# New Glarus routes



## 4bykn (Jan 28, 2001)

Hey friends,

Looking for road rides in the New Glarus, WI area. 50-100 mile range. I've found maps online, but if anybody has suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks


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## dogmeat (Sep 26, 2005)

*Some ideas...*

Head for Mount Horeb, Barneveld, Black Eath, Mazomanie, Riley, Paoli, Madison... ah- but how?

First of all, the definitive set of maps is “Great Dane Rides- A Guide for Bicycling in Madison and South Central Wisconsin” By Michael Bieberitz ISBN:0-9755029-0-5 which can be purchased at Amazon.com

This is a collection of the Bombay Bicycle Club rides/maps/cue sheets and it’s well worth the $20 or whatever… something for all kinds of rides from easy to hard.

I’m going to assume you are looking for hills, scenery, and good cycling roads with almost no traffic.

Here is a very nice circuit that goes from the Madison zoo, through wonderful Paoli, New Glarus, Bellville, and back. It’s not in the book, but is my GF’s route and it’s one of our favorites. One great thing is the BP-Mart in New Glarus- Super Bike Friendly, and this route puts them at almost exactly the halfway point. The roads are all (almost all) very good, and you’ll see a lot of serious cyclists. If you want to start in New Glarus, that’ll work, except you’ll need to find food near the zoo… try Mounds and Park St vicinity.

Our route is (well, we really start on Seminole Hwy, but you’ll need parking):
from Madison
Vilas Park
Get to Arboretum Drive(Vilas Park Drive east, Mills St south, Arboretum west)
L (south) on Seminiole HWY (a main escape route and drag strip for serious cyclists)
R on Whalen
L on Fitchburg
R on Cty M
L on Borchert
L on Purcell
R on Sayles
L on Sun Valley

PAOLI- Paoli is way cool, no gas station. The Cheese Hut has some Gatoraide and snacks, there is a good Ice-cream shop, the Paoili Handpump. The water is "famous"- useful in emergencies- overloaded with Iron, the Ice Cream shop is usually very kind with clear water. Paoli is the epicenter of cycling routes South and West of Madison.

Now you want to get to the intersection of Hwy A and Fritz road...

option 1) flat, fast and easy
South on Hwy PB
R on hwy A (the choppiest section of road on the whole ride)
L on Fritz

option 2) Major hill climb and fast descent
West on Paoli Road
L on Observatory (locally famous steep climb)
R on hwy A
L on Fritz

option 3) long climb, beautiful ride
Straight on Paoli Rd (Sun Valley becomes Paoli Rd in Paoli)
R (you have no choice) on Speedway
L on Schaller
L on Fritz

xxxxxx

When you get to Fritz and A, head South on Fritz
L on Witwer
Straight on A
Left on U (U has a nice hill with a nicer descent!)
Left on O
Which takes you in to NEW GLARUS

OK! This Cue Sheet stuff is getting boring… so look at a map and connect up these roads:

Airport
Tunnel
CC
Belleville (not much in the way of supplies here...)
D
Remy
Frenchtown
Storytown
Blizzard
M
Wendt
Adams
Fitchbug
Whalen
Seminole Hwy

OK! Let’s assume you want a nice scenic ride and don’t mind climbing some hills. One of the big problems with self-supporting a century is finding good quicky-marts.

These are FABULOUS-

The BP Mart in New Glarus- On HWY 69 across from Airport Road- most sport drinks, OK snacks, great people, picnic table in the shade.

The Quick Trip on HWY JG in Mount Horeb- most sport drinks, gallon jugs of water, fresh fruit, bagels, healthy snacks, bananas- after climbing to heaven on JG (it’s a LONG climb) you know you are in heaven when you see what they have for you to eat. Picnic table. Lots of cyclists, triathletes, and friendly motorcyclists meet here.

There is a nice gas station in Black Earth with decent food, about a block from the town park… somewhere near HWY 14 and 78
There are other nice places you can find on your own.

Here is the deal on New Glarus: West and Northwest are Hilly. North is moderately hilly, East and South are flat.

I’ll tell you some of my favorite roads, and you can hook them up:

Hwy U (Totally Rocks!)
Malone Road (OOF!)
Town Hall Road
Messerschmidt (Rollers!)
S (magic carpet ride with a West wind)
Klevinville-Riley Rd
Hwy JG (use to grind North in to Mount Horeb… it’s a long hill, not very sweet, but it gets you there with a decent paved shoulder)
Anything inside the square bounded by Mount Horeb, Mazomanie, Barneveld, and Mount Horeb (Horribly Hilly Land) See www.horriblyhilly.com for their map and profiles.

OK, so don’t forget about the Wright Stuff Century Sept. 3… it’s a hilly Century, but not Horribly Hilly. Lots of good food and excellent support. http://www.bombaybicycle.org/wrightstuff.htm

Well, that’s my 2 cents worth. There is the Sugar River bike trail and all kinds of flat stuff… family stuff, nice- but not my bag.

Dogmeat


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## QuiQuaeQuod (Jan 24, 2003)

4bykn said:


> I've found maps online...


I assume you found the WI county level bicycle maps, but just in case:

http://www.dot.state.wi.us/travel/bike-foot/countymaps.htm

I've found them nice for planning routes. The only downside is that some of the grey roads are not paved, and cities are not on them. But the green roads are pretty sweet.

I don't have specifics from there, but dogmeat seems to have things covered!


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## jlfbogey (Aug 18, 2004)

Wednesday night bike rides---WNBR.ORG -- has weekly rides in the area surrounding Madison, and many are out in the southland toward your New Glarus home. Even if you don't get there on wednesday night, the webpage lists route cue sheets for all their rides that you can use anythime you want. Or try to get there for one or two wednesday night group rides---you will always fall in with a group going your speed.

I have also ridden with Bombay---nice folks with regular rides in a couple different flights, Tuesdays are always starting from the same Vilas park site but Thursday rides are also scattered around the suburbs.

There are also riding groups in Stoughton, Verona, and Janesville you might want to consider---each has a different mix of rides and some races, etc...


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

Ask TurboTurtle. He rides with BCLC, and they do a New Glarus ride once a year.

When in New Glarus schedule a visit to the New Glarus Brewery. Excellent beer and unavailable outside WI.


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## 4bykn (Jan 28, 2001)

Thanks for all your replies, I'm planning on being there for a weekend in Sept. And the brewery was definitely on the schedule!


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## dogmeat (Sep 26, 2005)

*8/3/06 HWY U pea graveled...*

Ride report:

Hwy U from Hwy A to the County Line has been covered in PEA GRAVEL... 8/3/06

Why would they do this? The road was recently resurfaced, and was a glass smooth delight... up a big hill, about 8% grade, then a long winding, sweeping descent with great roll-out. Any way you rode over the U hill, it was well worth the climb. maybe the recent heat wave?

As of last night, there is pea gravel everywhere, sometimes in deep piles. Use caution on descents... bummer!

In a few weeks, it should all be cleared up-- anyone know why the hwy dept would do this?

Dogmeat


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## 4bykn (Jan 28, 2001)

Okay, I'm now back. What a great place to ride. Beat the rain Saturday by about 5 minutes. Got 55 miles in on some seriously (for me) hilly country. We only had time for about 40 on Sunday. Started east on County W. Chilly (around 50 deg), brutal hill by the brewery on cold legs...my buds want somebody else to plan the route next year.
Good places to eat and drink and drink some more at night.


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