When we hear that Miami has been ranked #44 on a list of best places to bike, we automatically think it must be states, only beating out Alabama and Mississippi because they prefer wheelbarrows. (We kid! The South will rise again!)
But, according to Bicycling magazine, our "Jersey Shore" loving, dangerous pee-wee football playing city is one of the top 50 cities to pedal around.
Which kind of boggles our mind, considering motorists here consider bike lanes just a little extra swerve room for texting. So we asked Tony Garcia, editor of Transit Miami, which follows all that is Miami's transportation (or lack thereof) scene, what he thought of the ranking.
"I am very excited about the changes taking place in our community. As this ranking indicates, important strides have been made to promote greater bicycle awareness and safety in Miami, but more needs to be done."
Garcia goes on to cite organizations such as the South Florida Bicycle Coalition and the Green Mobility Network as just two that are helping Huffys gain street cred in Miami.
"I hope that our elected officials view this ranking," said Garcia, "as a signal that they need to step up and do more to promote safe and convenient alternatives to the car."
The shiny new ranking is a major improvement from Miami's standings in 2008, when we had to tuck our handlebar streamers between our legs after being deemed one of the worst cities in which to bike.
Criteria for the rankings included number of bike lanes, municipal bike racks, and government interest in cycling improvements. Mayor Manny Diaz launched Miami Bike Days, a monthly event to promote cycling, as well as an entire website dedicated to all things bicycle.
Miami hasn't exactly been the safest place for those on two wheels, however. After a cyclist was hit and killed on Key Biscayne, Transit Miami set up the Collision Database, which tracks all the bicycle-involved accidents around town.
We may never be Boulder, Portland, or Minneapolis - the top three cities on the list - but we'll settle for not getting run off the road.
