10/09/2026
The world's most popular cycling road isn't in the Alps, the Pyrenees, or anywhere in Europe.
It's a 5.5-kilometer climb on the outskirts of Bogotá, Colombia, and chances are you've never heard of it.
Strava just dropped their 2025 Year in Sport data, and the results have turned the cycling world upside down. The Alto de Patios climb, a winding ascent toward the mountain town of La Calera, logged more unique riders than any other segment on the planet.
We're talking over 34,000 cyclists in just eleven months. That's roughly 100 new riders every single day.
While we've been obsessing over the legendary 21 hairpins of Alpe d'Huez and dreaming of Stelvio Pass, an unassuming Colombian road has quietly become the most ridden cycling segment in the world.
This isn't some flat commuter path either. Alto de Patios is a legitimate climb that gains 1,250 to 1,380 feet over 6.5 kilometers at a steady 6% average gradient. The kicker? It starts at 8,596 feet above sea level and summits near 10,000 feet.
Every pedal stroke is a battle against thin mountain air.
Locals affectionately call the segment "Mi segundo hogar," which translates to "my second home," and now we understand why. The gradient rarely eases enough to recover, with maximum ramps hitting 7 to 8 percent. It's a relentless drag that demands respect.
Here's how the global top three shook out:
• Alto de Patios, Bogotá to La Calera, Colombia: 34,000+ unique riders
• Hebraica riverside segment, São Paulo, Brazil: 26,000+ unique riders
• Bridge Sprint near Wandsworth, London, UK: Top commuting segment
Notice anything? South America claimed two of the top three spots.
The cycling world has spent decades building mythology around European climbs. We've read the books, watched the documentaries, and planned the pilgrimages. Mont Ventoux, Col du Tourmalet, Sa Calobra. These names carry weight, history, and prestige.
But Strava's data reveals a different reality. The most popular cycling road isn't where the Tour de France rolls through once a year. It's where everyday cyclists show up, day after day, building community through shared suffering and elevation gain.
What makes this story even more remarkable is what it says about cycling's future. The sport is expanding beyond its traditional European strongholds. New cycling meccas are emerging in unexpected places, driven by local passion rather than historical prestige.
Colombia has produced world-class cyclists for decades. Nairo Quintana, Egan Bernal, Rigoberto Urán. We've watched them dominate in Europe, but we haven't paid enough attention to what's happening back home. The roads that forged these champions are now calling to the rest of us.
The Alto de Patios data should make every cyclist reconsider their bucket list. Yes, ride Alpe d'Huez if you get the chance. But also consider the roads less traveled, the climbs where cycling culture is being written in real time rather than preserved in amber.
Somewhere right now, as you read this, another rider is grinding up Alto de Patios. They're joining a daily peloton of locals and visitors, all chasing the same high-altitude burn. They're adding their name to the most popular cycling road in the world.
And most of the cycling world still doesn't know it exists.
