Is Arizona The Worst State For Biking In America?

Over the COVID-19 pandemic, my brother and I were losing our minds. We were stuck inside 24 hours a day, and needed something to take our mind off things. That's how we got really into biking, taking local trails for an hour a day to soak in the sun and stay active.

Turns out, I moved to the worst state in America for that activity.

Biking Across America

With such varied landscapes across the United States, each state brings their own strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to biking, many variables have to be considered in what makes a state a "pristine" biking spot.

Recently, KaplunMarx put out a study on the "Best" states to cycle in America, based on six different variables. They are:

• Air Quality
• Cyclist Fatalities
• Route Access and Prevalence
• Local Government Infrastructure
• Federal Funding
• Bicyclist Laws

Stupid Drivers Could Pay in Arizona

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The WORST State for Biking?

When ranked with these criteria, we can see a pretty reliable map on the best and worst states to bike in. However, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is, Arizona is not dead last in the country. The bad news? We're second to last, with Utah taking the bottom place by a fraction of a point.

The major things holding Arizona back are the density of biking trails in the state, as well as a sky high rate of cyclist fatalities, with 6.8 per one million residents. That's higher than any other state by a lot, and is likely the major factor in placing Arizona this low.

[KaplunMarx][AZ Central]