Wageningen, the Netherlands might fit, though its climate might be too cold for some in the winter.
posted by umwhat at 10:22 AM on May 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

Random ideas: Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. (With some caveats about bike-friendly. But, there are a lot of open roads, lots of pedestrians, and it isn't far to the get to the country.) Followed by Curenevaca, Morales, Mexico (with twice your requested population and some humidity in the rainy season.) Followed by Guemas, Sonora, Mexico. (if you like being near the ocean.)
posted by eotvos at 10:24 AM on May 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

Corvallis, OR. Maybe not hot during the winter but Mediterranean climate half the year. The other half is rainy but snow is very rare and humidity+warm temps is never an issue. Perhaps the most bike-friendly place in the U.S. Close to major nature areas. University town with a pretty tame student population. Public transit is free.
posted by Foam Pants at 10:48 AM on May 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

To visit or to live in?

Eugene hits all the notes during the summer, not so much in winter. One of my favorite features of Eugene is that it's easy to bike into nature, and the nature is kinda different in all of the four cardinal directions. There's flat valley+riverside roads to the north, rolling hills to the south, an endless uphill to the east, and medium-big hills and eventually ocean to the west.

Most of the small-medium sized towns between SF and Baja would probably hit similar notes, and should be a bit drier than Eugene. I've had lovely times in Pescadero, Cayucos, and Jenner, for example... Hell, just bike down highway one and stop when you find something nice.
posted by kaibutsu at 10:50 AM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

I was going to say Cairns but it's humid AF. Such an amazing place though.

I also love Konstanz, Germany. But it's only warm/hot for a few months in Spring and Summer
posted by kinddieserzeit at 10:56 AM on May 31, 2021

Tuscon is pretty good, if you like dry and hot.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 11:08 AM on May 31, 2021 [3 favorites]

Okanagan Valley, specifically Kelowna or Penticton depending on your definitions of hot (what’s your minimum average winter temp?) and dark (what’s the earliest sunset you’ll take?)
posted by Cuke at 11:09 AM on May 31, 2021 [3 favorites]

Flagstaff, AZ, maybe? My mother-in-law lives in (a retirement community technically outside the city limits of) Tucson and it seems maybe a bit too sprawling and bike-hostile for what you're describing, at least from the parts I saw.
posted by fedward at 11:35 AM on May 31, 2021

Perhaps the two smaller cities in the research triangle in NC (i.e. Chapel Hill and Durham)? They do get a bit humid in the summer, but nothing comparable to the deep south.

Not sure about where would be a match in terms of your other criteria, but in terms of climate/sun, it sounds like a Mediterranean city would be a good match.
posted by coffeecat at 11:36 AM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Try any town on the Turkish Riviera. I'm a fan of Oludeniz and its bigger cousin Fethiye.
posted by danceswithlight at 11:58 AM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Also in the Netherlands, and also a little chilly in winter (freezing-ish - but the slow moving canals freeze if you get an unusual cold snap!), Groningen. Really easy to get out of town on a bike or on foot in all directions. Not humid, but enough rain that the countryside is a verdant green.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:15 PM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Maybe Ellensburg, Washington, though I can't say for sure how bike friendly the roads are and winters could be too cold or dark for you. It's on the dry, sunny side of Washington (the side many people don't know exists), so winter isn't gloomy, but maybe the days would be too short for you that far north. Winter temperatures are mild compared to Montana or Vermont, but not compared to California or Georgia.
posted by Redstart at 12:16 PM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

I was going to suggest Fethiye in Turkey and its environs too: warm but not super humid, beautiful countryside and the sea nearby -- but now that I think about it I haven't seen many cyclists in town, perhaps because of the clogged roads.

Towns like Jericó and areas on the outskirts of Medellín and Bogotá, Colombia might suit you? Colombia is low-latitude, it has a great cycling culture (even aside from the hardcore racers), and the highlands have a mild and not-humid climate.

Cuenca, Ecuador: beautiful city near the equator, in the mild highlands and near a national park

Sevilla, Spain is warm and dry, has fantastic culture and great cycling infrastructure, but is a bit larger than you're thinking and nice natural areas are maybe a little further afield than you'd like. How about Cádiz?
posted by theory at 12:35 PM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

except for the dark part, portage, michigan, usa
posted by misanthropicsarah at 1:13 PM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

I'd suggest looking in Spain. In particular, I think San Sebastian/Donostia would check nearly all of your boxes: urban population of just under 200K, quite excellent bike friendliness (I travel a couple of times a year for leisure and always aim for bike-friendly cities), and on the Camino de Santiago, so on a route set up to be friendly for biking and walking and with people who drive in this area and know this, so with established routes to other nearby towns through pretty incredible landscapes. It's also a coastal town with excellent beaches and nice clean air. The one area where it falls a bit short of your expectations is it gets colder in the winter, down to an average of 4.7c in January and is a bit rainier.

As theory says, Seville also fits most of your things, with flying colours (what a fantastic city) but is too populous.

Almost any suggestion of an American or Canadian city on this list is going to fail your bikeability rating, though I suppose it depends on your definition and what you personally consider to be bike-friendly roads. I've biked in most of the ones in Canada and wouldn't consider any of them to be particularly bike friendly outside of the centre with the exception of Montreal, plus everywhere in Canada fails your climate criteria. Mayyyyyyybe Victoria, BC, but there's that rainy thing again.
posted by urbanlenny at 1:15 PM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

Baños, Ecuador - bit rainy in the winter, but temperate the rest of the time and surrounded by waterfalls and hotsprings.

San Marcos on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
posted by ananci at 1:17 PM on May 31, 2021

The Willamette Valley is very dark and cloudy from November through April. Most people use vitamin D or a sunlamp. I personally have learned to embrace the cozy dark winter, but it wouldn't suit everybody. I believe, but haven't lived there, that a bit further east (Bend, Redmond, Sisters) is out of the valley enough that they at least get sunnier days in the winter, though still short.
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:22 PM on May 31, 2021

You almost had Duluth, Minnesota, except for the cold and dark in winter thing. You just have to learn to love winter and getting into winter sports. And I would add that we have the best winters! The sun is only really gone (cloudy) from November to December. After that, it's bright and sunny and cold af.
posted by RedEmma at 1:37 PM on May 31, 2021

Margaret River, Western Australia. Population is about 8k, so just shy of where you want. Dry climate, surrounded by karri forests and amazing ocean coastline. One of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s definitely a town though, not a city.
posted by Jubey at 2:52 PM on May 31, 2021 [6 favorites]

Adelaide, Australia is larger than your criteria but otherwise hits everything very nicely. It's a lovely city that feels much smaller than it is.
posted by sir jective at 2:53 PM on May 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

- Not so far from the equator that dark is an issue for most people most of the year
- Air pollution is not a major problem

Unfortunately, these may rule out answers that involve Oregon and Washington State. Particularly the pollution criterion, as longer and more intense forest fire seasons have rendered the air hazardous to breathe over the last few summers.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:00 PM on May 31, 2021

Bendigo or Ballarat, in Victoria.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:02 PM on May 31, 2021 [2 favorites]

I’ve never been but I have my eye on Annecy in the French Alps.
posted by mskyle at 3:10 PM on May 31, 2021

Idk about other places on the lake but Kelowna doesn't have particularly bike friendly roads. It's also pretty sprawlly. And even Victoria BC is danger heightenly dark for biking after/before a 9-5 work day while for a couple months in the winter so practically all places in Canada (the North of 49 bits) are going to suffer from this failing.
posted by Mitheral at 3:15 PM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

One idea that may be off the beaten path: NW Arkansas, which is an unexpectedly high quality biking area thanks to considerable investment from the Walton Foundation. There are plenty of small towns with access to the bike trail network, but I’d recommend Fayetteville (pop. ~90,000) as a college town with quite a bit to offer. Lots of nature, lakes, and rivers around. The only category where it might fail is humidity - it looks like humidity levels hover around 50% (the higher end of comfortable) during afternoons throughout the year, but get up to 80% in the early mornings.
posted by exutima at 3:18 PM on May 31, 2021 [3 favorites]

Nearly every town in Sonoma County, California, where I live, ticks all of your boxes.
posted by Dr. Wu at 3:38 PM on May 31, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Coachella Valley/Desert Cities in California, maybe (minus the water, unless you count the Salton Sea -- but you're only a few hours from the beach!) Definitely hot and dry, not too dark in the winter, and as an asthmatic I feel like the air quality is very reasonable (wildfire/smoke issues are rare, compared with other parts of California). I don't cycle myself but I see people on bikes like, everywhere all the time, both on bike lanes on main roads and on designated bike paths (including this new one they're working on). Loads of nature within easy reach, provided you like the desert. There are dozens and dozens of hiking trails right in the valley, plus you're close to Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego and Idyllwild/the mountains. I will say that it's only pedestrian-friendly if you choose your neighborhood carefully (like if you lived in the Cove in La Quinta, or near downtown Palm Springs ($$$), or central Palm Desert).

(there are plenty of weird things about the coachella valley too buuuut re: your criteria it seems like a fit)
posted by goodbyewaffles at 4:27 PM on May 31, 2021

I’m with Jubey. My American partner moved from Minnesota to be where I am, in the Capes region of Busselton, Western Australia. [Pop: 15000] He thinks it’s the best place in the world. He had a lifetime of competitive cycling all over the USA, and each day here he rides 50-80km through: towering forests, along both calm bays and wild beach roads, through rural winding roads around vineyards, hilly farms, along the beautiful Blackwood River catchment valleys etc. It’s 2.5 hours from Perth, a small but okay city with its own charms and an easy drive from here to so much of the great southern parts of this state.

Unlike Margaret River, Busselton is right on the beach - my house is 50 metres from the calm Geographe Bay shore and everything is walkable. It is friendly and for me, there is an emerging sense of connection with the custodial ancestors of this land so there are always talks, walks, connection on Country that I value. I am a keen horse rider and there are horse riding opportunities aplenty, often sharing the bush with avid and respectful mountain bikers. Fitness activities are everywhere: yoga of all kinds, sailing, fishing, twilight yachting, whale-watching, snorkelling, surfing, boogie-boarding, bushwalking. There’s farmer’s markets, world class eateries, breweries, farm-to-table restaurants, boutique wineries - and soon a new underwater observatory to see the abundant sea life up close. Mediterranean climate, rare humidity, cool and wet, but not cold winters, warm but not oppressive summers. Uncrowded beaches, uncrowded forests, always a great bush walk to enjoy. Nature is up close even in built up areas - the endangered Ring Tailed Possum lives here [in my yard!] kangaroos hop around, blue tongued lizards eat my garden snails, dolphins attend my afternoon dog walks along the beach... okay sometimes I encounter Dugites or Tiger Snakes but they are rarely interested in hanging around humans.

The Cape to Cape walk [110kms] is popular and the Wardandi trail is also gaining popularity. There is both colonial and Bibbulmen histories to explore. This part of the world was attached to India back in the day, and the geomorphology is spectacular - caves, limestone cliffs in places, hidden waterfalls, natural ocean canals, lighthouses overlooking incredible landscapes.

A good hospital and a lot of community activities to keep people engaged with each other.

I’ve lived in a lot of places in Europe and the USA and this place is magic.
posted by honey-barbara at 6:35 PM on May 31, 2021 [12 favorites]

[I’m a veteran couch surfing host, so there’s always a spot for visitors who want to share a beach hut with me n my dingo mutt for a closer look]
posted by honey-barbara at 8:31 PM on May 31, 2021 [5 favorites]

Came here to also recommend the Margaret River area. It ticks all the boxes, as honey-barbara described. One thing that has also blown my mind here in WA is the amount of bike infrastructure there is. We drove back from Busselton to Perth last week and it seemed like there was a bike lane next to the highway most of the way.

Albany, WA also ticks all your boxes. The nature is frankly astounding and accessible with a short drive. Population just under 40K. Warm climate, though not so warm as Perth/Margaret River. Plenty of sunlight. And it has the most remarkable beaches I've ever seen.

I'm going to add Perth, which is frankly much larger than you're looking for but otherwise also ticks all your boxes. A river bisects Perth and they've done a good job of keeping lots of parks by the banks so it's very easy to get into nature - and if that doesn't suit you can always head toward the Swan Valley. It is not as bike friendly as, say, Amsterdam, but it is much more bike-friendly than certainly any North American city I've been in. (It's also largely flat, which adds to the bike-friendliness). It is very walkable and has lots of pedestrian-oriented precincts. The climate reminds me a lot of LA: dry most of the year, with a rainy season right about now. You can leave the city in any direction and be in nature so long as your definition of "nature" includes ocean.

A lot of Western Australia does have one challenge. It doesn't have air pollution the way you'd normally think. But right now, during the rainy season, there's a lot of prescribed burns to burn off fuel before the fire season starts. We've had some smoky days over the past couple of months as a result. But that's limited to a few days at a certain time of the year.
posted by rednikki at 1:03 AM on June 1, 2021 [5 favorites]

Ljubljana, Slovenia. A little bit bigger than 200k people, but very pedestrian/bike/public transport friendly. Lots of bike paths throughout the city. (It's among the top 20 of the most "bikable" cities in the world.) Lots of parks and green places within the city. (For photo evidence, try these "photo stories" of the walk along the 30-km foot path around the city - the links at the bottom of the page go to different sections of the path.) Nature in all directions around the city: just look at the Google Maps satellite view. 1 hour (car) drive to the Adriatic Coast, 1 hour drive to the Alps. 2 hours drive to Italy, Austria, Croatia or Hungary. It does get colder than your stated preference in the winter, but climate change is taking care of that... (I haven't needed to take the extra-warm down coat out of the storage since 2008!)
posted by gakiko at 3:36 AM on June 1, 2021 [3 favorites]

I would recommend against the Netherlands for reasons of dark. Two winters in Northern Europe have done more to make me hate winter than many colder, but sunnier climes.

Zagreb just got a new bike-loving mayor but it’s bigger than you want.
posted by dame at 5:39 AM on June 1, 2021

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