Prague ranked as the least bike-friendly city in Europe

Bike enthusiasts know how liberating it can be to zip along a bike path, to enjoy the charm of a city without the inconvenience of crowded public transport or traffic jams.

And as governments around the world try to cut carbon emissions, more and more cities are encouraging people to ditch cars and making it easier for them to ride bikes.

But which are the most cycle-friendly cities? They are mostly in Europe, according to this year’s report Global Cycling Cities Index.

Digital insurance company Luko looked at 90 cities around the world and ranked them based on six main metrics: percentage of bicycle users, weather conditions, crime and safety (such as accidents and bike theft rates), infrastructure, bike sharing opportunities and special offers. events such as “car-free days”.

The final results are presented on a scale of 0 to 100, where the higher the score, the more cycle-friendly the city.

European cities top the list, mainly thanks to quality cycle paths and weather conditions that include a high number of “cycling” days.

Although this comes as no surprise to cyclists accustomed to navigating the dangerous streets of the Czech capital, Prague was ranked a disappointing 73rd out of 90 cities, just ahead of cities like Istanbul, Cairo or Johannesburg.

It is the least cycling city in Europe included in the index.

In Prague, the number of cyclists has increased by more than 70% since 2019, with half of the city’s adult population now cycling at least once a month.

City authorities are slowly tackling this boom, including providing new dedicated bike lanes or expanding bike-sharing schemes.