Microbrew Bike Ride

One of the perks of blogging is meeting new people with similar interests. Beth of brewcitybiker.com and I have been “blogger friends” for months and decided to go on a ride together. When she rode up to my apartment, I felt like I already knew her, though it was the first time we met in real life!

Taking advantage of the tandem when a tire went flat

I suppose she had a pretty good idea of who I am too, since she was going to crash at my place the night before our ride. We geeked out about all things biking - gear, our rides, favorite winter riding get-up, you name it. 

Beth mapped out our ride route to include four stops for microbrews - Ale Asylum, Karben4, One Barrel, and The Malt House. I highly encourage you to gather your beer-loving friends and take this ride.

Be sure to check out Beth’s thoughts on the ride here.

Will Bike for Lefse

Peter and I rode to Mt. Horeb for the Sons Of Norway's 42nd Annual Kaffe Stue where we enjoyed such treats as norsk kaffe kake, søtsuppe (fruit soup), and sweet potato lefse.

Mt. Horeb is on The Military Ridge Trail and makes for a fun day trip. When there isn't a Sons of Norway breakfast, Schubert's Diner is our favorite brunch spot. For a trip later in the day, The Grumpy Troll is a popular stop for food and beer.

The round-trip is about 46 miles from the Capitol Square to downtown Mt. Horeb. You can take a break at the depot in Verona where there are bathrooms and water fountains. It's a gradual climb from the Sugar River bottoms to Mt. Horeb, but you'll enjoy a faster, downhill return trip.

Take Them on a Bike Picnic

A fun bicycle outing can get even your most cold-averse friends back in the saddle. Once I begin to hear talk of how it's too cold for biking or that I'm too extreme for continuing to ride, I know a good way to demonstrate my counterpoints: organize an autumn bike picnic. 

Stay Warm in Cool Weather - Keep Biking!

As cooler weather rolls in, it can be tempting to roll your bike into the garage where it will not be seen again till spring. Don't do it! Here's why I think the fall is a great time of year for biking:

Featured Bike Ride Route: New Glarus

The 60-mile round trip route to New Glarus is doable as a day trip, but with camping available at New Glarus Woods State Park, it can also be an overnight destination. The ride along the Badger and Sugar River state trails provides an opportunity to take in the fall colors.

Bike Ride Route: Eplegaarden

I love the fall and everything that comes with it: cozy sweaters, crisp air, beautiful colors, baking, and apple picking.  Eplegaarden in Fitchburg is conveniently located off the Badger trail, making it my orchard of choice. The 10-mile route from the Capitol Square makes for a fun autumnal outing. I recommend bringing a picnic.

Featured Bike Ride Route: Belleville

The 36-mile round trip from Capitol Square to Belleville is a nice ride for both new and seasoned touring cyclists. The Southwest Commuter and Badger trails take you into downtown Belleville, where you can have a picnic in the park or dine at a local cafe.

We like making an early trip for breakfast at the Corner Cafe

The route along the Badger Trail is scenic and is mainly flat, helping to make this trip accessible to those new to longer trips.

Water bottles can be refilled at a drinking fountain in the park

Badger Trail

Crossing the Sugar River

Featured Bicycle Touring Route: Devil's Lake State Park

by Peter Herreid

Devil’s Lake is one of the most popular state parks in Wisconsin and a great weekend camping destination for biking out of Madison. So, it is surprising not to see more people pulling up to campsites on bikes. The park is located about 42 miles northwest of Madison or roughly five hours on a fully loaded bike. The route is hilly, but the destination rewarding.

Featured Bicycle Touring Route: Blue Mound State Park

Military Ridge State Trail

Bike camping at Blue Mound State Park is a good introduction to an overnight bike tour. The 30-mile trail route from Capitol Square will take you straight to the park’s bike-in campground.  

Sugar River

The Southwest Commuter Path leads out of Madison towards the start of the Military Ridge State Trail. Out of Verona, this rail trail runs through the Sugar River Bottoms’ wetlands and prairies. After the trail parts ways with the Sugar River, it ascends for miles at a slight, yet tiring uphill grade to Mt. Horeb. (The flipside of the ascent is a fast downhill stretch on the way home.) 

In Mt. Horeb, there’s water and bathrooms at the restored train depot along the path and a handful of places to get food and a beer in town. Schubert’s Diner on Main Street is a nice place for breakfast and coffee. There is also a convenience store in the Village of Blue Mounds just off the trail for any items you want to pick up just before the park.  

My friend made the trip on her single speed.

The bike campground is surprisingly underutilized. Although it’s a bit more rustic than campgrounds that accommodate RVs, it still has running water and two well-maintained latrines. In addition to standard, non-electric tent sites, there’s also an open-air structure with wooden cots – on a recent trip with friends we opted not to pitch the tent and instead slept in the cool, mosquito-free air. 

No tent required.

From the park’s observation tower (the highest point in southern Wisconsin), you can look back over the distance biked and see Madison as specks on the horizon. The park doesn’t have a lake, but does have a pool with diving board.

Taking a yoga break on the return trip.

Wild asparagus along the Capital City Trail

Portland’s Three-Mile Downtown Bike Path Loop

by Peter Herreid

If you want to take a nice little bike ride in the heart of Portland, hit some highlights with the Steel Bridge - Hawthorne Bridge loop. Because it follows the banks of the Willamette, you can’t get lost, which is kind of nice if you are new to town. The loop also includes Portland landmarks, such as the floating section of the Eastbank Esplanade. Of course, you can always figure out how to best extend the loop with the city’s Portland by Bicycle map. 

Featured Bike Ride Route: Paoli

The ride to Paoli has been described as "cliche" for Madison road cyclists, but its popularity is well-founded. Paoli deserves another look, because the Badger State Trail's completion in 2010 made it much more accessible to the broader cycling public.  No longer do you need to sweat a truck overtaking you at 55 mph on a narrow highway biking out to Paoli.  The completed rail trail frees you from the stress of traffic almost all of the way out there.

Although I had biked the Badger Trail many times, even taking it all the way to Illinois once, I had never stopped in Paoli or made it a destination itself. Paoli is a relatively flat, 30-mile round trip from Capitol Square, which is an approachable distance if you're getting into longer rides out of town. This rail-trail route is also easy to navigate. After taking the ride to Paoli and back, you may feel confident enough to visit destinations further along the rail trails, such as Mt. Horeb or New Glarus.

Badger Trail

On an unseasonably warm day, I recruited a friend to make the trip with me. I had on some touring gear: SPD clipless shoes, helmet, and bike shorts concealed by a knit skirt - though, these things weren't necessary for the trip. My friend, Abigail, was comfortable without wearing any bike-specific garb. Her Trek hybrid was a good match for my Fuji Touring as we pedaled along chatting.

Sayles Road

We got off the Badger Trail just before the paved section ends and took some low-traffic roads on rolling hills the final miles to Paoli. We saw several other cyclists enjoying the summer weather in March.

Once in Paoli, we stopped at the Creamery Cafe for ice tea and fresh baked goods. Along with a handful of places to grab a snack or refreshment, Paoli has a park next to the general store which has long served as a place to rest, picnic, and meet up, as well as begin and end a road bike loop.

Featured Bike Ride Route: Nine Springs E-Way Bike & Hike

Take advantage of a sunny day with a ride out to the Nine Springs E-Way.  It's about a five mile ride from the Capitol square to where you can park your bike at the Lussier Family Heritage Center- here are directions.

Featured Bike Ride Route: Capitol Square to Clasen’s Bakery

by Peter Herreid

Clasen’s European Bakery in Middleton is a great destination for a peaceful bike ride along the shores of Lake Mendota. The bakery has a wide assortment of torts, pastries, chocolates, and breads, including the common German Brötchen (bread roll).  I can ride fast there and back before work on my touring bike, but on a Saturday, I am not in such a hurry and can take my upright bike, such as on the beautiful Saturday, January 7th, when we had abnormally mild winter weather in Madison.  

 

The Capitol building is a landmark everyone in Madison recognizes, so the mapped route starts at Capitol Square and travels about nine miles to Clasen’s. The route includes UW Lakeshore Path, Lake Mendota Drive, a path that winds through Lakeview Community Park, and the beautiful Pheasant Branch Trail. All of the busy streets have adjacent paths separated from traffic.   If you want to use this route, I recommend using my personalized Google Map. You can print out the mapped route or you can access it on a smart phone, such as the iPhone via a Google Maps app.  

Free samples and coffee (every time) and a post-holidays discount (got lucky!)

On Pheasant Branch Trail