Wisconsin

Trip Summary

9 Nights
Avg miles per day: 30 – 50
Hill profile: Moderately Hilly!

Our Wisconsin Tour has been a few years in the making. Join us for a nine night adventure riding along Wisconsin’s country roads. Think cheese, craft breweries, beautiful quiet country roads, interesting small towns and Frank Lloyd Wright. Our tour begins in the college town of Madison and travels south and west before heading back up to the Madison area.

Having scouted this tour in July 2023, we were amazed at the beautiful riding, courteous drivers and friendly people. We were also surprised at the hills. Now we like hills, but if you absolutely hate hills – and do not have e-assist – this may not be the tour for you. If you are concerned about the hills, please see the chart below which shows you each day’s mileage and elevation.

There has been a lot of interest in this tour. We are offering the tour twice July 7-16, 2024 and July 21-30, 2024.

Here is our detailed Itinerary of the tour:

Day 1 We begin the tour in Madison, the capital of Wisconsin and home of the University of Wisconsin. You can fly directly into Madison and take a short cab ride to the hotel. We are staying at the Edgewater Hotel. We offer a loop ride in the very bikeable city. There are bike paths all over! We were surprised at just how much wildlife we saw on our rides around Madison, including cranes, wild turkeys and even a nesting turtle! Be sure to check out the Capitol Building, which is a short walk from our Inn. We will enjoy a group dinner at the Edgewater Hotel.
Day 2 We spend a full day in Madison. We offer a loop ride that rides along the lakes with an eye towards riding on the city’s many dedicated bike paths. In addition, you can enjoy the other attractions that Madison, Wisconsin has to offer. Dinner is on your own.

 
Day 3

 

 After breakfast, we will leave Madison mostly on gorgeous bike paths which lead you to quiet farm roads where you will be able to commune with cows and nature. Today’s ride takes us to the village of New Glarus. The village is named after the Swiss town of Glarus where immigrants came from in 1845. The town retains it’s Swiss charm and is called “Little Switzerland”. We will enjoy a group dinner at the Chalet with some local “Swiss” entertainment.

 
Day 4

 

 We offer a few loop rides on this layover day in New Glarus. The loop ride takes you to the town of Monroe where you can check out the Minhas Craft Brewery and/or the National Historic Cheesemaking Center. You can also explore the town of New Glarus, see the Swiss Historical Village Museum, visit the Chalet of the Golden Fleece Art Museum (what a cool name!), tour and do a beer tasting at the nearby New Glarus Brewery, enjoy the vistas at the brewery, check out the Bailey’s Run Vineyard and Winery and wander around the quaint town. Dinner is on your own, but we will have a few suggested restaurants.
Day 5

 

 We leave New Glarus enroute to the small, historic town of Mineral Point. Enjoy quiet roads with rolling hills. Wander through the town, visit Pendarvis, a historical outdoor museum dedicated to the first Cornish settlers in the region. We will enjoy a group dinner.
Day 6

The Mineral Point Hotel

This is a layover day in Mineral Point. While we offer a loop ride, you may also want to take the day to rest your legs. Enjoy a quiet country day strolling around the town’s many art galleries and pottery artisans. Check out the family run Hooks Cheese Store with their 60 different cheeses, all made in Mineral Point. Dinner is on your own.

 
Day 7 We leave Mineral Point enroute to the town of Spring Green with a stop at the very unique House on the Rock. Frank Lloyd Wright grew up nearby and his influence is seen in many of the buildings in the area. We will enjoy a group dinner at Arthurs Steakhouse.
Day 8

 

Taliesin

Today’s loop ride takes you through the lovely countryside. Or you can relax and explore nearby Spring Green. In the late afternoon we will take a group tour of Taliesin. Said best on the Taliesin website:  “Taliesin is the name of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 37,000-square-foot home, studio, school, and 800-acre estate that includes buildings from nearly every decade of Wright’s career from the 1890s to the 1950s. In 1976, Taliesin was designated as a National Historic Landmark and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.” We will have a group dinner in the Taliesin Visitors Center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s students and overlooking the Wisconsin River.
Day 9

 

An Ice Cream Flight

We return to Middleton, a suburb of Madison, via country roads. You will have time to take apart your bikes or relax. We will have a group dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 10 Our tour officially ends after breakfast, although you may want to extend your stay in the very bike friendly city of Madison.

 

 

Day Route Miles Ascent
1 Loop ride in Madison 22 650
2 Loop ride in Madison 30 950
3 Madison to New Glarus Long 62 2150
3 Madison to New Glarus Short 30 800
4 Loop rides from New Glarus 36-48 900-2300
5 New Glarus to Mineral Point Long 55 3300
5 New Glarus to Mineral Point Short 41 2400
6 Loop ride in Mineral Point 29 1500
7 Mineral Point to Spring Green Long 46 3250
7 Mineral Point to Spring Green Short 31 1850
8 Taliesin Loop Long 31 650
8 Taliesin Loop Short 10 350
9 Spring Green to Middleton (a suburb of Madison) 34 900

As with most of our tours, we limit the size of the tour to a maximum of ten couples. Please click below if you are interested in this tour.

What is included?

  • 9 nights lodging
  • 9 breakfasts, 6 dinners
  • Admission to the House on the Rock
  • Cycling Trail Passes
  • Routes
  • Luggage transport
  • SAG support
  • Tandem bike case storage, if needed

Note that we do not provide any bicycles. We expect that you have a tandem that is in good working order and that you are able to assemble your bike. If you do not have your own tandem, you can rent a coupled tandem from Mel at Tandems East. Mel also sells tandems, so if you end up renting from him, you might get a discount if you purchase a bike from them. If you have a tandem that is not coupled, it is possible to bring it, but you should make sure that all of your flights could handle the larger box. 

What is not included?

  • Transportation to the start point in Madison
  • Meals, other than those mentioned above
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Admission to points of interest, unless indicated

What is the average mileage per day?

The average mileage will be in the 30-50 mile range. We can certainly add routes for those that would like to do more riding. Expect hills!

Where will we be staying?