that the riding is not only exceptional, but the locals are friendly, and the culinary options outstanding.
Being in the heart of Appalachia means that the hills and mountains that surround Greenville offer a wide variety of ride options for all types of fitness levels and intensities. Road riding is fun because the local drivers are very mindful of sharing the road while mountain bike trails are equally numerous with great options for beauty and skill levels.
Best international places to bike
Not afraid to fly with your bike? Traveling with your bike can be a huge challenge but the rewards can be even bigger. Don’t be afraid. Get out there and discover some gems around the world.
Annecy, France
A favorite location for the Tour de France to race through, Annecy, its lake and its surrounding mountains are incredibly beautiful and offer just about the best of everything that you can think of in French cycling.
Around the lake can be quite busy, but the region has worked hard to establish a network of safe bike paths or voies vertes to reinforce the cycling infrastructure and encourage not only the most committed cyclists but families and novices to ride their bikes in the region.
Ideally located in the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, close to Switzerland and Italy, Annecy Mountains offer 1580 kilometers of marked routes for cyclists and 400 kilometers of mountain bike trails. The region also hosts La Résistance gravel race that covers gravel routes in the heart of the massif des Aravis. The long route crosses the Glières plateau, a center for French resistance fighters during the Second World War, and celebrates their legacy.
Graubünden, Switzerland
Though you may have never heard of this largest canton in Switzerland, you almost certainly have heard of many of its most famous climbs. Perhaps the most magnificent is the Umbrail Pass, which connects to the Stelvio Pass on the Italian side. It is the highest paved road in Switzerland, and is pleasantly traffic-free, especially when compared to the Stelvio.
The Bernina Pass can also be considered one of the most beautiful mountains in this most beautiful country. It is frequently used for altitude camps and offers a huge selection of mountain bike trails as well. If you are looking for a non-cycling travel experience, then make sure to save some time to take a ride on the Bernina Express railway. Starting in Chur, Switzerland, and finishing in Tirano, Italy, the route runs along the Albula Railway, which is one of the most spectacular narrow-gauge railways in the world.
Since Graubünden is so large and so much of it contains the biggest peaks of the Swiss Alps, it’s almost impossible to narrow down riding options, or indeed suggest the best jumping-off point. Chur is the cantonal capital city, and can be a useful starting point, since it not only is close to many local climbs but is well connected via train to other options. Davos is another very good place to start since you can bag famous Tour de Suisse climbs like the Albula and Flüela Passes and still be home in time for a 4pm aperitif.
Cyprus
This divided island in the eastern Mediterranean might not appear on everyone’s list of places to visit, but Cyprus offers exceptional winter training slightly off the beaten track. Perhaps from the American point of view the biggest drawback to this island is that they drive on the wrong side of the road.
We can thank the ubiquity of British colonization for that little left-over inconvenience. But if you are prepared to deal with it, you will be treated to a beautiful cycling experience offering a wide range of terrain choices. Though the climbing won’t be on alpine levels, it will be enough to test winter form. And once you get away from the few busier cities, traffic levels are quite low.
The food options are excellent with influences from all over the Mediterranean. Still divided between the Greek south and Turkish north, both are beautiful, though the south has a bit more of a resort feel while the north has escaped some of the worst development mistakes of the 1980s and retains a lot of the ancient charm. The entire island offers incredible off-bike possibilities to tour ancient archeological sites.
Places still on our bucket list
Japan
Perhaps cities like Tokyo and Kyoto might not be the nicest places to ride a bike, once you get into the countryside, Japan’s roads are beautifully paved with very little traffic. The scenery is amazing and the riding topography extremely varied.
For many years, when the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra would travel to Japan for summer concert series, many of the musicians would take their bikes, spurred on by BPO oboist Christoph Hartmann, a keen cyclist and owner of his own frame brand Pasculli. Sitting through his slideshow of photographs and listening to his tales of incredible rides, courteous drivers, and yummy cuisine convinced us that before we hang up our two wheels, we must travel to Japan and experience the amazing cycling opportunities Japan has to offer.
Malaysia
Scrolling Instagram in the depths of winter, we can’t help but to be jealous of all the images we see of Malaysian bikepackers cycling in what looks like a garden of Eden. Like many international urban centers, Kuala Lumpur might not be the most bike-friendly place in the world, but there are hidden gems and once you can get to the surrounding countryside, there are endless colorful routes you can take, whether deep into the hills or along the coasts.
Since it is so hot in that part of the world, night cycling seems to be quite a thing. After dark cycling food tours during Ramadan would definitely be one of the first things we would want to check out since the local cuisine is definitely worth a late-night-outing.
East Africa
Images of the Migration Gravel Race that takes place in Maasai Mara, Kenya, have given us the itch to go there and discover what it is like to ride through the Maasai villages and countryside. In just four days you travel 650 km with 8000 m of climbing. It is a huge challenge and as part of the Gravel Earth Series, it is one of the most important international gravel races on the calendar.
To have the chance to ride through this real wilderness and come into contact – hopefully not too close of contact – with the wild animals that live there would certainly be a life changing cycling experience.
Conclusion – Best Places to Ride a Bike
Is there a bad place to ride a bike? Aside from busy highways, we think a bike fits in everywhere. But if you can find for your rides the right mix of terrain, low traffic, good weather, excellent food, and friendly people, then golden memories will inevitably be the result. Whether you are cycling close to home or taking a far-flung adventure, we’d like to wish you happy riding!
