A scene from the inaugural D.C. Bike Ride. (Photo by Mark Hoelscher)

Bicycling magazine is back with its biannual rankings of the most bike-friendly cities in the United States, and the District makes an appearance in the ninth spot.

The write-up gives special mention to Capital Bikeshare (which turns 6 today), a year-old program bringing cycling classes to all second graders in D.C. Public Schools, and the inaugural D.C. Bike Ride, during which 17 miles were cleared of cars to make way for 7,500 cyclists.

The story doesn’t explain the four-spot drop from the 2014 list, or mention the heated debate between longstanding black churches and cyclists over the construction of new bike lanes that would impinge upon parking. But it does note geographic inequities both in infrastructure and ridership levels that continue to plague the scene.

Chicago topped the list, followed by San Francisco, Portland, and New York City.