I ride to work (and just about everywhere else) in Tokyo. Tons of hills, pretty minimal bike lanes (but those are increasing, recently). Coming from car life,

I ride to work (and just about everywhere else) in Tokyo. Tons of hills, pretty minimal bike lanes (but those are increasing, recently). Coming from car life, though, it's unbelievably good. There are two factors that I think make it work so well: 1. Hills are negated by electric assist bikes. Those are super-common here, mornings are packed with moms taking preschoolers to school on them. Mine evens out even steep hills to an exertion level similar to a regular bike on flat ground. (You of course can exert yourself when you want, and go faster.) 2. Technically, you aren't supposed to ride on sidewalks, but this is absolutely ignored by all, per common understanding. You can always ride on the sidewalk, as long as you exhibit common sense and courtesy and ride more slowly and safely. This means when a road feels too dangerous, you have a slower safer option. My own commute is about 50-50 road vs sidewalk. I hope I never have to do any other kind of commute. I'm originally from rural Northern California, and even though I did ride my BMX along miles of dangerous road, I wasn't allowed to, and wouldn't allow my kids to, either. Too many blind curves with very little shoulder, and pretty fast speeds. But I think most cities could be as awesome as Tokyo is — which for me is for all practical purposes just as good as when I lived in the famously bicycle-friendly Amsterdam — if they just made judicious decisions about "share the sidewalk" in addition to "share the road".