bicycle highway

Wintry city a wonderland for cyclists - US

It's so cold the gears need defrosting, roads are like ice rinks and helmets are strapped over full-face balaclavas.

But the mayor of the favourite city for cycling in the United States says if Minneapolis can achieve what it has, there's no reason Melbourne and other Australian cities can't follow.

Almost halfway across a country famed for its car culture and with a climate to test the bravest – think snow ploughs and Fargo – Minneapolis doesn't strike as one where commuters would prefer the saddle over the car heater.