Hey fellow Bikies, Although Madison is known as a bike-friendly city (and yes, I know that we spend a lot of our time here on Bikies noting its shortcomings in this area- and I implore you to save those sentiments for another thread), a lot of people might not know why. What an opportunity we have here to include more people more often in the joys of cycling.
On my simple commute that crosses the Isthmus, which some days is the highlight of my day, I take advantage of various mixed-use paths, bike lanes, scenic views, natural air-conditioning of the waterfront, bike/ped bridges, etc., but it dawned on me that every bike commuter must have their own favorite bike features in Madison, many of which I would be a stranger to. What wonderful features of bike-friendliness are out there that you treasure in your rides around town? My idea is to hold a short and mellow bike ride/guided tour in Madison, aimed at the novice cyclist or whatever name-brand you want to give folks who may be on the fence about cycling around town. The ride will serve to highlight the "old" (e.g. path and lanes) and "new" (e.g. bike boxes, maps, and bridges) existing as well as up-and-coming (e.g. Regent/Monroe intersection refurb) bike infrastructure and resources that Madison has to offer. I see this ride as less of an event-in-and-of-itself, and more of an opening of a channel of communication for folks who need or want to find out more about the existing infrastructure that exists to support their decision to ride a bike around town once a month, once a week, or every day (of course my bikie bias loves to think of this as a slippery slope). I am partnering with the Bike Fed, the City of Madison, and the 20by2020 Initiative <http://20-by-2020.com/> for this event. The route will be modest, but the number of features that are highlighted doesn't have to be! Here's where you come in. I am seeking your nominations/brainstorms for bike-related features in Madison to discuss or highlight during the ride. They can be spaces, places, views, amenities, historic facts, mapping/route resources, favorite stretches of asphalt or gear-you-just-can't live without. I'm interested in the commonplace and the esoteric, the straight-and-narrow and the far out. While I can't guarantee that anyone's suggestions will be included during the event, they will certainly be considered and appreciated and perhaps will be the nucleus for another ride or event.
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