Wednesday after my physical therapy appointment I busted out my bike for a long bike ride. After biking 10 miles Sunday and Tuesday and feeling like the rides were pretty easy, I felt ready to push it a bit further.
During my first ride it felt so strange to be riding while also familiar. It brought back memories of having to ride my bicycle 4 miles to band practice with my clarinet case on my handlebars uphill both ways…in the sweltering heat! Oh, the torture my parents put me through aka character building!
Living in Wisconsin we have such beauty all around us! I have checked out parts of many trails, but with a bike you can travel so many miles faster.
For my longer ride I hopped on the Great River Bike Trail. I had planned to ride from Midway to Perrot State Park, however the rain changed my plans. I ended up biking from Onalaska to Trempealeau and back (32 miles round trip).
The trails were awesome-well groomed, well marked, and scenic. They are all old railroad trail beds running through marsh, prairie, and along lakes and rivers.
If you have never biked, check out these trails. They have short routes for shorter rides. If you are already into biking, then definitely get out there.
You can ride as long or short as you want because the Great River Bike Trail connects to the La Crosse River Trail which connects to the Sparta-Elroy Bike Trail and that connects to the 400 State Bike Trail. That is over a hundred miles of trails through towns, scenic paths, bridges, and train tunnels. Check out http://www.bike4trails.com for maps and distances.
I can’t wait to get out there next week to see more!
Happy Biking!
sneaksandstilettos.com 
So beautiful!!!
What an amazing place to bike!!
Are these trails used by walkers and runners as well or ONLY bikers?
The trails are open to bikers, walkers, and joggers. At each new place to get on the Great River Trail they have walk/jog start posts that mark every half mile. They trails are shaded and perfect for hot summer runs!
That looks gorgeous! I have a goal to bike from Chicago to Milwaukee this year, and eventually work my way up to ride all the way up North through Wisconsin, Michigan’s UP and then back around to Chicago. These pics are great–I have a lot to look forward to!
I love that goal. It is crazy how much more distance you can cover on a bike compared to running. That bike trip would be gorgeous! What a great way to see the midwest. How long do you think it would take to bike that route?
Thanks!! I’m practicing by doing 40-miles in a day (to Chicago Botanic Gardens and back) and that is about 4 hours…. So, probably like 10-12 hours, to include stops along the way?? I think it’s about 80 miles from my apartment.
We’ll see! I will, for sure, post about it when it happens!
I can’t wait to see and hear more about your ride!