Bike-share programs are perfect for tourists. You can ride from attraction to attraction and securely ditch your bike wherever you care to stop. Plus there's no better way to see a city than at street level with human power.
USA TODAY asked bike-share programs across the country to share their picks for best rides for visitors in their cities.
New York
Citi Bike recently expanded to the Upper East and Upper West sides of Manhattan. We suggest a day of culture-meets-nature with a ride around the loop in Central Park. Pick up a bike from West 58th and Broadway, a block from Columbus Circle. Experience Central Park like a local — get on the loop and start peddling! Be careful to go the right direction and not on the pedestrian paths. A few key highlights: Central Park Zoo on East 63rd Street, the Metropolitan Museum of Art on East 82nd Street, the Neue Gallery on East 86th Street, the Guggenheim on East 88th Street, Museum of the City of New York on East 103rd Street, and the American Museum of Natural History on West 81st. All that sightseeing will make you hungry, so stop off at Zabar's and have a picnic in the park.
Chicago
Pick up a Divvy bike at Michigan Avenue and Oak Street, the north end of Chicago’s famed “Magnificent Mile” shopping district. Jump on the Lakeshore Trail — where you can enjoy the beaches of Lake Michigan and spectacular skyline views. End your ride in Lincoln Park, home to Lincoln Park Zoo, one of the oldest in the country, which offers free admission. Nearby, there are plenty of places to discover, including a nature museum, large lily pool and local cafes.
Washington, D.C.
Capital Bikeshare helps cut down on the long walking time around the National Mall. Pick up a bike near the United States Capitol (tours are available but must be arranged in advance). Continue down Independence Avenue, stopping at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Hirshhorn, National Museum of African Art and the Freer Sackler Gallery. Take a break on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where you have a clear view to the Washington Monument and beyond. Pedal all the way to the White House, and add a stop at Charlie Palmer Steakhouse, where you can get a great steak salad amid D.C.'s power-lunch crowd.
Boston
Start your Hubway adventure in Brookline Village and ride along the Riverway bike path all the way to Landmark Center at Boylston/Brookline Avenue. Switch bikes at Landmark Center and head up Brookline Avenue, making a circle around Fenway Park before riding to Kenmore Square. Take Commonwealth Avenue through Kenmore up to Massachusetts Avenue, and cross the Charles River on the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge into Cambridge. Turn right on the Cambridge side of the river and take the Memorial Drive path all the way to the end at Cambridgeside, taking a left to end near One Kendall Square for lunch outdoors at the Friendly Toast or dinner outdoors at Emma's Pizza.
San Francisco
Take Bay Area Bike Share for a spin with a scenic ride to AT&T Park. Check out a bike along the Embarcadero outside of the Ferry Building, and cruise down towards the park. You'll enjoy beautiful views of the Bay along a multi-use path. Once you arrive at Second and Townsend, you can dock your bike at any available spot. After the game, simply check out another bike, and return it to another station.
Seattle
After playing tourist at Pike Place Market, snag a Pronto bike at the Second Avenue and Pine Street station. Pedal south along the protected bike lane on Second Avenue, before turning west to dock your bike at Fourth Avenue and James in front of City Hall. Less than a block away, you’ll find the Columbia Center, where you can visit the Sky View Observatory for one of the best views in the city. Once you return to street level, head back to the Pronto station and bike north to the Third Avenue and Broad station just across from Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle, EMP Museum and Pacific Science Center. When you’re ready to relax, grab another Pronto bike, cruise down to the waterfront, and dock at Pier 69 station, where you can stroll along the waterfront trail and marvel at the Olympic Mountains towering over the Puget Sound.
Columbus, Ohio
Most CoGo Bikeshare stations are within a stone's throw of the top spots in Columbus: North Market, Columbus Museum of Art, Bicentennial Park and the Arena District. For a ride to a neighborhood with a historic story and architecture, head to the stops in German Village. Visit the Book Loft, Schiller Park and the famous Katzinger's Deli. Then hit the stations in the Short North Arts District for people-watching and window shopping. You'll find art, food, drinks, shopping, spas, salons, live music and frequent festivals. Also in the Short North is the North Market: home to various merchants specializing in all things food, from prepared foods to produce and cookware. The Bicentennial Park station is the system's most popular. Experience the greenspace, trails and the skyline view at the Scioto River.
Toronto
The Martin Goodman Trail is the best ride to experience some of Toronto’s natural beauty and urban amenities. Start and finish at any of Bike Share Toronto's stations along the city's waterfront on a scenic path with very little on-road detours. It gets crowded on weekends, but an early evening summer ride is gorgeous.The revitalized Queens Quay offers sunbathing in HTO Park, or grab a snack from one of the many cafes along the separated bicycle path.
Chattanooga
Explore Chattanooga with an easy, fun ride on the Riverwalk, a landscaped course that runs through scenic Tennessee Riverpark, connecting the city's residential neighborhoods and business districts. Grab a bike at the Bike Chattanooga station at the Hubert Fry Center before hopping on the riverwalk. Your endpoint is the Chickamauga Dam, a beautiful spot to enjoy the city's wildlife and learn about its industrial history. But stop for a snack at Rembrandt's Coffee House, Backend Café or Tony's Pasta downtown first. If you prefer to start your ride downtown, a Bike Chattanooga Station is located in the Bluff View Art District connecting directly to the Riverwalk. Visit Google Maps to view trail heads and Bike Chattanooga stations that connect to the park.
Portland, Ore.
BIKETOWN, Portland's bike share system, will launch this summer. You can pick up a bike in Waterfront Park and follow the tree-lined seawall trail on the west side of the Willamette river. Cruise north until you reach the Steel Bridge; cross the river and then meander south along the scenic Eastbank Esplanade, taking in views of the river and downtown. Stop in at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry or keep pedaling along the river path until it turns east and you reach local greenway Clinton Street. From Clinton, head a block north to Division where you can hop off your bike and enjoy a stroll to fulfill your craving for Salt and Straw Ice Cream, Pok Pok chicken wings, or all the shopping you can fit in your bike basket. Pick up your wheels again and return to Clinton, with a detour around the nearby rose gardens of Ladd's Addition. Head back west towards the river and make your way across Portland's spectacular new Tilikum Crossing bridge, until you're back on the west side of the Willamette.
