It’s been two years in the making, but we’ve finally added Jefferson County, Wisconsin to the list of Bikeverywhere maps. With the addition of the Jefferson County Bike Map it is now possible to ride from the western edge of Dane County to the shores of Lake Michigan using Bikeverywhere maps. And you don’t have to do it all on the Glacial Drumlin State Trail. Skirt the southern edge of the county to connect to Racine or Kenosha. Visit Lake Koshkonong, then follow the Rock River until you feel like turning east again. Cut across the county at a diagonal, mix it up between bike friendly roads and the Glacial Drumlin Trail. Or make a tour of the Rock River and conquer some drumlins. Jefferson County turns out to be pretty interesting on its own, so consider making it a destination.

The Jefferson County Bike Map has been researched by Milwaukee Bike map researcher Bruce Thompson and developed to the same standards as the Milwaukee and Madison Maps. The routes are laid out on low traffic, scenic towns roads and county highways. The primary difference is that the Jefferson County Bike Map is a downloadable pdf file. That makes it a less expensive alternative to the paper maps, and you can reprint the map as often as you wish.

You can view the Jefferson County Bike Map in the Shopping Cart.

As a special introductory offer, the Jefferson County Bike Map will be reduced by $1.00 to just $5.00 from now until the end of 2009. Now’s the time to start planning that city-to-city bike trip, or a close to home get away into rural beauty of Jefferson County.

I saw them two miles into my homebound commute; father and son, fully loaded with panniers and asking directions. The guy on the street wasn’t very helpful. He only knew the autoroute to their destination. I was going that way, so I volunteered to lead them.

Before we’d ridden a mile I knew they needed more than a shop. They were tired, a bit cranky, lost and carrying camping gear, but faced with an expensive motel stay because there was no way they would get out of the city before dark. I volunteered our backyard for the night. It’s exactly the sort of thing that others had done for me on my long ago trip to Portland, Oregon.

By chance, they were riding west from Portland. their destination was a friend’s house in Vermont. Too far into the ride to carry the novelty of the adventure and too far from the end to feel the accomplishment, they were at a mental low point, and the normal tensions of parent and teenage son were heightened. It would have been great to hear travel stories of wonder and parent-child bonding, of cherished memories and life changing experiences, but that wasn’t for this night. Dad needed someone to talk with and son needed “space” and rest.

What we could offer was an ear and a respite from the road. We fed them cheese and crackers until the large pizza arrived, then followed up with a couple of large scoops of ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. They took hot showers and dried off with the thickest towels we had. We listened as Dad unloaded his travel blues while the boy slept. In the morning Dad woke up early and worked on the bikes in our basement bike shop as son continued sleeping. I made a pancake breakfast for Dad, but son chose to get another hour of sleep.

I gave Dad a copy of the “Twin Cities Bike Map,” marked the location of shops for picking up the gear he needed and highlighted the route out of town. Then I hopped my bike and went back to work. It was a small respite for the travelers and a break from the daily grind for me. For them, I hope they form that bond and settle into a close friendship as they continue their travels.

For me, I’ve made a down payment on a debt. I can never directly repay those who helped me on my cross-country trip. The best I can do is pass the favor to another traveler. I’ve done it once. I still have a couple more to go before the debt will be fully repaid.

Bruce Thompson, researcher for the Milwaukee and SE Wisconsin Bike Map, rode the new trail connecting the Kenosha County Bike Trail with Petrifying Springs Park, and sent in the above update. Petrifying Springs or “Pets” is a great jumping off point for a number of bike rides, including the 44 mile downloadable Kenosha route by Bikeverywhere. The connecting trail simplifies the road routes in the area and keeps riders away from traffic. Those changes are reflected in the image above and will show up on the next update.

Maps are dynamic. Bike routes change, new trails get built and old ones extended. Some trails get shut down, temporarily, because of nearby construction or because the trail itself needs an overhaul. Well post the updates here, then provide a permanent, one-top page for all of the posts within each of the metro areas covered. If you want to see what’s chqnged since your copy of a map was printed, click the links below. If you have update information that we should know about, please email us by using the contact form here.

Madison Map Updates

Milwaukee Map Updates

Twin Cities Map Updates

The Lake Country Trail, in the wetern suburbs of Milwaukee, has been extended. The extension runs from the intersection of County Rd P and I-94 in Oconomowoc. It follows the western edge of County Rd P north to Valley Rd, then turns west to County Rd Z. From county Rd Z, the trail extension goes NW then due north into Oconomowoc. Most of the trail is paved and rideable, but a small section near the interstate is still gravel. Phil VanValkenberg, of the Bicycle Doctor in Dousman, claims that the unfinished section will probably be completed when the nearby work on the highway is completed.

The new Riverwest Trail between Burleigh St and Keefe Ave in Milwaukee is open for bicyclists. The trail, on the old Beer Line, runs only half a dozen blocks, but it has the potential to be extended much further. Bruce Thompson, the Milwaukee bike route researcher for the Milwaukee and SE Wisconsin Bike Map has re-routed the connecting bike routes to accomodate the new trail. The new route stays on Richards St. N between Capitol Dr and Keefe Ave. E.

One of the toughest tasks when printing is discovering a mistake just as the presses begin to roll. This is one of those mistakes. Several roads north of Racine slipped through without labels. Here’s the corrected version. The new Milwaukee and SE Wisconsin Bike Map is scheduled for release on April 20. We’ll get them into the distribution system ASAP. With a little luck, you should be able to order them through your local bike shop or bookstore within a week. You can also order them directly through bikeverywhere by going to our store.

There was a time in Minneapolis when a news reporter compared winter bike commuting to the Will Steiger Polar Expedition. Today winter bike commuting is almost mainstream, so what do the polar expedition types do to distinguish themselves? Check out Bike Winter for a list of events in Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison. Some highlights:

• Milwaukee: Bike Polar Plunge: January 1 at 11:00 am. Ride in the New Year with a Ride into Lake Michigan. Meet at Palomino Bar, 2491 S. Superior.  Ride organizers helpfully suggest bringing dry clothes to change into.
• Milwaukee: Bike Polo: Every Thursday and Sunday. Contact mkebikepolo@gmail.com for meet up information.
• Madison: Ride the Capital City Bike Trail: January 17 11:00 am. Meet at the Bicycle Federation office 106 Doty St. Ste 400. Return for post ride warmer uppers.

Stupor Bowl Same weekend as the Super Bowl. This alleycat race is eleven years old and going strong.

Minneapolis Bike Polo For the year round schedule, check the games section of mplsbikelove.

• Northern Minnesota: Arrowhead 135 February 2, 2009. When you’ve done it all and still don’t feel challenged, try this midwinter event. It’s a 135 mile bike/walk/or ski race on snowmobile trails through the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota.. In 2006, the start line temperature was -35 degrees. The high was approximately -17 degrees. One participant lost ten toes to frostbite, so don’t go to this event under prepared.

It took two and a half years of lobbying and overcoming three vetoes by the County Supervisor, but the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors has finally approved bike racks on buses for Milwaukee County. The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin was instrumental in the campaign and will work with the transit system to develop a marketing and outreach plan. More information.

Saris Cycling Group, makers of bike racks for automobiles, is hosting the Wisconsin Bike Fed’s annual fundraiser on Friday, October 17 from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. The gathering of bike riders and activitsts features Special Guest Christian Vande Velde, former support rider for Lance Armstrong and 1999 winner of the UCI World Cup in Individual Pursuit. Host for the event will be local Triple M radio voice and Wisconsin Ironman finisher Pat Gallagher.

Added bonuses include the chance to win a trip for two to anywhere in the United States by Trek Travel and a Trip for Two to Italy from the Cannondale Sports Group. The Italian prize includes the opportunity to ride in the Liquigas team car during a stage of the 2009 Giro d’ Italia.

The annual fundraiser is a popular event that draws cyclists from around the state and northern Illinois. The Bike Fed recommends signing up early to avoid the long lines. To register, or learn more, click here.