America's love affair with the car is well known.

It's the birthplace of the road trip, a utopia for motorheads that's home to 284 million registered vehicles.

One consequence is bumper-to-bumper traffic blighting cities across the land.

And so it will surprise many to learn that some of those cities actually have incredible cycling infrastructure.

Here we reveal eight of them, cities with often unexpectedly excellent provision for pedal-powered exploration.

There's the city where bike lanes are plowed in the winter before streets, the destination with the "number one bike path in America", and the city known for making steel where bike paths form a tapestry linking its bridges, rivers and landmarks.

Some of the cities boast trails that run along former railway lines, others with routes that use canal towpaths.

All of them champion bike use, no matter the ability, or weather.

Houston, Texas

Famously car-centric Houston is also one of the most unexpectedly exciting cities to explore by bike, insists visithouston.com.

It points out that it has over 300 miles of trails and dedicated bike lanes, including scenic routes along the Bayou Greenways and through leafy Hermann Park.

Its biking credentials are further enhanced by the annual Tour de Houston, a major cycling event that offers routes for all abilities, from families to road racers.

Try Bayou Bike Rentals for hire bikes – and ride early to beat the heat.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Steel City is a surprisingly bike-friendly destination, says visitpittsburgh.com, with its Three Rivers Heritage Trail offering a network of multi-use paths that run alongside the city's rivers (the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio) and connect many of its most famous landmarks.

In search of a challenge? Ride up Mt Washington for city-scape views that Visit Pittsburgh describes as "impressive".

There's also The Gap Trail for those looking to spend longer in the saddle. This multi-use trail runs 150 miles from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, and passes through "picturesque landscapes, including rolling hills, forests and charming small towns".

And don't forget to pay a visit to Pittsburgh's Bicycle Heaven Museum, billed as the largest transport museum in the world dedicated to two wheels.

Denver, Colorado

With 850 miles of well-marked off-street biking trails, Denver is ideal for exploring on two wheels.

Riders can easily navigate between neighborhoods such as the bohemian RiNo district and the culture-rich Golden Triangle, the tourism board, denver.org, notes.

Meanwhile, those in the market for a longer ride could try the South Platte River Trail.

This 36-mile route, once used by Native American tribes, winds through Denver's parks and ends at Chatfield State Park.

Just make sure to take sunscreen and water with you — the Mile High City gets over 300 days of sunshine a year.

Washington, DC

Washington, DC, is ripe for urban exploration by bike, with 150 miles of bike lanes and trails.

You can pedal your way to bucket-list sites, trundle through tranquil parks and use rail trails, such as the Capital Crescent Trail, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, to escape to picturesque rural areas.

Not convinced? The League of American Bicyclists has declared DC a gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community.

Austin, Texas

Austin is often congested with traffic, so turn to two wheels instead and make use of its 300 miles of bike lanes and trails.

These include the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake and the Lance Armstrong Bikeway.

Austin was the cyclist's home city and the six-mile cycle path named after him connects the city’s west and east sides and takes riders right through the centre.

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a mecca for cyclists, partly thanks to a 137-mile car-free trail called the Tucson Loop.

Tucsonloop.org makes the claim that it's "the number one bike path in America".

It certainly affords riders breathtaking views of the city and unspoiled desert landscape — and passes close to restaurants for refueling.

Seattle, Washington state

Seattle has a proud history of backing sustainability initiatives, with cycling wholeheartedly embraced.

There are 200 miles of bike lanes and scenic waterfront trails to enjoy — and buses equipped with bike racks.

The bucket-list routes?

There's the Burke-Gilman Trail, which stretches 27 miles from Ballard to the suburb of Bothell along a former railway line, passing through "some of the city's most charming neighborhoods", according to Visit Seattle.

The Elliott Bay Trail is also a must, with the tourism board explaining that the five-mile route runs past the Olympic Sculpture Park, marinas and green spaces, "offering stunning views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains".

And a short ferry ride away is Bainbridge Island, where cyclists can explore forested trails and soak up coastal views.

Madison, Wisconsin

Madison is fiercely bike-friendly. In every season.

For example, when the lakes there freeze over, people fat-tire bike across them.

And when it snows, bike lanes are sometimes plowed before streets are.

Cyclists can also enjoy trails that meander through the plentiful parks — Madison has the highest number of parks per capita — and loop around the five lakes.

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