By Nikki Bayley
Seeing a city from the vantage point of a bike is a great way to get around. It's nowhere near as tiring as slogging around on foot - you can zip around, free-wheel and cover so much more ground.
Many cities nowadays have cycle-sharing schemes. Just a buy a 24-hour or week pass and then your first 30 minutes will be free. To avoid charges, keep an eye on the time, return your bike to another station before those 30 minutes are up, swap it for another and off you go! You usually only have to wait five to 10 minutes between hires.
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Orleans
Pleasantly flat and enjoying some of the world's most beautiful scenery - think stunning chateaux and a picture-perfect river - the Loire could have been made to be seen by bike. It's no surprise, then, that it's home to the Loire à Vélo, one of the best bike trails in the world - which is finally complete this year - all 800km of it. Explore a portion of the trail, or cycle around the beautiful old riverside quays in Orleans. The shared bike scheme in Orleans is one of the best value there is, just €1 for a day and €3 for the week.
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Denver
Check out the sights in Mile High City (Denver is exactly one mile above sea level) on a B-cycle. A pass is US$8 for 24 hours or US$20 for a week to enjoy some of the 850 miles of paved off-road trails. The shiny red bikes feel surprisingly lightweight and they're definitely the easiest to put back in the station again - no jiggling and whacking as can be the case in Paris!
I took a ride down by the river where the cherry blossom trees were in bloom. A bike's the perfect way to see Denver, which has a pleasingly small-town feel, but with all the amenities that you'd want from a city. With so many of the locals being outdoorsy cycle types, it's really safe too.
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Montreal
Running from April to November - seriously, it's far too snowy and icy to try to ride in the winter - the Montreal Bixi scheme is perfect for exploring around the old port and the view from the Mont-Royal park over the city. Make sure you stop off at St-Viateur Bagel for one of their famous honey-sweet bagels. Load up with as much cream cheese as you like - don't forget, you'll be pedalling it off. And if you're taking the bike out at night, an absolute must-stop is at La Banquise. This legendary 24-hour cafe serves up 22 different kinds of Poutine (a devilishly delicious cheese, gravy and cheese curd dish that is your guaranteed passport to having no hangover, no matter how big a night you've had). Fees start at just CAN$7 for 24 hours or CAN$15 for 72 hours.
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[Related feature: Britain's best cycle routes]
Melbourne
If you've been put off cycling in Melbourne because of its helmet law (if you're caught without one, you will be fined), there's a smart solution. You can buy subsidised-price helmets for just AUS$5, return them once you're done and you get AUS$3 back. Day passes are just AUS$2.60 with week passes at AUS$8. Our first stop? St Kilda and its lovely shoreline - oh, and fantastic cake shops! Work it off along the Bay Trail - 69km of seashore path following the spectacular coastline of Port Phillip Bay.
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Paris
Getting up at the crack of dawn to cycle around Paris on a Velib' bike is one of the most memorable experiences you can ever have. At 6am you have the city almost to yourself. You can zoom down the Champs Elysee (without fear of crazy cab drivers), cycle under a miraculously tourist-free Eiffel Tower, and bump along the cobbles watching the sun rise over the Bastille before scarfing down a hearty cafe breakfast. You earned it. Best of all, you can do it all for a mere 1.70€ for a 24-hour pass.
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