The Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis, Wisconsin, has never been an easy venue to bike to. There were no bike racks, no security and no official encouragement to ride to the fair. That has changed dramatically in 2008. Thanks to the efforts of Jack Hirt of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin and the enthusiasm of Kathleen O’ Leary of the State Fair, bicyclists will be welcomed with open arms this year. “Pedal to the Park,” the State Fair’s official name for the promotion, will encourage bicycling to the State Fair by offering bike parking near the north and south entrances to the park. If you are a member of the Bike Federation or on the mailing list of some bike shops in the Milwaukee area, you will soon receive an email encouraging you to “Pedal to the Park.” The email blast is expected to reach nearly 30,000 cyclists.

Bikeverywhere has helped with the promotion by producing a custom map of bike routes to the State Fair and sending out promotional materials to bike dealers in the greater Milwaukee area. This is the same assistance that we gave to Summerfest earlier this summer and similar to the custom bike route mapping Bikeverywhere did for the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts. You can download copy of the map here. Eventually the map will also be available for download on the Wisconsin State Fair website.

This year you can add a bike ride to the corn dog/Midway/animal barn experience of the Wisconsin State Fair.

Aaron Isaacs, author of “Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul” will lead a bike ride along the rail trails of the Twin Cities. The ride leaves at 1:30 on July 17th from St Paul’s Vento Trailhead east of downtown where Payne intersects with West 7th. David Gepner, ride coordinator, describes the ride as “More intellectual than aerobic, and more fulfilling than pure exercise with a stop for a treat and discussion at the nostalgic Dari-ette Drive In.” Isaacs book has received 6 reviews at Amazon.com, all of them 5 star. You can see the book and reviews here.

It didn’t take long for alert readers to notice that I forgot to include the finished part of the Badger State Trail between Belleville and Purcell Rd. No excuses for that oversight. In the process of converting the map into GIS format I overlooked the missing trail. My apologies. Click here for a free pdf file showing the proper location of the trail on the map. Badger State Trail

Little Transport Press is now bikeverywhere! Since 1984 Little Transport Press has been publishing high quality bicycle maps and guidebooks for the upper Midwest. The goal of our publications has been to produce the most accurate, easy-to-use maps of bike friendly roads and trails in the Upper Midwest. That hasn’t changed. We keep investing in new tools for researching and developing bike maps and books and we spend endless hours on the road updating the maps and discovering new routes. What has changed is that we have expanded into new cities (Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and new products. This year we’ve introduced download-able maps.

Our new name-bikeverywhere- reflects an old philosophy. We believe that the bicycle offers unlimited opportunities: for exploring, exercise, running errands, getting to work and experiencing the world on the most versatile and efficient vehicle available to humans. Our website will reflect our broader scope as we add information and interactive opportunities that go beyond traditional publishing. Check back often. We’ve just begun.

The new 2008 Madison and Dane County Bike Map is now available. It’s working its way through the distribution system right now and should be available in bike shops within a couple of weeks. You can also order it here right now. This year we’re also offering, online only, a laminated version of the map. The thick, 3 mil, laminate makes the map sturdy enough to hang from a wall or use as a route planner. Stop by the store and take a look.

The 2008 Twin Cities Bike Map is hot off the press. The newest edition, number 9, is printed on tear and water resistant paper so it will hold up to sweaty jersey pockets, endless folding and the wear and tear of carrying it in your panniers. Stop by your local bike shop to pick up a copy or order it here. For more information check the Twin Cities page.