Erlangen is Germany's most bike-friendly city - a reason to celebrate!

Erlangen is Germany's most bike-friendly city - a reason to celebrate!

The joy in Erlangen could hardly be greater: In this year's evaluation of the ADFC bicycle climate test 2024, which was announced in Berlin on June 30, 2025, the city can look forward to the title of "most bicycle-friendly city in Germany" in the category of 100,000 to 200,000 inhabitants. But that's not all that the citizens of the wealthy city can enjoy about Pegnitz. According to a report by Mercury The votes of around 213,000 participating cyclists showed that Erlangen delivered a remarkable performance with an overall grade of 3.1, which is considered “satisfactory”.

Feedback from various traffic and city elements was incorporated into this result. The winter service on the cycle paths, the advertising for cycling and the accessibility of the city center pleased cyclists: a straight 1.7 in the rating. The opening of one-way streets to bicycle traffic also received a positive response with a score of 1.8. However, a few dark clouds remain: high numbers of bicycle thefts perform poorly (4.4) and the limited options for taking them on public transport also leave something to be desired (4.3).

The ADFC bicycle climate test 2024

The ADFC bicycle climate test is one of the most comprehensive surveys on the satisfaction of cyclists worldwide and took place from September to November 2024. With a total of 1,047 cities evaluated, this opinion barometer provided exciting insights into the cycling culture in Germany. As in a report by ADFC As can be found, 213,000 cyclists took part in the online survey. In the press conference that took place on June 17, 2025, Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder praised the positive developments in many cities.

Measures such as the “1000-stay program”, which creates safe parking spaces for bicycles and has met with great approval in Erlangen, are particularly praised. The city is also striving to improve the main cycle routes and connections to central districts, which Mayor Florian Janik emphasized in his speech. Erlangen wants to further underline the importance of bicycles for a climate-friendly transport transition with a committed and future-oriented approach.

Locations in competition

In the overall test ranking, Darmstadt took second place with a score of 3.5, while the neighboring city of Nuremberg also improved from 4.2 to 4.0 - a sign of growing efforts in the region. Wettringen in Lower Saxony shows that a lot is possible for smaller cities: with a smooth 1.55, the city took first place in the category with up to 20,000 inhabitants.

The results of the bicycle climate test are not just numbers. They offer valuable information for traffic planners and the municipalities themselves in order to work specifically on and improve the cycling infrastructure. All details and interactive maps are available on the ADFC website ADFC bicycle climate test.

The ADFC bicycle climate test is more than just a survey; It is a clear sign of the importance of cycling and a call to all municipalities to actively and thoughtfully shape the mobility of the future.