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![Bikers Pass Lock and Lock House at Four Locks, C and O Canal National Historic Park, Big Pool, Maryland Bikers Pass Lock and Lock House at Four Locks, C and O Canal National Historic Park, Big Pool, Maryland](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/travel/vacation-ideas/outdoors/info-2020/bike-trails-in-big-cities/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/container_image/articlecontentfragment/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/travel/destinations/2020/09/1140-c-and-o-trail-hero.jpg)
Along with birdwatching and breadmaking, many Americans are rediscovering another old-school activity during the pandemic: biking. The sport allows you to enjoy the outdoors (where coronavirus transmission is thought to be less likely) while staying physically distanced from others. And the rise of e-bikes — also growing in popularity in the COVID-19 era — allows even those with bad knees to keep up.
While many areas of the country have wonderful areas for residents to get out and explore on two wheels (including hundreds of miles in California that were recently added to the U.S. Bicycle Route System [USBRS]), these five cities offer especially good opportunities for cyclists, both within city limits and nearby.
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![Bicycle riders on Lakefront Trail with the Chicago skyline Bicycle riders on Lakefront Trail with the Chicago skyline](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/travel/vacation-ideas/outdoors/info-2020/bike-trails-in-big-cities/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/body_one_cf_one/par2/articlecontentfragme/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/travel/destinations/2020/09/1140-lakeside-trail.jpg)
Chicago
Though it's the third largest city in the country — and frigid in winter — Chicago has a strong outdoor affinity that's evident in the 200 miles of biking lanes that web the city. A civic cycling plan calls for those to more than triple to 645 miles.
While many of these are commuting lanes that share the roads with cars, there are also plenty of car-free paths. Among the most popular is the Lakefront Trail, a paved route with dedicated lanes for cyclists as well as pedestrians (who have the right of way, remember). You can spin though nearly 20 miles of waterfront parkland, catching stunning views of Lake Michigan and Chicago's famous skyline, alongside rollerbladers, walkers and runners.
The path is often busy on the North Side, so Ted Villaire, the author of Best Bike Rides Chicago, suggests riding south of downtown “for a quieter, less congested ride."
For a less urban option, try the North Branch Trail System, a 20-mile route that follows the North Branch of the Chicago River, winding up at the Chicago Botanic Garden in suburban Glencoe.
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