How To Make the Most of Madison’s Bike Trails

Madison is said to have more bikes than cars. And with 200 miles of bike trails in the area, there’s a lot for cyclists to explore. So as spring gets in gear, we turned to biking aficionado Grant Foster for his favorite Dane County trips. He’s got ideas for everyone from newbies to those ready to make a weekend out of it. Plus, he shares some tips for basic bike maintenance. 

Grant’s recommendations 

• If you’ve got 30 minutes or less:
• Downtown Loop along State Street and Capitol (2 miles)
• Lake Mendota shorefront to Picnic Point (3 miles)
• Wingra Lake Loop through the UW Arboretum (6 miles)
• Lower Yahara River Trail (6 miles) 
• If you’ve got an hour or two:
• Lake Monona Loop (12 miles)
• Cap City Loop: Lake Farm Park to Seminole Hwy, through the Arboretum and back to Lake Farm via Wingra and Cap City paths (16 miles)
• Day Trippin’
• Badger State trail south to Paoli and back (17 miles round-trip) 
• Bike Camping
• Military Ridge trail west to Blue Mounds State Park and back (46 miles round-trip)
• From Lake Farm Park south to Lake Kegonsa State Park and back (20 miles round-trip)
• From Lake Farm Park east to Sandhill Station State Campground and back (60 miles round-trip)

This show originally aired July 25, 2023.

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