The West lies before us as we turn toward the mighty Mississippi River and Iowa’s eastern border. Madison has been a real treat, and the weather has only added to this. Affectionately known as the Cycling Capital of the Midwest, and officially known as the capital of Wisconsin, Madison is a cozy and bustling town sandwiched between two lakes with a lot to offer.

The bike friendliness here is a prime example of how to effectively integrate bikes into an urban space, with over 200 miles of trails, many bike shops available just off of these trails, clear bike lanes, rentable E-bikes, and even streets in downtown restricted to bicycle and bus traffic alone. U-W Madison’s presence as well as that of many growing companies and loads of unique small businesses gives it a lot of personalty and liveliness. Totally worth the rest day, and it was definitely one well spent.

Ride Overview

Mileage: 88.2

Elevation: +2918’/-2911’

General Direction: For the first 36.5 miles, proceed north through Lake Geneva, Elkhorn, Palmyra, and Rome via country roads, turn west on County Road Y until mile 46 and turn left onto U.S. 18, ride through Jefferson and exit onto north County Road N at mile 68, turn left through Cottage Grove toward Madison, at mile 77.6 turn onto the Capital City Trail and ride it through downtown Madison, exit onto the Southwest Commuter Path and take residential streets north at mile 86.8 to the stayover.

Points of Interest: Geneva Lake, Jefferson Marsh State Wildlife Area, downtown Madison.

Tales of the Trail

The first few miles almost don’t feel real. Ask any rider to recall the first 20 miles and there usually isn’t that much to report because it all passes, seemingly, very quickly. Most don’t begin to converse until a little later in the ride, as these first miles take place from approximately 6:00 - 7:30 AM. Even so, we enjoyed beautiful early morning views of Geneva Lake and plenty of sun-kissed fields arcing into hills. We meandered through scenic forests, towns, and, of course, dairy farms for the first 46 miles.

The following stretch after our rest stop in Jefferson was a bit more stressful as it took place on U.S. 12-18, a busy road with a shoulder in pretty much only the technical sense. Finally reaching outer Madison after some uphills and more busy roads, the trail at mile 78 was very welcoming. The trails were lively with cyclists and walkers, including the final running portions of a half-ironman triathlon, and it was so beautiful to see the charming storefronts and look out over Lake Monona (the southern one). We rolled into our stayover a bit gassed but ready for some recovery time.

We have been staying at Covenant Presbyterian Church just west of downtown. The church community has come together to donate quite a variety of food for us, and we could not be more grateful. Efforts like these are ones we take very much to heart and they demonstrate the human capacity to help one another at this community scale.

The Rest Day

Madison was a very neat place to explore and enjoy. A few riders spent time with friends and family in the area, while others split into groups and walked around. We checked out Lake Mendota (the northern one), the Chazen Art Museum, Camp Randall Stadium, the State Capital Building, and lots of shops and epic food finds. The evening gave us a scrumptious meal provided by the church community, a fun little haircut for Nabeel, a short ride into town for Paul and Patrick, and anticipation of another century for everyone. A great day and one we won’t soon forget.

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Emily Gonzalez

How are you today? I am good! I am feeling good!

What make and model of bicycle are you riding? I am riding a gray Cannondale Topstone 3.

What is your favorite aspect about the ride so far? Why is it your favorite? I think its pretty cool how we were all thrown into a group together and didn’t really know anything about each other. Now, I am learning so much about my teammates that I would have never known otherwise. For example, the other day I learned that all the women in Laurel’s family are left-handed. Its really cool to have that time to bond and make friendships and learn so much about each other.

How much cycling did you do before training for I4K specifically? Absolutely none. I bought my bike and I could not remember how to ride it at first.

Is there anyone you are riding for today and would like to share a few words for? I am riding for two main reasons. One is for my godfather who passed away nearly three years ago from brain cancer. I also have two sisters who are in healthcare, a CNA and nurse at children’s hospitals. Both of them mainly work with cancer patients and hearing about their experiences at work and what they do for the kids and families is very inspirational. I don’t want to go into healthcare as a career, but I feel that this is the way I can best support what they do and mirror that.

Where on today’s route (generally or specific mile marker) was the most memorable for you? What happened? I didn’t ride today, but yesterday I rode. The most memorable part of that day for me was riding with Max, an I4K alum. He shared a couple things about his experience on the ride and it was just fun to be able to bike with someone who had done the ride already.

Anything you’d like to say to those cheering you on? Hello, thank you, and love you!

Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)