November 29, 2025
Pedals, pixels, and petty beef
Copenhagenize Index 2025: The Global Ranking of Bicycle-Friendly Cities
Utrecht wins, Paris sparks rage, and “wpadmin” steals the show
TLDR: Utrecht is ranked the world’s most bike-friendly city, with Paris at #5 and Montréal leading North America. Comments erupted over whether flat cities have an unfair advantage and whether Dutch cities beat Paris—plus a hilarious “wpadmin”/WordPress oops that stole the spotlight.
The bicycle Oscars just dropped: Utrecht crowned #1, Copenhagen #2, Amsterdam #4, Paris #5, with Montréal leading North America at #15 and Vancouver squeaking in at #30. But the real show isn’t the rankings—it’s the comment section chaos. One camp cheers, calling it a “great website” for travel planning. Another fires shots at the map itself: “of course it helps if the country is flat,” arguing hills make biking brutal in places like Norway or Nepal. Meanwhile, Dutch pride is in full flame: a commenter insists Rotterdam and The Hague are “100x better than Paris” for safety, demanding answers on how the Index scores cities. Cue the drama.
And then, the comedy: eagle-eyed readers spotted a stray “lol wpadmin” and even the iconic WordPress “five-minute installation” message—followed by a sheepish “Ooops.” Yes, even world-class bike rankings have very human moments. For context, the Copenhagenize Index ranks 100 cities on bike-friendliness; Europe dominates the top, while Quelimane leads Africa and Christchurch tops Asia & Oceania. The feel-good success stories span from a Minneapolis street makeover to Nairobi’s cycling movement, but the comments? Pure pedal-powered theater.
In short: big wins for Utrecht, bigger debates over terrain, and the biggest laugh courtesy of “wpadmin.”
Key Points
- •The Copenhagenize Index 2025 ranks 100 cities globally for bicycle-friendliness and publishes a top 30 list with scores.
- •Utrecht is ranked #1 (71.1), followed by Copenhagen (#2, 70.8), Ghent (#3, 67.6), Amsterdam (#4, 66.6), and Paris (#5, 65.0).
- •Regional leaders: Montréal (North America), Niteroi (Latin America), Quelimane (Africa), Christchurch (Asia & Oceania), with Europe led by Utrecht.
- •The site provides a “Compare Cities” feature and access to the full report, along with a privacy notice and contact email (index@copenhagenize.eu).
- •A “Success Stories” section showcases case studies, including Bryant Avenue’s bikeway transformation, Critical Mass Nairobi’s impact, and Brno’s traffic education initiatives.