Author: Harald Kliems

Franklin Ave, Middleton Active Transpo Plan, Midvale Closure, Madtown BMX, High School Transportation Ambassadors, and a Former Pro

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date July 20, 2026

Thursday’s smoke over University Bay

When you open this newsletter, the air quality will likely still be mediocre. Please protect yourself as best as you can. Reduce your time outdoors, wear a mask, build/buy an indoor air filter. And of course, continue your advocacy against climate change.

Looking for Ride the Drive Volunteers

Bike-powered smoothies at Ride the Drive

Madison Bikes will be at the Ride the Drive on Sunday, Aug 9. We’ll bring the bike-powered smoothie maker to the Capitol Square and still need a few volunteers to help with setup, smoothie operations, and cleanup. Sign up to volunteer with Madison Bikes here.

Public Input Meeting for Franklin Ave

On Monday, 7/20, there will be a public input meeting for the reconstruction of S Franklin Ave on the near west side, between Regent and Speedway, as well as two side streets, Sylvan and Ridge. These streets currently don’t have a curb and gutter and mostly lack sidewalks. The meeting starts at 6:30 PM and is happening on Zoom.

Middleton Seeking Input on Active Transportation Plan

The City of Middleton is in the process of creating an active transportation plan and wants to hear from you. Whether you live or work in Middleton or visit there, consider providing feedback, either at two upcoming public meetings or via an online survey. The first meeting is on Thursday, 7/23.

The draft Active Transportation Plan provides a long-term vision for improving walking, biking, rolling, and transit throughout Middleton. The plan identifies opportunities to make it easier, safer, and more convenient for people of all ages and abilities to travel throughout the community while supporting a transportation network that better connects neighborhoods, parks, schools, businesses, and community destinations.

Middleton Night Market Pop-Up
Thursday, July 23, 5–8: p.m., Stone Horse Green
Open House:
Northside Elementary School, Wednesday, August 5, 6–7 p.m.
Open House:
Parisi Park, Monday, August 10, 6–7 p.m.

Residents who are unable to attend an in-person event can review the draft plan and complete the online survey between July 16 and August 16. The draft plan and survey are available at:
https://cityofmiddleton.us/392/Active-Transportation-Plan

Midvale Closure to Begin

Starting on Monday resurfacing work on Midvale Blvd, between University Ave and Mineral Point Road, will begin. While one lane of traffic will remain open throughout the construction period, it’s probably a good idea to seek out alternative bike routes.

In case you missed it, this construction project at some point was supposed to include the addition of painted bike lanes. This would have required the removal of car parking. The two area alders, Bill Tischler and Regina Vidaver, eventually scuttled the plan and pushed bike improvements to a full reconstruction of the street, timeline unknown. The current reconstruction does come with much needed pedestrian crossing improvements and more cleanly delineated, narrower travel lanes.

High School Transportation Ambassadors

Last year, the Wisconsin Bike Fed launched a high school “Transportation Ambassadors” program. This is a yearlong, paid internship for students at MMSD high school. The students build up their advocacy skills and work on a project to improve active transportation at their school. The first cohort just graduated, and you should read this great article about them and their work!

BMX is Back (Almost)

Dane County lost its only BMX track a few years ago. But now Madtown BMX has a new home, at Angell Park in Sun Prairie. Their new track is scheduled to be open by September.

No Turn on Red

As reported in last week’s newsletter, the Transportation Commission received a briefing on No Turn on Red at their Wednesday meeting. The presentation and ensuing discussion are worth watching.

Meet Former Pro Cyclist Kerry Helmuth

On Thursday (7.23), former pro cyclist Kerry Helmuth will read from her book, Willkie Sprint, at Capital Brewery Beer Garden in Middleton. Machinery Row’s Century Training Club will bike to the event from Madison, or you can go straight to the event at 7 PM:

When: Group ride leaves from Machinery Row @ 5:30pm, Event starts @ 7:00 p.m.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/56083529

Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

Details: Kerry Helmuth will be reading a selection from her book, Willkie Sprint, and will be autographing copies. She will have a limited quantity of copies available at the event for purchase. She will also be speaking with event participants about her career as a professional cyclist and about promoting women’s cycling.

Weekly Update

Regent St, Safe Routes to School, Bike Week, Campus construction, Tancho Path

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date May 18, 2026

New covered bike racks at the new development at 826 Williamson, between the building the Cap City Trail

Regent Street: Recap and next steps

Quick disclosure first: I am on the Transportation Commission and the Board of Public Works. The following is a very abbreviated summary of the whole process so far.

Regent Street was back at the Transportation Commission last week. Here are the slides and the video recording of the meeting. To recount what happened so far: In April, the commission had narrowly approved the proposed geometry for the street. That geometry

did not include any bike facilities on Regent but some improvements on crossing and parallel streets
had a bunch of car parking/loading on both sides of Regent
one travel lane in each direction for the stretch between Randall and Brooks (down from one lane + rush hour/parking lane)
very wide travel lanes because that’s what the fire department/EMS want
greatly expanded sidewalks and space for sidewalk cafes and some trees
an additional lane and wider road footprint between Brooks and Park (at the UW Health 20 S Park Clinic)

The project next went to the Board of Public Works for approval. After much public comment in opposition and a staff presentation that made a case for why the project as proposed was indeed in accordance with the Complete Green Streets policy, the board overall concurred with the staff proposal and the transportation commission’s vote. Except for the additional lane between Brooks and Park. Because of the different votes at the board and the commission, the Common Council sent the project back to the Transportation Commission.

At the commission’s meeting on Wednesday, again there was a lot of public comment requesting the inclusion of bike facilities on Regent, limiting parking/loading to only side of the street, as well as business and employer representatives speaking in favor of the previously approved design. The discussion of the commission was mostly focused on the one block between Brooks and Park. The commission eventually approved one of the options that includes an additional lane in that block. Additionally, the commission approved the addition of a buffered bike lane on Mills that goes all the way to the intersection with Regent:

Previous and current proposal for Mills: Buffered bike lanes and bumpouts instead of turn lanes. Image: City of Madison

What’s next: Now the project will go back to the board of public works, on Wednesday, May 20, 4:30 pm. You can register for that meeting here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/committees/meeting-schedule/register After that, the Common Council will have the project on the agenda and weigh all aspects of it. At the transportation commission, several alders were in attendance and asked questions about how the project aligned with adopted city policies.

Madison Bike Week 2026

On to more fun matters: The countdown to Madison Bike Week 2026 is ticking. Less than two weeks until it starts! If you haven’t already checked out the event website (big shoutout to super volunteer and newsletter contributor Ben Sandee who developed the new site from scratch!), now is a good time! You can filter events, create a personal agenda, upload images, get notifications of cancelled events, and more.

The current event count is 67, and I’m sure it’ll still go up more before Bike Week starts. It’s not too late to organize your own event and get it on the calendar! https://www.madisonbikes.org/events/bikeweek-event-registration/

If you’re on our volunteer list, you already received an email with some Bike Week volunteer opportunities. If you’re not on the list and would like to help out, shoot us an email at volunteer@madisonbikes.org.

Safe Routes to Schools meeting and feedback form

The city, the Wisconsin Bike Fed, and the Madison Metropolitan School District are working on a Safe Routes to School Plan. The plan “presents a vision for increasing walking, biking, and taking the bus to school.” A draft is now available and you (and your kids!) can provide input. You can do that either online or at virtual meeting on May 21, 6-7 pm. Links to sign up to the meeting and the online comment form are all on the website for the plan: https://www.cityofmadison.com/traffic-engineering/biking-walking/programs-and-projects/safe-routes-to-school/safe-routes-to

Tancho Drive Path: We’re gonna celebrate, in June

Construction on the Tancho Drive Path on the far Northeast Side, at the border with Sun Prairie is progressing. The path was supposed to be open by May 19, but it may take a little longer. Save the date for our community celebration in June!

Tancho Drive Path on May 17. Streetlights are up but no paving yet.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony, sponsored by Madison Bikes, Oakwood Village-Prairie Ridge, and Sun Prairie Moves, will be held on Friday, June 26 on the path adjacent to the Oakwood-Prairie Ridge main building, 5565 Tancho Drive. There will be drinks, snacks, and some brief remarks by individuals from the City of Madison, Sun Prairie, and Prairie Ridge. We are currently interviewing some Prairie Ridge residents to get their thoughts on the importance of the new path to them. Information from those interviews and more information on the ribbon cutting will follow in a future Madison Bikes update.

UW–Madison Campus Construction

The semester is over, which means a lot of road and path construction projects on campus have kicked off. Not everything is always going to plan or communicated ahead of time and we have received various reports of unexpected closures and detours. If you’re on Facebook, our Madison Bikes Community Group has been a good venue to stay up to date. UW Transportation Services has an overview and updates available here: https://transportation.wisc.edu/2026/04/22/summer-2026-construction-forecast/

Downtown Plan meeting

Tonight (Monday May 18) from 6:30 to 7:30pm, you can join a virtual open house for the Envision Downtown Madison Plan. Materials, more details, and a registration link are available on this website:

https://www.cityofmadison.com/dpced/planning/events/2026-05-18/envision-downtown-madison-open-house-virtual

Ride the Drive volunteers sought

Ride the Drive is happening in August this year, and the search for volunteers has begun:

Ride the Drive is returning to Madison on Sunday, August 9, 2026. Since its start in 2009, this event has grown into a community celebration of health, the environment, and connection, made possible by volunteers like you.

Click Here to:

BECOME a VOLUNTEER

We invite you to join us and be part of another incredible day. This year, we are excited to welcome over 200 volunteers to help bring the event to life. Whether guiding at intersections, staffing booths, or helping with setup and cleanup, your role helps create a welcoming and vibrant experience across the city.

And yes, there is a little bonus this year.

Two shirts one ride.

Volunteers will receive the new 2026 Ride the Drive T shirt (no color chosen yet) and, you will also receive a 2025 shirt (hot pink, very sharp).

Why Volunteer?
• Enjoy flexible shifts. Most positions are just 2 hours, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the event
• Celebrate community. Connect with neighbors and help create a healthier and more vibrant Madison

• Volunteer training available July 22^nd 6pm to 7pm. Zoom link will be provided.

Thank you for being part of what makes Ride the Drive so special. Your time and energy truly make this event possible.

Visit ridethedrive.com for additional information about the event including maps, vendor information, and more.

As always, you can find an overview of all bike events on our Community Bike Calendar. Email us at info@madisonbikes.org to add your events. And if you value our newsletter and other work, consider donating to Madison Bikes. For construction updates, check out the city’s Bike Madison page.

Thanks to our sponsors who make our events possible!

Weekly Update

Regent, Park St; Amtrak to Madison?

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date April 12, 2026

It’s starting to feel a bit like spring. This weekend, I tried chasing down the pelicans that I had seen people post about on social media for the past few days. I had no luck at Lake Wingra on Thursday (but lots of muskies!) or on Monona Bay on Friday, but yesterday I finally found them, along the Military Ridge Trail and on Dunn’s Marsh!

Spring Bike Wash

A previous version of this newsletter stated we’re having a Spring Bike Wash on April 18th, but due to planning issues and a not-so-great weather outlook, we will not be doing the event.

Regent Street and Park Street back at Transportation Commission

The Transportation Commission on Wednesday (4/14) has several relevant items on the agenda:

Regent Street is back for a final approval. After a long discussion in February, the commission provided feedback to staff, and now they’re bringing back a slightly revised proposal. Much of the key elements remain the same: There won’t be any bike facilities on Regent; some bike improvements will be made on parallel and crossing streets. The amount of parking/loading spots remains mostly the same, as does the number of travel and turn lanes. Because of the parking/loading zones and the power lines on the south side of the street, the plan only includes space for up to 10 large and 8 narrow trees. Some of the intersections have been tightened up to slow turning drivers.
The horrible and tragic death of Sasha Rosen on Park Street continues to reverberate. City staff will provide a presentation on “Potential Short Term Solutions to Improve Traffic Safety on Park Street and Other Similar Arterial Streets” to the commission. It outlines how excessive speeds are the main safety issue, and how Park Street is just one of many major arterials in Madison (Northport, Packers, Mineral Point, University, …) that deal with this problem. A full rebuild of streets is often the most effective solution, but we don’t have the luxury to wait that long while people are being injured or killed by drivers.
Finally, the commission will discuss how projects in the Safe Streets Madison program should be scored. Safe Streets Madison is a dedicated pot of money to fund small-scale street safety improvements in a data-driven way. City staff use a prioritization tool that takes into account the safety issues, the cost of solutions, and the benefit those solutions will result in.

You can submit written comments to the commission by emailing transportationcommission@cityofmadison.com, or sign up in support/opposition to items or register to speak at https://www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/committees/meeting-schedule/register

Amtrak service to Madison by 2029?

This item is not exactly bike-related. Amtrak is holding a public meeting on Tuesday (4/14) from 7-8:30 PM. The topic: A potential start of Madison to Milwaukee passenger rail service, dubbed “Hiawatha West,” as early as 2029. Is it really going to happen? And will we maybe be able to take bikes on board? We’ll see.

The outreach plan includes opportunities for the public to provide feedback and to learn more about the project. Amtrak will host a public webinar on April 14 at 7PM CST. There will be a presentation and an opportunity to ask questions.

Registration link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=wu2XYcABJEuJGY-CfVxN-uNR_VLR8VNJqOlwraDWe49UM0JDUjBPNVNBUVZKNVM1MUMxVkFLNURCWi4u&route=shorturl

Madison Bike Week: Submit your events!

A quick reminder that event submissions for Madison Bike Week are open! Everybody can submit an event — be it a group ride, a meetup, a sticker exchange, an advocacy event, a bike station, whatever you can think of! If cost is a concern, we have a small grant program available to support you. Find out more on the Madison Bike Week page: https://www.madisonbikes.org/events/madison-bike-week-2026/

Madison By Bike

Destination Madison, our city’s tourism promoters, want you to know about the Madison By Bike challenge. “Madison By Bike welcomes you to explore the capital city. Pedal across multiple Madison trails, each with their own vibe, and stop along the way to redeem exclusive discounts and earn prizes. Sign up now.“

Thanks to our sponsors who make our events possible!

E-Mail Weekly Update

More on Park Street; CORP Clinic; Advocacy Social; Bike License Plate

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date February 22, 2026

https://mastodon.social/@cyclists_of_msn/116114994197234080

To everyone’s surprise: It’s not actually spring yet! We’re back in freezing temperatures and the bike paths are much emptier again. Ah well.

Park Street

The horrible crash that killed 17-year-old high school student Sasha Rosen on Park Street continues to be on everyone’s minds and in the media. Last Wednesday, the Transportation Commission discussed the fatal crash, what led to it, and how we can prevent fatal crashes–on Park Street and elsewhere–going forward. For a live recap of the meeting discussion, you can read Mike Zenz’s account on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/therealzenz.bsky.social/post/3mf6a6xgqck27

Many members of the public spoke at the meeting or submitted written comments, asking for action and recounting their own experiences of traffic violence or reckless driving on and around Park Street. City staff gave a long presentation. The talked about what they have already done (e.g. make sure that all signage and signals at the site of the crash met and exceeded regulation; increased police enforcement right after the crash); what cannot be done at the moment (e.g. automated camera enforcement because state law doesn’t allow for it; closing down a travel lane because Park Street is a highway controlled by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation); and what they plan on doing going forward in the long term (e.g. the North-South BRT project will include many safety improvements) and in the short term (collect more data). Members of the commission (disclosure: I am one of them) offered suggestions and asked many pointed questions.

Media coverage of the crash also continued:

The Cap Times reports on how the school district do and do not work together when it comes to traffic safety issues: https://captimes.com/news/government/madison-student-s-death-prompts-talk-of-more-city-school-collaboration/article_fa1653d5-6697-4880-956a-b94806b8171e.html
The Wisconsin State Journal reports on the “Safe Routes to School” program, which is a partnership between the Wisconsin Bike Fed, the city, and the school district: https://madison.com/news/local/education/local_schools/article_6ece42f8-dda1-41c6-adb6-f25743555e5b.html
Channel 3000 delivered the news that the driver who killed Sasha allegedly drove 62 miles per hour and was charged with second-degree reckless homicide. https://www.channel3000.com/news/police-driver-that-killed-teen-was-driving-at-62-mph/article_4116e3e7-c8cf-4d0c-b99c-2fe8c23cf5e6.html
The Cap Times also provides a recap of the Transportation Commission meeting last week. https://captimes.com/news/government/park-street-crash-prompts-emotional-meeting-on-traffic-safety-fixes/article_5d0c6540-e10d-4515-bd3d-edd08e5469cc.html

If you want to stay up to date with “Safe Streets for Sasha,” the advocacy website now has an option to subscribe to email updates: https://www.safestreetsforsasha.org/

Bike Advocacy Social on Sunday

After successful outing to survey Regent Street and talk to local businesses about the upcoming Regent Street reconstruction last Sunday, the Machinery Row/Madison Bikes advocacy meetup is doing a social next Sunday (3/1): From 5 to 6:30 pm folks will meet at Working Draft Brewing, in an approachable environment where anyone interested in bike advocacy can meet like-minded folks and chat about how we can make Madison a more bike-friendly city.

CORP Clinic for NICA Athletes on Monday

The series of Capital Offroad Pathfinders continues, but this time it’s for the kids. On Monday (2/23) night, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, NICA athletes can come to the Trek Store West and learn about fixing their bikes:

Are your parents sometimes too helpful and as a result you don’t learn how to fix things yourself? No parents allowed in this clinic which will focus on athletes learning common bike repairs, changing a tire, keeping your bike clean and running well.

This clinic will be led by the awesome mechanics at Trek West!

Bike License Plates

Rumor has it that some people who ride bikes also own a car. And may be interested in that car having custom license plates that show their support for biking. Well, the Bike Fed’s got you:

Turn Your Commute Into a Cause: The Wisconsin Bike Safety Plate
Wisconsin is about to become the 27th state to put bicycle safety front and center—and we need your help to cross the finish line.

The Wisconsin Bike Fed is officially launching a campaign to create a “Special Group Plate.” This isn’t just a piece of metal for your car; it’s a rolling billboard for safety and a permanent engine for change.

Why This Matters
Starting in 2027, every plate sold will do two vital things:

1. Generate awareness: It sends a constant, visual safety message to every driver on the road.

2. Fund Education: Proceeds from every sale go directly into bicycle education and safety programs across the state.

In order to make that happen, they need to raise enough money to cover the initial development fee for the plate. You can contribute here: https://give.wisconsinbikefed.org/campaign/766424/donate

Newsletter Weekly Update

Beltline at Transportation Commission; Dial Your Ride; DeForest Trails

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date January 5, 2026

The Southwest Path on a snowy day last winter. This week we’ll probably see more melt than snow. Image: Cyclists of Madison

Happy New Year! It’s 2026, and the year starts with a fairly slow week in terms of events. In case you missed it, it’s a great time to read or re-read Paul’s 2025 Year in Review post! But there are some things happening this week too:

Proposed Beltline expansion at the Transportation Commission

On Wednesday, the Transportation Commission will discuss the Wisconsin Department of Transportation‘s (WisDOT) study about the Beltline. No materials are available yet. WisDOT is proposing to expand the capacity of the Beltline with an additional lane, as well as making improvements to bike and ped infrastructure. Read Ben Varick’s guest post from December for more details about the overall plan: https://www.madisonbikes.org/2025/12/guest-post-expanding-the-beltline-is-the-wrong-plan/

You can submit comments to the Transportation Commission by emailing transportationcommission@cityofmadison.com or register to speak at the meeting here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/committees/meeting-schedule/register

Dial Your Ride clinic series

Our friends from Capital Offroad Pathfinders are hosting a series of clinics focused on maintaining your bike and your body. This Monday at 5:30 pm, the topic is “Dial your Ride! Shocks, Fit and more“

Bikes are complex and getting the setup right can enhance the riding experience immensely. This clinic will help with simple adjustments to get the saddle, bars, brakes adjusted to be in the right position, tire pressure suggestions based on your setup, and shock adjustments as well.

This clinic will be led by the incomparable Isaac Neff of Neff Cycle Service who has helped many cyclists to adjust their bike to fit to their body for a more comfortable and efficient ride.

UW students help DeForest develop MTB trail

The UW-Madison’s UniverCity Alliance partners UW students with municipalities around the state to work on a specific issue in that community. One of those projects is a partnership with the Village of DeForest on developing a maintenance plan for a new mountain bike trail.

The UW-Madison students stated the scope of their work involved identifying conservation priorities and providing mitigation strategies for the future trail site to the village. To do so, they worked closely with DeForest Director of Public Services Judd Blau and Deputy Director Greg Hall throughout the project.

“It was wonderful to work with these people. They’ve done a tremendous job… All of these things are very manageable and doable for us. There are things they brought forward that we didn’t even consider, that’s been a benefit to us,” Blau said.

Read the full article here: https://www.hngnews.com/the_star/local_news/uw-students-develop-deforest-mountain-bike-trail-management-plan/article_44e876d5-f119-4fee-afc6-4e24e26618dd.html

Welcome Dan, goodbye Katie!

With the beginning of the new year, there is some change on our board of directors. Katie Nash decided to not run for re-election and instead focus on other bike advocacy work, such as writing articles for Northside News or co-organizing the monthly bike advocacy meetup at Machinery Row. A big thanks to Katie for her work on the board — and her willingness to continue working with us on sponsorships!

New to the board is Dan Pensinger. Dan has been actively involved with Madison Bikes for over a year now, helping with volunteer coordination, organizing events, and much more. As of now, he’s an official board member. Welcome Dan!

E-Mail Weekly Update

Bike shop map, downtown plan, curb management

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date November 17, 2025

Did you attend yesterday’s Winter Bike Fashion Show? We last had the show all the way back in 2019, and so I wasn’t sure how things were going to go. Would people show up? Does the format still work? We’ll share more later, but I think the show was a great success. Models that showcased a variety of approaches to riding in the cold; volunteers and sponsors contributing their labor and door prizes; a wonderful venue; over 100 people attending. The Fashion Show is back!

Curb management at the Transportation Commission

The Transportation Commission is meeting on Wednesday. One item of interest is an update to the curb management project. What is curb management? The curb on city streets is an important and often contentious dividing line. Should the space to the left of the curb be used for car parking, delivery zones, bike lanes, sidewalk cafes? Should the city charge for the use of that space? And how much, at what times, with what goals? There are many more aspects to this, and this is why the city is undertaking a comprehensive study of policies, practices, and technologies related to managing the curb.

Slide from the presentation (Source: City of Madison)

It is still early days in the project, and the current step aims to finalize a guiding framework by this fall. You can provide input by emailing transportationcommission@cityofmadison.com or registering here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/city-hall/committees/meeting-schedule/register

Downtown Plan process

The city keeps working on updating its area plans. As the Southeast and Southwest plans are getting closer to completion, the revision of the Downtown area plan has just started. How can you be involved? For now, you can add comments on transportation, land use, and other issues on this interactive comment map: https://plans.cityofmadison.com/downtown-area-plan There are already a lot of bike-related comments on that map!

Bike shop map and t-shirt store

Did you know that we have a map of Madison area bike shops and repair stations on our website? The map was broken for a while, but now we updated the map and you can find it here. Another update to our website: We now have a link to our merch store in the main menu of the page. So if you want to buy a Madison Bikes shirt, go here.

Thanks to our sponsors who make our events possible!

E-Mail

Join us for the Winter Bike Fashion Show on Sunday!

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date November 14, 2025

A quick reminder that the Return of the Winter Bike Fashion Show is happening this Sunday. We haven’t hosted a show since COVID, but now we’re back!

Join us (and bring a friend!) at the Goodman Community Center, Iron Works Building, 149 Waubesa Street from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

What is the Winter Bike Fashion Show? A celebration of riding your bike through the colder season. A venue for asking questions about how to keep your toes toasty, goggles fog-free, bikes upright on an icy day. Will there be “fashion”? Uh, sure! Because we think that no matter if you’re wearing Swedish army surplus wool pants, hi-tech bike jackets with built electric heating and Bluetooth controls, or just the coat you’d normally wear around town: Everybody looks amazing when they’re on a bike.

One of our fabulous models: Kimberly

Aside from our models showing off their outfits and answering questions, we’ll have more activities for you:

Help school kids stay warm in the winter: Safe Routes to School is doing a clothing drive. Hats and mittens are the biggest need, but items such as coats and rain pants are also welcome.
Madison Metro will have a bus on site and you can practice putting your bike on their front racks.

Our photographer Dan Stout will take pictures of you and your bikes. Our board member Harald will be around with his video camera to ask you about your favorite (and maybe least favorite) things about riding in the cold.
There will be cookies, snacks, and hot beverages.

See you Sunday!

Thanks to our sponsors who make our events possible!

E-Mail Newsletter Weekly Update

Bicycle Film Festival; Week Without Driving; Bike Advocacy Meetup

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date September 29, 2025

Bicycle Film Festival this Thursday!

This is the week! The 25th Anniversary (and second time in Madison) edition of the Bicycle Film Festival is happening this Thursday! Tickets are still available as of now, but don’t wait too long. Full details about the festival are available here. We’ll have door prizes and there is a pre-festival social hour at Working Draft, with a special appearance by the Chef At Large food cart. Will we see you on Thursday?

Week Without Driving starts today

Did you know that about 30-40% of residents in Dane County are non-drivers? That is, they can’t or don’t drive at all. Because they’re too young, too old, have a disability that prevents them from driving, can’t afford to drive, don’t have a drivers’ license, or choose not to drive for some reason or the other. Non-drivers face many challenges, such as inadequate transit service, missing sidewalks, unsafe bike conditions, etc. Week Without Driving invites elected officials, transportation professionals, policymakers, and community members to step into the shoes of non-drivers by not driving from Sept 29 to October 5 and reflecting on that experience.

Week Without Driving panel discussion in Madison

In addition, there are also community discussions about the week. You already missed the one in Madison, which took place yesterday (and was wonderful!). But you can still join the discussions in Sun Prairie on Tuesday and Fitchburg on Thursday. Virtual options are included, and the recordings will be made available later. You can also watch a short intro video with Anna Zivarts, the author and activist who came up with Week Without Driving (and apparently considered moving to Madison after she visited in 2024!)

Bike Advocacy Meetup on Sunday

On Sunday, join the monthly Bike Advocacy meetup at Machinery Row. These meetups aim to connect and empower people from the Madison community to collaborate, learn, and strategize ways to make Madison more bike friendly. It’s a welcoming crowd and you don’t need to a bike or bike advocacy nerd to join. 5-6:30 pm at Machinery Row.

Can’t make it in person? There’s an online community on Discord as well: https://discord.gg/QJBt5e5K (link expires in 7 days)

Lake Wingra Community Ride a success

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway at the start of the ride

It was the most beautiful weather imaginable for the inaugural Lake Wingra Community Ride. The ride celebrated the creation of the Lake Wingra Loop, a 6.5 mile route that features natural, historical, and cultural highlights. About 60 community leaders, businesses, elected officials, and people enjoying the route came together and stopped at the various points of interest along the route. There will be likely be another community ride next year, but for now you can experience the route at your pace, whenever you like. Check out the story map here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/52bda717b8a544169a62f691746c77b8

Phil Gaebler (City of Madison Engineering) providing information about stormwater management

Thanks to our sponsors who make our events possible!

Newsletter

Only 2 weeks until the Bicycle Film Festival: Get your tickets now!

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date September 18, 2025

Two weeks from today, on October 2, the 25th anniversary edition of the Bicycle Film Festival will be in Madison! Join us at the Barrymore Theater (and the pre-show party at Working Draft Beer Company). If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, now is a great time to do so: https://barrymorelive.com/event/25th-annual-bicycle-film-festival-madison Need another reason to attend? We’ll have some cool door prizes!

Documentaries, narratives, animations, award-winning directors, and emerging talents – all share equal billing. Take a journey around the globe. BFF Madison features curated stories about:

In South Africa, a young women’s cycling group empowers women to defy norms, find freedom, and dream big through cycling.
Cyclists in London ride through the city distributing food and necessities to those in need, pedaling toward social change.
A spiritual cyclist from India spreads happiness wherever his journey takes him.
In rural China, a migrant worker collects and resells styrofoam boxes using her bike—a story scored by music from Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
See the three-day La Crosse Omnium in La Crosse, Wisconsin from the perspective of youth cyclists.
A World Bicycle Relief documentary highlights the creation of the Buffalo Bicycle, a rugged bike designed to serve marginalized rural communities
One documentary reminds us that the simple joy of wind in your hair while cycling is something everyone can experience. At any age, in any stage of life.

Watch the trailer here: https://player.vimeo.com/video/1111087866

Pre-show party

The pre-show party at Working Draft Beer Company starts at 4pm. It’ll be a great opportunity to chat with folks, enjoy non-alcoholic drinks or a beer, and grab some delicious food from Chef at Large Catering. Nobody wants to go to the movies hungry!

More details on everything: https://www.madisonbikes.org/2025/08/bicycle-film-festival-coming-to-madison-again/

Bike Parking

We’ll have supervised bike parking right next to the Barrymore, courtesy of Level 5 Donuts and Fortune Favors. What’s supervised bike parking? We set up portable racks and will have someone at the racks at all times. You still need to bring your own lock.

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Bicycle Film Festival coming to Madison again!

Post author By Harald Kliems
Post date August 22, 2025
4 Comments on Bicycle Film Festival coming to Madison again!

Bicycle Film Festival is coming to Madison on October 2nd, 2025 at The Barrymore Theatre with a night of curated short films.

It’s Bicycle Film Festival’s 25th Anniversary celebrating bicycles through art, film, and music.

BFF has reached an audience of one million people across more than 100 cities worldwide. Now the festival is returning to Madison.

Get your tickets now! https://barrymorelive.com/event/25th-annual-bicycle-film-festival-madison

BFF Madison is hosted by Madison Bikes. Supervised bike parking will be provided.

Documentaries, narratives, animations, award-winning directors, and emerging talents – all share equal billing. Take a journey around the globe. BFF Madison features curated stories about:

In South Africa, a young women’s cycling group empowers women to defy norms, find freedom, and dream big through cycling.
Cyclists in London ride through the city distributing food and necessities to those in need, pedaling toward social change.
A spiritual cyclist from India spreads happiness wherever his journey takes him.
In rural China, a migrant worker collects and resells styrofoam boxes using her bike—a story scored by music from Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
See the three-day La Crosse Omnium in La Crosse, Wisconsin from the perspective of youth cyclists.
A World Bicycle Relief documentary highlights the creation of the Buffalo Bicycle, a rugged bike designed to serve marginalized rural communities

One documentary reminds us that the simple joy of wind in your hair while cycling is something everyone can experience. At any age, in any stage of life.

Watch the trailer here: https://player.vimeo.com/video/1111087866

Pre-show party

Join us for a pre-show party at Working Draft Beer Company starting at 4pm. There will be beer and NA beverage options available to purchase along with food from Chef at Large Catering for your after-work or pre-show meal. More information here https://www.facebook.com/events/1474380100542630/

The Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) is a global celebration of movement, creativity, and contemporary culture, anchored in cycling and expressed through film, art, music, and immersive experiences. Since 2001, BFF has toured over 100 cities, from Tokyo and Paris to New York and Istanbul, engaging more than a million attendees in person and millions more online.

BFF partners with leading institutions such as the Sydney Opera House, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Barbican. Artists like Erykah Badu, Daft Punk, Kaws, and Spike Jonze have attended and/or participated. The festival features curated films, exhibitions, performances, and culinary events that reflect a sophisticated lifestyle.

Thanks to our sponsors who make our events possible!