The most bike-friendly city in France in 2026

Which city should you choose for the best cycling experience in France?

A cycling-friendly city is, above all, a city where getting around by bike is safe, comfortable, and practical. But which French cities currently offer the best conditions for cyclists?

Thanks to a new method developed by the École nationale des travaux publics de l’État (ENTPE), a ranking of the cycling friendliness of French cities has been established for 2026. This approach, based in particular on machine learning techniques, allows for a more detailed analysis of cycling conditions.

Several parameters were taken into account, including the type of cycling infrastructure, the degree of slope, exposure to motorized traffic, and how well the environment is adapted for cycling.

The study relies on open data from the IGN and OpenStreetMap, combined with supervised learning techniques, field research, and surveys. Each segment of the network was thus given a score out of 5.

This method provides a more precise view of cycling friendliness and the level of cyclist satisfaction in 27 French cities.

Nîmes takes the lead

Here is the ranking of the ten highest-rated French cities according to this new evaluation method:

With a score of 3.89/5, Nîmes takes first place in the ranking, ahead of Reims and Paris.

The capital, which has made significant efforts in recent years to promote cycling, comes in third place with an average of 3.66/5.

More surprisingly, Grenoble, regularly cited as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in France, only ranks ninth. Bordeaux rounds out the top 10 with a score of 3.52/5.

However, the gaps between certain cities remain very small. Dijon, Montpellier, and Angers received the exact same score, while Grenoble and Bordeaux are only separated by their position in the ranking despite having an identical score.

A different ranking from the Bicycle Barometer

These results can be compared to those of the 2025 Bicycle Barometer from the French Cyclists' Federation (FUB). Published every two years, this barometer is based on a different approach, focused more on the perceptions and experiences of cyclists.

Five main themes are taken into account: travel safety, comfort of the journeys, efforts made by local authorities, available equipment, and the general perception of cycling.

In the 2025 Bicycle Barometer, Grenoble and Strasbourg held the top spots, ahead of Rennes.

The two rankings therefore do not measure exactly the same thing. The new ENTPE ranking relies more on the analysis of infrastructure and concrete traffic conditions, while the Bicycle Barometer gives a central place to the experience and perception of users.

These differences show that there is not just one way to measure a city's "cycling friendliness." Depending on the criteria used, cities can end up in very different positions. One thing remains certain, however: the quality of infrastructure and the comfort of cycling journeys have become important criteria for evaluating the quality of life in French cities.