More Rules They Only Hope You Will Obey

These signs appeared on the Eisenbahn and presumably on other state trails this year. Let me know if you ever see a law enforcement officer with a radar gun on a state trail. Let me know if you understand how a law enforcement officer can determine that a motor was engaged when the rider exceeded 15 mph. Most riders of non-motorized bikes are capable of bursts over 15 mph, and many riders of non-motorized bikes are capable of sustained efforts over 15 mph. It can be hard enough to distinguish, at a glance, an e-bike from a non-motorized bike; it can be harder still to distinguish one class of e-bike from another. So, what? Pull over everybody, just in case? I don't expect the City of West Bend, Washington County, or Fond du Lac County to devote any resources to enforcement on the Eisenbahn. Things might be different in a more heavily urbanized area like Milwaukee, where 28 mph e-bikers on the Hank Aaron State Trail are an obvious danger to other users.

"We're from the government and we're here to help!" Yeah, thanks again.

99,000 Lifetime Miles

Summer in Washington County is a shorter season than the calendar would have you believe. Already we have reached the time of year when 80° is warmer than average, and already you can see leaves beginning to change from a robust green to a sickly yellow. Wednesday will be our last day this year with an 8 p.m. sunset. Let me have the next seven weeks. That’s all I ask. When October arrives, you can have your sweaters and your pumpkin spice lattes and your yards full of trashy Halloween decorations.

On today’s bike ride I surpassed 99,000 lifetime miles. I want to reach 100,000 lifetime miles by the end of September. I will reach my goal before the end of 2026, even if I have to travel somewhere warmer to get the last miles. September 30, though, is my self-imposed deadline because I want October 1 to be the start of a new chapter in my life. On that day I want to feel free to do whatever I want for my fitness. That might be mountain biking: same time commitment, but fewer miles. That might be hiking. That might be some combination of exercises in my home gym. With 100,000 lifetime cycling miles behind me, I won’t be chasing every last mile anymore. If you care at all when I get to 100,000, then surely you won’t care when I get to 100,001. We love our round numbers, don’t we? Getting to 100,001 will be a greater achievement than getting to 100,000, but no one will look at it that way.

With the big mileage goal and summer behind me, you can count on me not to fight very hard against cold weather. In October, I plan to spend 2-3 weeks back in Pennsylvania, where the average daytime high should be 7° warmer than it is in West Bend. Those are 7 precious degrees at that time of year! And sometime around November 1, I will fill the kitchen pantry with supplies for the winter. By December 1, grocery shopping might be nothing more than a weekly order of perishables delivered to my front door. I’m not dealing with winter anymore. I will shovel my sidewalks – municipal code demands they be kept clear – but otherwise I’m done. This week I purchased a battery charger to keep my car from dying during the long periods of disuse I predict for it. I kid you not: full hermit mode this winter.

Offseason cycling goals have always been tricky for me. There will be turbo trainer sessions, but probably not Zwift sessions. I still have three very worthwhile Garmin Connect challenges to attempt: the Tacx 75K Ride (75 km / 46.61 miles), the Tacx 100K Ride (100 km / 62.14 miles), and the Indoor 4-Hour Ride. All sound terrible while the weather is still fair, but we’ll see what depths of desperation I reach in winter. Hey, with just 16 more hours of indoor riding before January 1, this year would be a Top 10 season on the trainer!

I legitimately want to get into a new strength training program in the home gym. That will happen. And I am committing to try each of the seven preset walking workouts on my treadmill. I have had the machine for 2.5 years now and still haven’t pressed those buttons! The last big walking challenge on Garmin Connect is Stepping Up 50K: 50,000 steps in one day. My current PR is 41,635 steps. Completing the challenge would take something like 7.5 hours. That’s an insane amount of walking in a single day, and it’s probably something I would attempt indoors only if there were a full day of sports on TV.

Cycling has never been my only tool for fitness, but for more than two decades it has been the most dominant. Starting this autumn, I will try to find a better balance. I don’t want to feel guilty for doing other things and “neglecting” the bike. The focus isn’t competition anymore. I haven’t done a bike race in almost two years. The focus is now longevity. To be on the bike for years to come, I need to pay more attention to other activities that can support my overall fitness.

That Was A Good One

I finally had a chance to do a Thursday evening group ride, and it was great! I missed the June rides because I was in Pennsylvania. Last week, bad air quality caused by wildfires in Canada and Minnesota prompted the ride organizer to cancel. There were no weather worries today. Even the wind cooperated. I rode to the start location and then home from there after the ride, adding about 3 miles to the official route. That made today’s ride my longest so far this year: 36 miles. I’m still living in that 25- to 30-mile range, but my average is starting to creep up. Today’s ride also was my fastest so far this year: 18 mph. So, no, it was not all Zone 2. I spent roughly half of the ride in Zone 2 and most of the rest in Zone 3. Speed on the flats was not an issue; dragging myself over the hills was the stimulus that pushed me past Zone 2. Today’s 1,237 feet of climbing was my highest total so far this year.

One of the more interesting stats from today’s ride was my average cadence: just 73 rpm. That’s really low. I wasn’t aware of the number during the ride, but I was aware that I was turning the pedals far less frequently than my fellow riders. And that doesn’t count for much. Do I dare say, “Different strokes for different folks,” or is that too obvious a play on words? I was pushing a bigger gear. By itself, that fact is neither good nor bad, it’s simply different.

As usual, today’s ride was offered with two route options. I had planned to do the shorter route, but as we approached the point at which the routes diverged, everyone agreed to complete the long route. Now, having completed it in good style, I would be disappointed if I had cut off early.

If you’re not already familiar with West Bend’s group ride on Thursdays, then check out the Washington County Bicyclists page on Facebook.

Back From The Big Road Trip

On this busy day, I had time for only a short "Welcome Home" ride.

I returned to West Bend early this morning, ending a 25-day East Coast trip. During my time away, I was on the bike 15 times for a total of 375 miles. And I walked 65 miles, so that’s good. I even managed to lose 5 pounds, though I was not careful with my diet. At today’s weigh-in I recorded my lowest number so far this year. Carrying too much weight is the biggest drag on my cycling performance. With tighter control of my diet now that I’m home again, and with more structured training, I expect significant weight loss between now and the end of Daylight Saving Time.

My overall training volume was comparable to what it likely would have been if I had not been away from home, but strength training suffered. That needs a big reboot.

I had a serious problem with my car during my trip, and I paid serious money to get it fixed. Overall, though, the trip was a huge success. In addition to the time I spent with my mother, I visited with one of my nephews and two of my cousins. I also saw a Pirates-Nationals game in Washington DC with my closest friend since childhood. He and I last attended a baseball game together in Pittsburgh in 2000, the Pirates’ last season at Three Rivers Stadium. This year’s short visit to DC was my first there since 2014.

Lots of driving? You bet! I covered 2,356 miles through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Not DC, though. I met my friend at his home in the Virginia suburbs and we took the Metro to Nationals Park and back again. You don’t want to drive in DC if you don’t have to … or park there. Like almost everything on the East Coast, it takes forever and costs a fortune. I think I’ll be content to have a quietly productive (and cost-conscious) remainder of the summer here in Washington County before I think about my next trip.

Tales Of Brave Ulysses

"How his naked ears were tortured by the sirens sweetly singing."

Enjoying those 90° days, Washington County? I know you’re not used to them. They are far more common here in the Philadelphia suburbs. Considerably less common are 105° days, but that’s what we got at Mom’s house today. By visiting at this time of year, I expected honest-to-goodness summer weather. I have not been disappointed.

A couple of days ago, I was talking to Mom about Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. To me, they are foundational works of Western literature. To Mom, they are completely unknown. She missed them somehow, and she was unmoved even when I told her how Odysseus, a/k/a Ulysses, was tied to the mast so that he could hear the sirens’ song without driving his ship onto the rocks. Their ears stuffed with wax, the ship’s crew passed the danger while Odysseus alone heard the call that had doomed all who had heard it before. He might have stuffed his ears with wax too, but he had to satisfy his boundless curiosity.

Mom is 93 years old and a firm believer in all of the dire warnings about heat exposure that the TV news people are repeating ad nauseam. She really didn’t want me to go outside today. I wanted to know what 105° felt like. At home in West Bend, I have never felt anything like it. We briefly touched 100° back on July 4, 2012. I remember that day. But 105° … ? So, this afternoon I did a 42-minute walk around Mom’s neighborhood and, yeah, it was hot. I had the neighborhood to myself; everyone else was inside with the AC on. With that walk I earned the elusive Toasty badge on Garmin Connect:

The Toasty badge didn’t exist in 2012 – Garmin introduced it in 2018 – and who knows when West Bend will see another 100° day? I couldn’t pass up today’s opportunity.

The temperature dropped below 100° late in the evening, so I tacked on a 20-mile bike ride to complete my day. Mom thinks I’m crazy. I think I really made today count.

Halftime 2026

Today brings the first half of 2026 to a close. I have covered 1,400 miles so far this year. By this date in 2025, I had ridden only 894 miles. I’m happy with the difference, but a lot of work remains before I reach my goal of 3,075. Today’s ride was my 60th this year, so I’m averaging 23.33 miles per ride. That would be my lowest average since 2004, my first season of cycling, when I averaged only 16.52 miles per ride. I can’t live with that. Longer rides are coming soon.

Last year on this date, I reached 555 miles of walking. I finished 2025 with a personal record: 1,141 miles. This year, I have 600 miles already. I didn’t set a walking mileage goal for 2026. Nonetheless, a new PR is a strong possibility.

Strange but true: I didn’t plan to end the first half of the year with exactly 1,400 cycling miles and exactly 600 walking miles. It just worked out that way.

Garmin Connect’s Appalachian Trail Expedition

Early this morning, I completed Garmin Connect’s Appalachian Trail expedition. It was the longest of the 17 “hiking” expeditions. I did all 17 in ascending order. This is another kind-of-neat Garmin challenge. Completing it didn’t require any unusual effort on my part; it required only the accumulation of steps over the last 11 months. Completing the 13 “climbing” challenges will be much harder. I have completed only 2 so far. The climbing challenges track elevation gain, and most of my walks have almost none. As I did with the hikes, I will progress through the climbs in ascending order. Each will be harder than the one before. I needed 73 days to complete the first climb and 125 days to complete the second. I have been working on the third since February 19, but it’s still only 79% complete. Even if I were to commit to regular stair climbing workouts, it would take years to reach the summit of Garmin’s virtual Mount Everest. Because of their long time horizons, Garmin’s expeditions don’t work well for motivation. There’s no deadline; you will get there eventually. But there is something to be said for consistent effort over time, so I will take those little rewards as they come.

Well Done, Doylestown!

I really enjoyed today’s ride here in eastern Pennsylvania. Mom lives just outside Doylestown, the seat of government for Bucks County. It’s still a pretty place despite the urban sprawl that comes from being squeezed between Philadelphia and New York City. Doylestown itself is charming. Imagine Cedarburg WI with a county courthouse and stately homes that go back to the 18th Century. There’s a lot to like … for those who can afford it. My biggest complaint about Doylestown is its motor vehicle traffic, which is far greater than you would expect in a community of only about 8,400 residents.

When I lived here in the late 1980s, riding a bike never occurred to me. I don’t know where I would have done it. The region’s 30 miles of bike and pedestrian infrastructure didn’t exist yet. Now it forms the backbone of my rides when I visit Mom, but by itself it’s still not enough. The network of trails is growing in piecemeal fashion, requiring many on-road miles to link the pieces. It will be great someday.

The photo above shows the most recent piece of the network. That 0.3-mile section along New Britain Road is so new that you can still see sawdust on the ground under the fence rails! On previous visits, my rides down New Britain Road were a little uncomfortable. Motor vehicle traffic wasn’t too bad, but the road surface was poor and there was no shoulder. As you can see, the road has been resurfaced and there’s now a physically separated bike lane. It’s a beauty, and all it took was a little extra asphalt. This new link in the trail system doesn’t change where I go, but it changes how I feel about that section. For some local riders, especially kids, the new link probably opens up a part of the system that seemed too dangerous to access before.

Eastern Daylight Time

Today is the end of an unconventional week. Monday looked normal enough, but Tuesday began on the treadmill in my home gym. I was determined to get my 10,000 steps early in the day, because the rest of Tuesday would be very busy. At 2:30 a.m. CDT, I pulled out of West Bend and headed for West Newton PA, my childhood home. I got there early in the afternoon and immediately embarked on a 2-hour ride on the Great Allegheny Passage, one of America’s great rail trails. The GAP stretches from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, roughly 300 miles. There’s a very nice access point in West Newton and a very well supplied bike shop at the trailhead. None of it existed when I was a kid; the railroad corridor was still active. If it had existed in the 1970s, then I would have been all over it!

After a Tuesday night hotel stay in western Pennsylvania, I arrived at my mother’s house in eastern Pennsylvania late Wednesday morning. I didn’t get on the bike that day, but I did find time for a long walk around Mom’s neighborhood. Back in the saddle on Thursday, I rescued the turtle pictured above. It was on its back after failing to get up a curb that was too high. It probably was far enough from the flow of motor vehicle traffic to avoid death by that method, but it was baking under the full sun of an 80-something-degree day. I turned the turtle over and set it on the grass. Seconds later, it waddled off to safety.

I rode again on Friday, on Saturday, and earlier today … solid, maintenance rides of the Zone 2 type. There will be many more of those over the next two weeks. This week I covered 127 miles in 8:44. That’s almost enough weekly volume for the remainder of my time away from West Bend. In July, when I’m home again, I will look for bigger numbers.

West Bend Adopts New E-bike Rules

Last night, the Common Council of the City of West Bend adopted new rules for e-bikes. The move was largely an incorporation of existing state statutes into the municipal code. The new rules confirm that riders 16 years old or younger may ride on sidewalks except in the downtown and Barton business districts, which are off-limits to all riders of any bicycle, motorized or non-motorized. The new rules also confirm that no riders under 16 may operate Class 3 e-bikes, which are capable of high speeds.

The revisions to the municipal code also include the removal of bicycle registration requirements–something that should have been done long ago–and the establishment of clear rules for bicycle parking, abandonment, seizure, and impoundment. Long story short: don’t leave your bike somewhere in a way that inconveniences others.

Click here to read the city’s official news release on these subjects.

Wrapping Up May 2026

With an easy 21-mile ride today, I finished May with a grand total of 380 miles. I got 155 of those with 10.5 hours in the saddle this week, my best week of cycling since September 29 through October 5. Now, 380 miles is still pretty low for me historically, but it is a nice improvement on last year’s effort of only 270 miles. I rode all of those in Pennsylvania, where it was uncommonly rainy. By the end of May 2025, I had accumulated only 342 miles for the entire year! This year, I have 867, so I expect to surpass 1,000 in the week to come.

On Friday’s ride I surpassed 2,000 lifetime miles on my Scott Addict. That means I also have surpassed 2,000 lifetime miles on its original tires. I won’t get through this season without replacing them. The stock Schwalbe One tires have been better than I expected, but I will go with something else when it is time to replace them. My first impulse is to buy yet another pair of Continental Gatorskins, which for years I have used in different sizes on different bikes. I’ll replace the Addict’s original chain soon, too. However, I’m now just two weeks away from my next trip to Pennsylvania, and I hope to delay any equipment changes until I return to Wisconsin in July.

10,000 Steps Per Day … For A Year

Today is my 365th consecutive day of at least 10,000 steps. I’m kind of impressed with myself. Not long ago, being this consistent seemed almost impossible. Now, missing a day seems inexcusable. I have made 10,000 steps non-negotiable in a way I wish I could apply to a few other things, winter bike trainer rides in particular. The key really is to break up the 10,000 steps into smaller chunks: 30 minutes here, 30 minutes there, or maybe just 1 mile at a time. For me, it’s roughly a 90-minute commitment every day. It could be done with one big effort, but it’s better as a series of shorter efforts that break up long periods of sitting. And I sit a lot for my job. Fortunately, working from home gives me many opportunities to pace around the house when work is slow. This freedom has made it fairly easy for me to hit my step goals.

There was only one day in the last year when it looked like I wouldn’t hit 10,000 steps. On December 3, I was driving back to West Bend from my mother’s house in eastern Pennsylvania. The drive is approximately 1,000 miles and takes nearly 15 hours to complete. I took a lunch break in western Pennsylvania and got some of the steps I needed, but halfway across Indiana it occurred to me that I wouldn’t get back to Wisconsin in time to get the rest. It was almost 9 p.m., dark, and cold. I needed a place where I could get the last of those 10,000 steps indoors. I knew there was a shopping mall and a collection of “big box” stores in Mishawaka, just off the Indiana Toll Road. I missed closing time at the mall, but Walmart would be open until 11 p.m., so it became my destination. I walked half a mile inside the store to reach my goal. If people noticed me at all, then they saw only a man taking an unusually long time to locate and purchase a loaf a bread and a box of breakfast cereal, things that wouldn’t spoil during the 5-hour drive that remained.

As goofy as that was, it said a lot about my commitment to 10,000 steps. I didn’t want to give up on my streak … and I still don’t. It’s more than just the foundation of a lot of Garmin Connect challenges; it’s also a foundational health and longevity commitment, not unlike daily vitamin supplements. It sets the floor not for athletic performance, but for general wellness.

Making It Easier To Do Hard Things

Over the years, you may have heard me say that the only intervals I do reliably are intervals of overeating and regret. When it comes to intervals on the bike, my record is poor. I know, of course, that I could be a stronger cyclist if I did more intervals, yet on most of my rides, indoors or outdoors, I get into a comfortable rhythm and simply stay there.

On the road, elevation changes create natural intervals. You will work harder going uphill, like it or not. But on a rail trail like our Eisenbahn, you might stay in the same gear for the whole ride, pumping out mile after mile with almost no changes in power, heart rate, or perceived exertion. I now do so much of my training on the Eisenbahn that I need an artificial stimulus to make me surge above the baseline effort.

I want to be in Zone 2 most of the time on most of my rides. It is the fat-burning, mitochondria-building approach that I can sustain long enough to produce results without producing too much fatigue. But it needs to be complemented with intervals if I want to continue to be more than just a Zone 2 rider. And despite an almost complete absence of elevation change, the Eisenbahn still can be a good place to do intervals.

I have created two Garmin segments for myself. The first is 0.80 miles from Maple Drive to Auburn Ashford Drive.

The second is 0.51 miles from Haven Drive to Century Drive. Between them is a recovery segment of 0.60 miles.

As I approach each work segment, my Garmin Edge is going to alert me. On days when intervals are part of the program, that alert will be my cue to push harder until I reach the end of the segment. “Harder” will mean something between Zone 3 and a series of all-out sprints, depending on the training objectives of the day.

Garmin will time all of my transits of these segments. On Zone 2 days, that won’t count for anything. On interval days, however, those times will serve as additional motivation. Who doesn’t love going after personal records?

But I won’t be ripping down the trail when other users are present, and you don’t need to worry about me creating any Garmin segments in West Bend, Kewaskum, or Campbellsport. The segments I created are safely removed from population. Someday I may create another pair of segments between Campbellsport and Eden, but when I go that far north the objective is always Zone 2 endurance. Not sure I want to arrive at the north end of the trail already gassed from intervals and still facing a 23-mile ride home.

Starting The Next Phase Of The 2026 Season

I reinstalled my trailer hitch-mounted bike rack today. That’s a good sign. That’s optimism. That’s me getting ready to take the mountain bike to nearby trails. That’s me being pretty sure winter really is gone now, despite a couple of instances of overnight frost this week. And that’s me looking forward to my next East Coast trip. I made my vacation request today for dates in June and July. The mountain bike won’t go on that trip; the Scott Addict will be the right tool for the jobs I have in mind. At home or away, I like a mix of roads and rec trails.

The Scott Addict is wearing its power-sensing Favero pedals again. They were on indoor trainer duty over the winter. (It was somewhat less duty than anticipated, but still.) It’s fair to say that I have not yet realized the full potential of training with power data, whether indoors or outdoors. Today’s ride was a very evenly paced 33 miles on the Eisenbahn State Trail and the numbers were right where I expected … with one exception: left/right balance. I recorded a 44/56 split, with my right leg doing most of the work. Last year’s splits were more like 48/52, still favoring the right side. But the sample size was small. I didn’t get the pedals until September. Ideally, I should hit 50/50, though the imbalance isn’t stopping me from enjoying my rides.

Photos From Yesterday's Cheesehead Roubaix XV

The 2026 Wisconsin Cyclocross Schedule

Slow, Steady Progress

Sunday's rain-shortened ride started a 6-day streak of rides that never took me far from home.

Today was my sixth straight day on the bike and that’s pretty good for April in Wisconsin. In fact, that’s the first time I’ve accomplished the feat since 2020. The streak won’t get any longer, though, as tomorrow’s wind chill will be in the 30s. Sunday looks cold too. And that kind of cold is not uncommon around here in April, but it will feel like a real insult after our recent run of warm weather. On Monday, West Bend reached 80° for the first time since October 5.

I’m up to 20 outdoor rides so far this year, which is far ahead of last year’s pace. In 2025, I didn’t do my 20th outdoor ride until June 5! Miles are starting to add up, too. Today’s ride brought me to 400, year-to-date. That’s only 20 miles per ride on average, but longer rides are coming soon.

This was my first 100-mile week since September 29–October 5. That was a 203-mile week, and it will be a while before I do one of those in 2026.

I’ve said many times that I don’t feel “switched on” until I have the first 1,000 miles in my legs each season. I would need uncommonly good weather to reach that threshold this month, but things are looking good for May.

All Of This And Weight Gain, Too!

On April 1, only a fool would claim to know that Washington County is done with winter weather. In fact, there’s a freezing rain advisory tonight, so don’t be surprised if tomorrow’s news is filled with highway accidents and power outages. A month into the semantics fantasy of “meteorological spring,” we are just as likely to have a day in the 30s as one in the 60s.

Weather in the first quarter of 2026 had its ups and down; it wasn’t a complete disaster. I took the road bike outside more frequently than expected. Nonetheless, it’s disappointing to come out of this winter with the same significant weight gain that characterizes all of my winters. I begin the second quarter of 2026 heavier than I was at any point in 2025. Some of that weight gain was intentional: I have improved my bone density and added about 5 pounds of muscle by following a new strength training program. But I have added too much fat at the same time. Just like last year–just like every year–I will rely on long bike rides to burn off the belly.

I freely admit that I didn’t do everything I could have done for my health and fitness during the first quarter. Commitment to a good indoor cycling program might have made a big difference. I’m satisfied with the other activities I tracked, but yeah, I could have done more. Here’s the breakdown:

Oh, and:

The grand totals:

That’s a lot … yet, not enough. It’s never enough.

Spring 2026 Officially Arrives!

My outdoor rides so far. Short and slow, but outdoors!

It is no longer a false spring. Spring 2026 officially arrived on Friday. And that was a nice enough day but not as nice as today’s 72° masterpiece. I rode outdoors on both days, racking up 42 miles. So, that’s 9 rides and 182 miles this year, a humble start but far better than last year’s pace: 2 rides for a total of only 30 miles by March 21. High winds kept me from doing more today. You take the bad with the good in Wisconsin’s spring: if not for the high winds from the southwest, today’s high temperature would have been 40-something.

There are few remaining traces of the 8-inch snowfall that hit West Bend earlier this week. Still, I’m not willing to rule out more snow before spring takes a firm hold. While our afternoon highs will be in the 40s and 50s next week, overnight lows will sometimes fall below freezing. I’ll make all of my cycling plans with a pencil until May 1.

My preseason plan was to spend 50 hours on the trainer before May 1. I’m not even close to that total and I won’t make up all of the deficit. Ongoing sleep issues lead to low energy that I simply cannot overcome by upbraiding myself for my lack of motivation and discipline. Getting outside does allow me to overcome low energy. Just being outside would be enough but there’s the extra reward of making progress toward my mileage goals. In the 40 days that remain before May 1, I should surpass the 50 hours of cycling that might have been exclusively indoors if not for better-than-expected weather.

The False Spring Of 2026

Today was the first 70° day in West Bend since October 18. I rode outside, of course. And I rode outside yesterday, so I’m 2-for-2 since Daylight Saving Time returned. But the good times won’t last. When I’m shoveling snow this weekend and watching overnight temperatures fall into single digits, I’ll try to remember the last two days with gratitude and accept the return of winter with less bitterness. The weather is not supposed to be this nice this early. My 7 outdoor rides and 140 miles are more than I had any right to expect by this date.

Wrapping Up February 2026

In February, even slow miles are good miles.

In West Bend, today was the seventh day this month with a high temperature of 50° or more. That's not normal, but it has my approval. Things go back to normal tomorrow: freezing temperatures and a little snow. I won’t ride outdoors tomorrow. This month I completed 4 outdoor rides for a total of 82 miles. Yes, I missed a couple of opportunities. No regrets, though. I came into this month expecting nothing. My personal record for February is 285 miles, set in 2017. So, I didn’t come close to setting a new PR, but 82 was my highest total outdoors in February since 2020, and today’s ride was my longest so far this year. Good enough.

First Outdoor Miles Of 2026

I dispute Garmin’s claim that West Bend reached 50° today. We got close, certainly, and it looks like we’ll get there on each of the next three days. Whatever the real temperature was today, it was good enough to draw me outside for my first ride of 2026. And the ride wasn’t much – I started too late in the afternoon to be ambitious – but the first ride of a new year is always an occasion to celebrate.

The 2026 WCA Road Schedule

 

The 2026 ToAD Schedule

Presenting The 2026 Cheesehead Roubaix

Cheesehead Roubaix is getting a makeover! This year’s route will be very different, introducing you to exciting gravel sectors never featured before. The 66-mile ride will include about 7 miles of gravel roads and nearly 2,000 feet of climbing. Want to test your fitness coming out of Wisconsin’s long winter? This is the ride for you! And it’s only 13 weeks away: Cheesehead Roubaix XV will begin at Newburg Fireman’s Park on Saturday, May 2, at 9 a.m. CDT.

Cheesehead Roubaix is free of charge, but please consider making a voluntary contribution to the Newburg Fire Department to show your appreciation for the use of its facility. Donations will be accepted at the concessions stand before and after the ride. NFD is a small, all-volunteer department. Your generosity will make a big difference! And to ensure NFD has enough food and drink in stock at the concessions stand for post-ride sales, please confirm your attendance on the Facebook event page.

There will be no mid-ride rest stop on the new route. Food and drink will be available for sale at minimarts along the route. See the cuesheet for locations.

Cheesehead Roubaix is designed for self-sufficient cyclists. Be prepared to handle your own flat tires and other minor mechanical issues. The ride uses only open public roads and park paths. You are responsible for your own safety and conduct, and you are expressly not exempt from Wisconsin traffic laws. Represent the sport well. Please visit the Cheesehead Roubaix website and print out your own copy of the cuesheet and map. The website also offers data files for GPS devices.

See you on May 2!