Upcoming Race, Race The Lake

Upcoming Race, Race the Lake

Sunday, August 16 5:50 a.m.
Lakeside Park555 N. Park Ave,
Fond Du Lac
New Event! Kids' Bike Race - Saturday, 9 a.m.
New Event! 5K Fun Run/Walk - Sunday 8 a.m.

Lake Winnebago…One of the largest inland lakes in the United States and the most popular lake in Wisconsin will be the 90 mile course for the event. This is the LONGEST timed, all citizen bike race in the United States. Yes, and we mean all abilities. You just have to sustain a 12.7 mile pace. We welcome the blending of all cycling lovers including the professional, triathlete, tandem, recumbent and recreation cyclist

http://www.midwestsportsevents.com/racethelake.html

Upcoming Ride, Bike for Boys & Girls Club

Upcoming Ride, Bike for Boys & Girls Club
Riders/Teams
Join us the morning of Saturday, July 18, at Edgewood High School, 2219 Monroe Street, Madison, and have a great time for a good cause.
What's a better reason for a morning bike ride than enjoying a Wisconsin summer? How about inspiring our community's disadvantaged youth to realize their full potential? Ride solo as a training event or enlist family and friends in a memory-making team. Whichever route you choose, the free beer and ice cream at the post-ride party will be calling your name.

More information at:

http://www.bike4bgc.com/

Upcoming Ride, Wisconsin Aids Ride

Upcoming Ride, Wisconsin Aids Ride

ACT 7, the Wisconsin AIDS bike ride has three goals:
• Provide a fun, safe ride that is a challenge for all riders
• Educate the community, raise awareness, and teach tolerance about HIV/AIDS
• Raise funds for AIDS Network.

ACT 7 will cover four days and 300 miles on a bike. The riders are 100% supported before and during the ride.

http://www.actride.org/

Upcoming Ride, Bike for Nature

Upcoming Ride, Door County:

An annual bicycle tour on Door County's scenic secondary roads, sponsored by The Ridges Sanctuary with support from Door County Memorial Hospital and Main Street Market. Tour routes of 25 km, 50 km and 100 km take riders through the heart of the peninsula, and proceeds from the Ride support the Ridges.

More Information at:
http://www.ridgesanctuary.org/bike.htm

Upcoming Race, Horribly Hilly Hundreds

Upcoming Race, Horribly Hilly Hundreds

The Horribly Hilly Hundreds Challenge Ride delivers on its promise, weaving in and out of valleys untouched by the glacial activity that left most of the upper Midwest flat. Two challenging options await the cycling enthusiast: 100 kilometers and 200 kilometers, each with total elevation gains that make your heart race and your legs cry "uncle." Set in Southwest Wisconsin, the route starts in the charming village of Blue Mounds, in an area of strong Norwegian heritage (biking like a viking!). It makes its way west towards Barneveld, deceptively easy at first, until it climbs 600 feet on Mounds Park Road, coming oh so close to the finish line — a line that you won't see until some time later. The ride winds back through the village of Blue Mounds and heads north to continue the fun. The course is hilly — horribly hilly — and manages to find every famous climb in the area, including Barlow Road, Pinnacle Road, and the last 3.5 miles and 900 feet up tortuous Mounds Park Road, into the park and all the way to the top of the mound (just to mention three of the more than 40 significant climbs).

http://www.horriblyhilly.com/

Fleet Feet Announces Saturday Morning Bike Rides

Recently Fleet Feet has announced the summer schedule for the Sautrday Morning Bike Rides. Please see below for more information.

As most of you are probably aware, Fleet Feet has been the starting point for weekly bike rides on Saturday Mornings beginning at 8:00am. For the past 2 years we have been doing the same three routes and due to road conditions and our desire to add some variety we have made a few major changes for this biking season. These changes our outlined below:

1. We will be rotating the starting point each week as follows:
• First Saturday of the month - Fleet Feet Sports (please park on the north end or in the back of the building)
• Second Saturday of the month - SBR Coaching and Training Facility, 403 Venture Court Verona
• Third Saturday of the month - Pinnacle Health and Fitness, 5973 Executive Drive, Fitchburg, WI 53719 (please park in the street or the far end of the parking lot away from the main building)
• Fourth Saturday of the month - Fleet Feet Sports
• Fifth Saturday of the month (when there is a 5th) - Fourth Saturday of the month - Fleet Feet Sports
*The Ride location list can be found on the Fleet Feet Website and the FFTraining yahoo group site under files.

2. We are switching to two route options a 20 miler and a 40 miler. We hope to have 2 different routes for each distance so we do not end up repeating the same routes as often.
• We will eventually load all routes to MapMyRide and provide links from the Fleet Feet Website (we are finalizing all of the routes at this time so they are not yet available).

3. A volunteer ride leader, or leaders, will make a few quick announcements prior to the ride and provide cue sheets and maps for the days route. We will also have you sign in and check off when you return so we know everyone has made it back safely. If you would like to be a ride leader please let me know which Saturdays you are available (matt@fleetfeetmadison.com). The ride leader list will be uploaded on the FFTraining yahoo group site under files and are listed on the website.

Please Note:
These rides are inclusive for riders of all abilities and we will do everything we can to ensure you know the route, feel safe and confident while riding. That being said, you are ultimately responsible to know the route and navigate it successfully on your own in the event that you end up riding by yourself. Since the ride leaders are volunteers, they will get everyone started but are not expected to loop back to make sure everyone is on course.

In addition, we will require that all riders sign in and check off when they return. Finally, you may call the store if you have any problems (flats, etc.) while on the road.

As it is the 4th Saturday of May this weekend, we will be meeting at Fleet Feet. Zak is the ride leader and he will distribute the new routes.

Please let me (us) know if you have any questions.

Happy Riding!

Matt Anderson

Fleet Feet Sports Madison
8440 Old Sauk Road
Madison, WI 53562
608.833.9999
www.fleetfeetmadison.com

Wana Bike in Waunakee, WI is Now Open

A new bike shop has opened in Waunakee, WI. Wana Bike is now open at 206 E Main Street in downtown Waunakee next to Kwik Trip.


View Larger Map

Upcoming Race: Honor Day Challenge

Upcoming Race, The Honor Day Challenge

Date Saturday May 23rd, 2009
Where Big Foot High School Devils Lane Rd, Walworth, Wisconsin, 53191
Check-in: 6:00am – 11:30am
Non Competitive Run/Walk 10:00 am
Recreational indoor cycling 7:15amChallenge I. Indoor cycling 8:30amChallenge II. Indoor cycling 12:00pm


More Information at:
http://honordaychallenge.com/

Upcomig Bike Race, Circuit of Sauk

Upcoming Race, Circuit of Sauk

Presented by: Baraboo Sharks
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
Reedsburg, WI

More information can be found here

Upcoming Bike Race, L'Alpe Bl'Huez Time Trial

Upcoming Bike Race, L'Alpe BL'Huez Time Trial

When: Saturday, May 9, 2009
Registration: 8:00 am
Race Begins: 10:00 am


Where:
Registration : Blue Mound State Park (top of the mound)
Parking : Please park inside Blue Mound State Park..
Race Start: Corner of ID and South St, Blue Mounds, WI
Race Finish: Blue Mound State Park, Blue Mounds, WI

http://www.vikingbikingclub.com/alpeblhuez/index.html

Doyle Once Again Promotes Idea for Madison to Host Cycling Events

Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle was at it again today promoting Madison and the surrounding community as the spot to host Olympic cycling in Chicago's bid for the upcoming games in 2016.

As the world is focusing more on the environment, a key part of the Olympic bid is how green and compact the Olympic games will be. Doyle expects that a high speed rail system should be in place to accommodate fans that will travel from Chicago to Madison to watch the cycling events. Part of this funding Doyle claims will come from federal economic stimulus package money. Doyle said that the rail trip from Chicago to Madison would take about 2 hours.

A key part of the bid is how compact the games will be. Doyle said he told the International Olympic Committee inspection team that by 2016 he expects a high-speed rail system to link Chicago to Milwaukee and Madison, the site of the cycling venue. He said a trip from Chicago to Madison would take about two hours.

This past weekend IOC officials were present in Chicago to tour some of the venues that would be used as part of the Olympics, including Soldier Field.

Cheap & Green: Refurbish a Bicycle from Craigslist

Cheap & Green: A Refurbished Bicycle from Craigslist

If you are an avid biker or cyclist, then you probably enjoy owning multiple types of bikes. Recently I wanted to purchase a new road bike to go alongwith my hybrid bike. However I didn't want to fork over the $700 to $1000 that a decent new road bike commands. So I did the next most logical thing; searched by local Craigslist website for used bike options.

Before searching on Craigslist, I had to decide on two things;
1. Set a budget, In my case I was unwilling to spend over $100
2. Figure out my bike size

Once I had these figures in order, I began to search Craigslist. I typed in my bike size and searched only those ads that had photographs. After about a week of searching I came across a decent white Nishiki for sale. I contacted the seller and went to take a look at it.

A little history on the brand Nishiki; Nishiki doesn't exist anymore. The Nishiki brand name was purchased by Derby International to go along with the Raleigh and the Univega brands. Derby stopped manufacturing Nishiki in 2001. Originally Nishiki were quite popular, but they made a mistake by selling their bikes through chain stores. This action really ticked off the small bike stores and bike shops that sold the brand exclusively. These dealers dropped the Nishiki brand, and the brand never really recovered.

Anyway, the bike was in decent shape, it appeared to be a model from the early 80's. It needed new wheels, tubes, tires, and handlebar grip tape. On the plus side the bike had new metal pedals with the foot cages and a newer bike seat. The seller was asking $85 and I talked him down to $80. I then took the bike to a local bike shop and had the above mentioned items put on my bike for approximately $190. I then purchased a bike computer at a local bike trade show.

This spring, on the first warm day that we had, I took the Nishiki out for a ride. It handled great and offered a smooth ride. Hope this article will encourage you to be green and cheap and refurbish a bike from Craigslist instead of purchasing a new bike.

Weekly/Ongoing Bike Rides

Wednesday Night Bike Rides
20-35 Miles on Back Roads of Dane County
Usual Start is 5:45pm
See http://www.wnbr.org/ for more information

Rides from Madison, WI and Surrounding Area
Every Sunday, Many Thursdays and Sundays
25-65 Miles
Schedule can be found at Bombay Bicycle Club

Fleet Feet Saturday Morning Rides
Every Saturday at 8:00am, Start Location Rotates each Saturday
Schedule can be found at the Fleet Feet Website

APRIL DU Run-Bike-Run Race

A small well-run duathlon in Middleton, Wisconsin. I personally did this race last year and had alot of fun.

Where: Pope Farm Park - Middleton, WI
What: Duathlon (2 mile run, 12 mile bike, 2 mile run)
When: Saturday, April 18th at 9:00 a.m.
Options for Participation: You can participate on your own, as a 2 or 3 person relay, or volunteer to help out.

Like always the goal of this even is to have fun. It’s an excuse to get together with friends to enjoy the outdoors! Just as in previous years the plan is to meet at the park, do the du and then eat!

Event Details: The trail run will be a loop in the park marked with white flags. The bike will be an out and back route, I will provide cue sheets for the bike route but there will be few other markings on the course.

Registration Categories: Goin' Solo - Will complete the event on your own
Tag Team - Two members team
Triple Threat - Three member team
Volunteer - If you would like to help out with any event activities.

Teams: Relay teams can consist of 1 or 2 members. Please indicate your team members' name(s) when registering. If you want to do a leg of the race and don't have a team, please indicate that on the online registration form and I will contact you to get you set up with others.

Organic cotton t-shirts will be pre-ordered again this year. Cost is $13. Please click here to view a sample of the t-shirt design. Final draft of shirt will be posted by March 2nd. T-shirt color will either be navy blue with white print or green with black print.

Important Note Please Read Before You Continue:
1. The April Du is a not an officially organized event. There is no profit or non-profit group supporting the Du. If you decide to participate you are doing so at your own risk. There will be no medical staff or law enforcement on hand. Bikers are required to obey all traffic laws and signs at all times.
2. Park Rules will be enforced. There is a strict No Dog Policy at the park and the park ranger will be there to enforce this rule. If you bring your dog he will ask you to remove the dog from the park immediately. Click Here to Register!

Directions to Park: From the beltline exit Old Sauk Rd. and head west. Turn right on Pleasant View (third stop light). Travel about a mile and turn left on Blackhawk Rd. The park will be a few miles down the road on your left.

Special Instructions: If you are competing, please arrive early enough the morning of the event to get set for the race. Due to limited parking, park officials have asked us to park cars that don't fit in the lot at the Middleton Town Hall down the road.
I hope that you can all participate in some way and I can't wait to see you there!

Best regards,
April

Another early bike race in Dane County Wisconsin to help you get in shape for the summer season.

Dane County Wisconsin May Host Olympic Cycling Events

According to a Wisconsin State Journal article, published on Jan 16th, 2009, Dane County could host several cycling events in Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. A Tour de France-style race starting from Madison and head west through the country side would end at Blue Mound State Park. This area is very hilly and would more than meet the Olympic standards for a challenging course. Time trials could be held in Madison with some mountain bike events held at the Tyrol Basin ski area, which is located between Blue Mounds and Mt Horeb, Wisconsin.

Several high-caliber bicycling events already take place in the area that would host the bike route, including the Horribly Hilly 100 (and its daunting Mounds Park Road climb), the Dairyland Dare of Dodgeville and Barneveld, the Blue Mounds Classic and the 10-mile L'Alpe Bl'Huez Blue Mounds Time Trial. Tyrol Basin does have some experience hosting bike races, as the hosted collegiate competitions in the 1990s.

For those of you not familiar with Olympic cycling, here is a good breakdown of the events that Beijing hosted in 2008:

Road Race: 245.4-kilometre (152.5 mi)
Road Time Trial: 47.6 km (29.6 mi)
Cross Country: No distance was given, but the course consists of multiple laps. Last year's winning time for the Men was approximately 1 hour 55 minutes.

Other cyclists competitions consisted of Track and BMX cycling. It is assumed that these would be held in Madison or Chicago.

Obviously, Chicago getting picked as a host city is yet to be seen as they face some stiff competition in the three other cities up for selection, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo.

• Official announcement of using Madison and Dane County on the Chicago 2016 website.
• Wisconsin Ironman Bike route (112 miles) also goes through the area that may be included with the Chicago 2016 Olympics. A good version of the map can be seen here.
• Beijing Cycling Road Race route in Google Sketch Up.

Bike Cross Training: Swimming

Swimming is a great way to get in a work out that will benefit your cycling either as a build-up during the offseason or a part of a two-day during the season. During swimming you primarily use your arms, which aren't used at all in biking. A variety of swimming kicks just as the whip, scissor, freestyle, breast stroke, and dolphin kick use many of the muscles that are not used in cycling. Cardio-vascular fitness and lung capicity that swimming develops for biking has alot of impacts as well. This means it is good for helping your strengthen your body’s ability to process oxygen through the lungs and move blood to muscles to give them fuel and air by making the heart pump stronger.

Currenlty I'm getting in shape for a early season triathlon. I have been frequently swimming in the morning with a bike or run at night as a fast way to get in shape. Swimming seems to significanlty loosen up your muscles the morning after a long ride. That night during my run or bike I can defineately feel the swim from the morning.

Bike Stores in Dane County

Listed below is a list of Bike stores, repair shops, and dealers located in Dane County, Wisconsin. If the store has a website, a link has been provided.



Madison West
Trek Store of Madison (608) 833-8735
Erik's Bike Shop (608) 278-9000
REI (608) 833-6680
Revolution Cycles (608) 244-0009
Dream Bikes (608)-467-6314 - Non-Profit



Madison EastWilliamson Bike Works (608) 244-2453
Trek Store of Madison (608) 442-8735
Cronometro (608) 243-7760
Erik's Bike Shop (608) 244-9825
Jonny Cycles (608)222-6500 - Custom

Madison Central
Budget Bicycle Center (608) 251-8413
Machinery Row Bicycles (608) 442-5974
Williamson Bike Works (608) 255-5292
Yellow Jersey (608) 257-4737
Michael's Cyclery (608) 231-1101

Middleton
Middleton Cycle (608) 7433

Verona
Exclusive Cycles (608) 845-9111
Atkins Bicycle Shoppe (608) 845-6644

Rocket Bicycle Studio (608) 239-3837


Sun Prairie
Sun City Cyclery (608) 837-2453

Stoughton
Stoton Cycle (608) 873-5516

Cross Plains
Up Hill Grind (608) 413-0068

Waunakee 
WanaBike (608) 849-4997