Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/124935
from our staff " " What's fabulous about Madison? No matter what your ability or tolerance for adventure, everyone can find a place to ride in and around this town. Into the woods—for adrenaline junkies: CamRock County Park and Blue Mound State Park have excellent—and challenging— mountain bike trails. All-time favorite road journey: Riding the hills from Waunakee to Devil's Lake via the Merrimac Ferry, getting a pickle juice popsicle at the beach concessions then heading back. Pedal Power Sun shining, 75 degrees, slight breeze, country road with low traffic, rolling hills, taking in the beautiful, bucolic scenery and a few friends to keep me company. Ahh, my perfect bike ride. That's much different than it was 10 years ago when it was: Start line jitters, rocks, roots, mud, heart thumping, up short steep-hill climbs, courage to get down that precipice without going over the handlebars, creek crossings and sprint finishes. I've officially transitioned out of hard-core mountain bike racing—I used to compete in the Sport division of the Wisconsin OffRoad Series and the Chequamegon 40 Fat Tire Festival—to the slow burn of century road rides, training for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Ride to Cure each year. I still have my mountain bike, but it gets more miles going to Piggly Wiggly and Walgreens than it does on the dirt. Now, I'm loving quick 20-mile rides on the nearly traffic-free roads that sprawl out from my home in Waunakee. Truth be told, though, occasionally I do still seek the adrenaline rush that comes on the dirt trails when I push myself beyond my comfort zone. What's fabulous about Madison for cyclists? The fact that no matter what your ability or tolerance for adventure, everyone can find a place to ride in and around this town. Some of my favorites: Best group ride: Wednesday Night Bike Rides—sometimes a couple hundred riders of all abilities show up at locations all over Dane County. You can always find someone to ride with! (Check out wnbr.org for more.) Local bike paths: There are so many! The Capital City Trail is outstanding, and I love riding from Waunakee to Blackhawk Ski Club on the trail network around Middleton that connects with the Highway 12 bike path. What else is fabulous for Madison cyclists? The fact that we've got six local women advocating in high gear for us to just get out and ride. Meet them on page 35, and find out how they've helped make Madison one of the nation's top cycling communities. If the cycling bug hasn't bit you yet, it will after reading their stories. Maybe it's time to dust off the old Schwinn 10-speed to see what everyone is talking about! See you in the bike lane! Michelle Reddington Publisher Behind the Scenes at BRAVA: Welcome new staff! We're thrilled to welcome two new staffers to BRAVA who come armed with a wealth of experience, ideas and community connections. Editor-in-Chief Kate Bast brings more than 20 years' publications experience to our team. A veteran magazine editor, she's lead editorial teams at awardwinning publications, including Wisconsin Trails and Milwaukee Home, and loves connecting people with stories, ideas and each other. 8 BRAVA Magazine May 2013 Marketing & Events Director Steph Sabo is an expert at promoting the greater Madison area on local, regional and national levels. Formerly a convention sales manager and public relations and communications manager with the Greater Madison Convention & Visitor's Bureau, Sabo's a community-minded Madison native who's enthusiastic about promoting her hometown and all things local. Correction! Life's not perfect and neither are we. In the Play With Your Food section of our April issue, we incorrectly named the proprietor of Thomas Keller's restaurant, The French Laundry. Our apologies!