Great Lakes - Wisconsin cycling?!

I imagine of all the midwest states, Wisconsin would have to be the most bike friendly overall, well maybe Minnesota too, buttt, Im not moving to MN.....

so, what is cycling culture in and around madison like? it must be huge right?!

It's tiny. Stay in Portland.

;)

Really it's a great scene. Lots of great rides and fairly competetive if you are in to that.

Still nothing is quite like the scene in Portland. Then again nothing really is. At least your gear might actually get a chance to dry out here...which is good because if it didn't it would be frozen.

the missus is looking at grad school there, and im ready to get out of portland. ive been here a looooong time.

The one great thing about WI is that it's so close to IL ;) Yeah, I'm a FIB.

Madison: 78 square miles surrounded by reality! :D

Best bicycling town in the Midwest. Going for Platinum Status for bike-friendly towns. The nation's largest off-road racing series. Great road racing scene - local weekly crits and TTs during warmer months.

Downside: It's not a big as Portland. (if that's a downside, IYO). Winters can get kind of long. Much of the cycling community gets into CC skiing in winter. Like cycling, we've got weekly local practice races, lighted courses, etc.

UW is top notch. If your wife doesn't get accepted to UW, she can apply to all those second-tier schools just south of the border in Illinois. :eek:

Come sample our dairy air....you'll love it here...all the FIB's do, just ask them.

UW is top notch. If your wife doesn't get accepted to UW, she can apply to all those second-tier schools just south of the border in Illinois. :eek:

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao: - Too funny.

It is much more cycling friendly than any other place I have lived. There are many established routes where the motorists expect (and respect) the multitude of cyclists. Seminole Hwy. has been like that for at least the last 25 years. You can ride flatlands or you can have 10,000 feet of climbing in 100 miles, the terrain is very diverse.

You must be a liberal though. I believe there have been laws there outlawing conservatives since the early 60s. ;)

If you visit Madison, take a quick trip down US-14 to Cross Plains for a cup of coffee at Uphill Grind (http://www.uphillgrind.net), run by the forum's own CPClydesdale and CPCyclist. It's a combination coffee shop / bike shop right near some of the best riding in the midwest.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc156/tbangert/2007%2011%2024/DSCN7588.jpg

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc156/tbangert/2007%2011%2024/DSCN7586.jpg

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc156/tbangert/2007%2011%2024/DSCN7585.jpg

Why is it that only the FIB'ers are responding?

Madison is awesome for cycling; not as good as Portland but good enough. Madison is about 225,000; the county itself is close to 500,000, but there are many friendly rural roads only 7-8 miles from the Isthmus/downtown area. Plus, there is an extensive bike route, bike path system to get you through the city. And very hearty folks in the winter. Occasionally the FIBers who posted above brave our hilly roads since they can see their dogs run away for three miles on their own. It's not as liberal as it used to be. There are plenty of conservatives around (I'm not one of them, just saying) who would like to shut down the university and throw away the key. Most businesses are bike-friendly with bike racks or a rack in the underground parking. There is a club, Bombay Bicycle, that has weekly rides, there are about 20 bike shops, and there are a few of us on this forum that have our own little forum over at madisonbiking.com.

It's cold, but it goes by quickly. Really only the month of January and days when there is snow on the ground can you not bike unless you are really hearty. You salvage the cold by skiing, ice fishing, or ice skating on the lakes and flooded parks.

Why is it that only the FIB'ers are responding?

Maybe because we know good cycling country when we ride it and are quite thankful that the badger state doesn't check our passports when we get to Beloit.

The friendly japing between Cheeseheads and FIBs is part of what makes the Great Lakes sub-forum, well, Great.


;)

Even though we call you FIB'ers, we're glad you come. Thanks for paying the hotel/motel (ie FIB tax) tax to support Wisconsin! Now if you could just drive a little slower. It's not the Chicago suburbs!

What's FIB?
What's OCP?

... Now if you could just drive a little slower. It's not the Chicago suburbs!

NEVER! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

What's FIB?
What's OCP?

FIB involves people from Illinois doing something with an unmarried person and the subsequent result :-)

FIB = Friendly Illinois Bicyclist

:p

FIB = Friendly Illinois Bicyclist

:p

^^I've always found that to be the case indeed!








Okay...now back to reality....
Sorry about them Bears.

Okay...now back to reality....
Sorry about them Bears.

Wait, wait. That's your concern? I thought TMJ had gone into 24/7 Brett Favre Elbow Watch mode.

"Well Jonathan and Phil, we are happy to report that Brett was able to lift his morning coffee and take sips without any lingering pain in the humerus....."

Wait, wait. That's your concern? I thought TMJ had gone into 24/7 Brett Favre Elbow Watch mode.

"Well Jonathan and Phil, we are happy to report that Brett was able to lift his morning coffee and take sips without any lingering pain in the humerus....."

The man of steel will start...never any doubt.
....and by the way, here's the formula:

Talking about Brett=ratings=ad revenue=I get to buy FDJ and Quickstep gear!

Even though we call you FIB'ers, we're glad you come. Thanks for paying the hotel/motel (ie FIB tax) tax to support Wisconsin! Now if you could just drive a little slower. It's not the Chicago suburbs!

We are actually courtious drivers down here. There must be some sort of cheese toxin in the air when we cross the cheddar curtain that causes us to speed, tailgate, pass unsafely and egregiously flip the bird. You cheeseheads must be immune. :)

The man of steel will start...never any doubt.
....and by the way, here's the formula:

Talking about Brett=ratings=ad revenue=I get to buy FDJ and Quickstep gear!

And a Pinarello F4:13

And a Pinarello F4:13

...need a bigger ratings bonus before that happens! :D

Wait, wait. That's your concern? I thought TMJ had gone into 24/7 Brett Favre Elbow Watch mode.


It couldn't be any worse than the Devon Hester coverage last week.

12:05 - Devon eats a sandwich
12:10 - Devon creates 1,000 loaves of bread from crumbs
12:15 - Devon parts lake Michigan
12:20 - Devon walks on water over flooded LSD to get to Soldier Field
Etc.
Etc.

I am actually happy he dropped that pass on Sunday.

I like Madison, but compared to Milwaukee where I live, it's very liberal. Just going into Yellow Jersey bike shop is culture shock for me. Piercings everywhere ... talk about heavy metal! Lots of great roads, the Bombay Bicycle Club puts on some great rides ... I did the one that headed out to the home of Madison's police chief where he had food put out with a live band ... awesome! I've spent many hours racing around the capitol building on a great criterium course as well.

Oh, I hear the school is good too.

:p

Madtown is great. Riding down University Ave with cars whipping by you at 45+ mph -- feeling relatively relaxed. So many bikes there that the drivers do tend to be more aware of bikers. Lots of bike lanes, excellent trails in the area, a number of good bike shops . . . . .

god I miss it!

madison is starting sound better and better. im originally from michigan, which is perhaps the least friendly great lakes state for cycling (road) but it sounds like madison is decent for both road and mountain bikes! good. *****, i have not cross country skiied in years. i was already concocting ideas for a b!tchin' ice shanty though.....no, really!!!

i was already concocting ideas for a b!tchin' ice shanty though.....no, really!!!


Only a matter of time before the shanties come out on the bay. Skim ice is starting to form on Lake Monona.

Oh, and another thing, the bike paths get cleared of snow better than the roads. (parks dept does paths). I'm am observing the difference outside my window right now.

Great County roads, largest Mtb Series in the USA

PD:
There's also a few oppotunites thought the spring, summer and fall to be a "Cat 4 lung buster"

http://www.wisport.org/
http://www.wicycling.org/
http://www.internationalcycling.com/

You can also take a look at racing in Northern Ill. as it's not to far a swing to some of the venues like Rockford.

It's 23 this morning and it feels warm!

Hey pdx- I also landed in Madison 3 years ago when my wife started grad school. I've grown to love the town and the bike culture here. There's something for everyone: not everyone is hipster and pierced in Madison! (Once you get past the "culture shock" Yellow Jersey is a GREAT lbs, one of four w/in a 10 minute bike ride from my house.)

In addition to the sites porkchopwi posted, check out www.bombaybicycle.org (Bombay Club), and Madisonbiking.com, a few of us "avid recreational" types post there regularly. Let us know if you end up here. We'll drop some curds in the fryer and tap a keg! (wait, we do that anyway)