Ride on! Three Arizona cities ranked in top 50 for cyclists

PHOENIX — With great weather, beautiful scenery and plenty of trails to ride along, Arizona would seem to be a cyclist’s paradise.

So it will come as little surprise that Arizona has three cities listed on a recent Bicycling.com ranking of the 50 Best Bike Cities of 2016.

Tempe and Tucson came in back-to-back on the list at 22nd and 23rd, while Scottsdale can be found lower down the list at No. 48.

Arizona’s highest-ranked city on the list, Tempe’s urban cycling support is evident through annual events such as its Summer Solstice Ride, which is hosted by the Tempe Bicycler Action Group. In addition to hosting events, the advocacy organization helps rally local riders in support of cyclists initiatives throughout the city.

Tempe has also experimented with multiple street redesigns in an effort to improve bicyclist safety.

Tuscon boasts hundreds of miles of single-striped bike lanes and paved paths. Cyclists regularly gather on Saturday mornings for what’s known as the “Shootout Ride,” a 27-mile journey up Mt. Lemmon.

The city has also implemented a new bicycle boulevard connecting the University of Arizona to its surrounding neighborhoods.

Scottsdale rounded out Arizona’s representatives at No. 48. The city is currently putting the finishing touches on a 17-mile loop of bike trails that will surround its core, and already possesses an impressive network of off-street paths that lead to adjoining cities.

In addition, Scottsdale is in the process of implementing 20 bike-share stations for residents throughout the city.

While Tempe, Tuscon and Scottsdale each remain in the top 50, all three Arizona cities have dropped in the rankings since the last Bicycling.com list in 2014.

Tempe fell 17 spots, Tuscon dropped 18 spots and Scottsdale plummeted 38 spots down the list.