When you are getting around Valencia these days you notice that things are changing and have been changing for some time. There is a spate of new building going on, roads are being changed, on street parking is getting more difficult as pavements are widened and there are bike paths springing up everywhere you look.

For those people who haven't been to Valencia for a time surprises are around every corner. For those who are new to Valencia it looks like a city which could be just about perfect for living. And everything springs from the original idea of the city park that is the old riverbed. We have written before about the riverbed here. The attitude towards urban development comes from the success of the riverbed park and the idea to make Valencia a human city developed for the people living here rather than for the convenience of cars and lorries.

Valencia likes to designate itself the "Ciudad del Running". All year round you can find events for all levels ranging from local 5km events all the way up to the Valencia Marathon. What it doesn't pride itself on so much is the fact that Valencia is a perfect city for cycling, whether that is as a method of transport, as a recreational pursuit or as a hobby to be enjoyed to its fullest both inside and outside the city.

There are various reasons why Valencia is perfect for cycling. The two most obvious are climate and geography. Any place that has over 300 sunny days a year and a lack of extremes of temperature at both ends of the spectrum is a decent place for cycling. They are few days affected by ice, excess wind, too much water on streets or excess heat. Also, as you can see from the map above, the system of bike lanes is extensive and covers the whole of the city with more being added every month and measures being taken to protect cyclists on those paths by separating them from the traffic by more than just a painted line.

The fact that Valencia is essentially flat also allows anyone who knows how to handle a bike to take it at their own pace. (Back in the day I lived in Sheffield and having a bike there was either extremely dangerous due to the high speeds going downhill or a sweaty struggle whilst wearing rainproof clothing going up the other way meaning you inevitably ended up in a mess when you arrived where you were going.)

The third and possibly most important reason though is the commitment by the local government to make Valencia into a place where the majority of journeys are taken by bike. This is being done in two ways, firstly making the environment for cars in the centre of the city difficult to say the least with previously three lanes roads now being down to one with a bus lane on one side and the bike lane on the other and with what were previously car parking spaces now occupied by the bike lanes.

Another way the local government has tried to encourage biking in the city is through the use of the Valenbisi system. Valenbisi allows you an annual pass for the bikes you will find at stations all around the city for just 29.21 Euros. A weekly pass is available for visitors for just 13 Euros. The first half hour of any ride is free and if you want to continue for free you can just pop the bike onto a stand and take it off again. If you don't mind paying a little extra the usage fees for longer rides can be seen below.

Unlike other cities the spread of the bikes is pretty good and usually you can find bikes at the stands. If there is not one at a stand then the app will tell you where the nearest stands with bikes are, and there are plenty around. Barcelona is hilly so all of the bikes can be found at the bottom of hills because people are too lazy to ride them uphill. There is a constant ferrying of bikes on the back of vans from the lower parts of the city to the higher which sort of defeats the object of removing traffic off the streets.

Getting Out Of The City

Valencia is also perfect is you are a more serious cyclist. Firstly, you can get out of the city easily and safely on the bike lanes and then once outside the city you have a myriad of cycling options. To the south you have the national park of El Saler and the rides around the rice paddies and Albufera. Here you will find loads of shaded bike lanes among traditional Mediterranean forests of El Saler for example.

To the west you have plenty of options including the Parque Fluvial del Rio Turia. Essentially the River Turia park from Valencia out towards Pedralba now has a bike lane where wooden bridges criss cross the river as it meanders its way down into the city.

You could also use the Valencia metro system to take your bike out to Betera or Lliria and cycle up to the Garbi through Naquera and Serra or to Gatova and Segorbe through Marines and Olocau.

Equally, surrounding the city you have the Huerta, the large green belt around the city which again is criss-crossed by bike paths through orange groves, artichoke fields and Tiger Nut plantations.

There you have it then, Valencia a paradise for cyclists where you can safely cycle your way around town and enjoy all the city has to offer without resorting to the car. If this is something that is important to you then why not contact us for more information about properties that might suit your budget in Valencia. There is a huge range on our main Valencia Property site and many of them have room for your brand spanking new bike.