Hotbed of Cycling...

I am going to go ahead and say that Claremont qualifies. Over the past couple of years Claremont has really become a hotbed of cycling activity, and is currently experiencing a real renaissance of two-wheeled mobility. The colleges have long been a key part of this, with students using bicycles for getting around the campuses, and trips into the surrounding community. The city itself has been another key player, and has developed a long-term and positive view on the benefits of bicycle mobility. I have documented many enhancements around town over the past couple years such as bike lanes, sharrows, new bike racks, bike lockers, the Bike Station, the Bicycle Priority Zone, and the Citrus Regional Bikeway. Many of these were undertaken in pursuit of, and resulted in, a bicycle friendly rating by the League of American Bicyclists. Community groups and local businesses have equally contributed to the efforts - the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Claremont Senior Bicycle Group, and the recently formed Cycle Claremont, and Claremont Safe Routes to School. Business contributions brought both the L'Etape du California and stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California to the city last year. The local middle school, El Roble, hosts an annual bike marathon at the end of the school year, riding for more than thirty years now, where students raise funds for the local Red Cross organization. There are not one, not two, but three prominent regional racing teams based out of Claremont - the SoCalCycling.com team, Coates/Back Abbey, and the Full Circle Cycling Team. Of course there are many others who, like myself, race with other local, non-resident teams. Untold numbers of training and recreational rides start and end here in town, while the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park tests riders' abilities on the dirt where the city meets the mountains. All told, these various factors ensure a prominence of bicycle activity. Not bad for a city of 38,000 residents.