Bicycle Film Festival returns on October 2, 2025!
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Bike News E-Mail Weekly Update

Midvale Boulevard + So Many MTB Events

A person in shorts and a red top rides their bike on the Capital City Trail in front of Monona Terrace. The trees along the path are in bright fall foliage colors. The low sun projects the shadow of the person on the bike onto a bright wall.
Beautiful fall riding is here! (Cyclists of Madison)

This week is stacked with events and stuff to talk about. Loads of mountain bike events, which is appropriate because MTB in the fall is super fun.

Last week the Transportation Commission discussed the planned resurfacing of Midvale Blvd, and a significant part of that was analysis of the results of the now-closed project questionnaire. It’s not too late to familiarize yourself with the options presented and join the discussions. It should come as no surprise to those of you paying attention that continued free parking of private vehicles on public roadways is a big part of the ongoing discussion. There were three options presented in the survey, and analysis from Craig Weinhold suggests that “85% of the supporters of option 3 seem to be protest votes, rather than actual support for option 3.” All of the options will include improvements for pedestrians and cyclists in some form or another. Stay tuned for a detailed post later this week focused exclusively on this expansive topic!

Check out this great video by Nicholas Davies for an on-the-ground walkthrough of the current state of cycling on Midvale.

Up next will be another TC public hearing to address residential parking permits (likely on October 8), eventually followed by a decisive vote in the Common Council.

This Week

On Monday at 6:30 PM, attend the online Regent Street Reconstruction Public Meeting hosted by the City. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change (or not) Regent St to be more bicycle and pedestrian friendly! Registration link here and feedback form/questionnaire here. The feedback form is open for another week so get your voice heard!

On Tuesday at 5 PM, attend a free Family Learn to Ride event at Lussier Community Education Center on the West Side (Gammon Rd). It’s hosted by the Bike Fed (a great organization doing the real work out there) and pre-registration is required, but again, it’s free! Now is a great time to hone those safe cycling skills as kids are heading to school.

On Wednesday from 3-6 PM, attend Erik’s “Mega Demo Tour” to try out a bunch of the latest bikes on some great trails (@ Quarry Ridge — not to be confused with Quarry Park!) that are a quick ride from Madison. If you’re still bombing around on an old MTB like me it’s a great opportunity to get spoiled and try some new tech on real trails.

Also on Wednesday at 6 PM, attend the CORP Trails Movie Night Fundraiser where they’ll be screening the film Wende Cragg Documents the Birth of Mountain Biking. Tickets are $20 in advance and there are some tasty food and beverage options, hosted at the Capitol Brewery Biergarten.

On Friday, celebrate Park(ing) Day! What is Park(ing) Day? A worldwide event where street parking spaces are temporarily turned into something else — a garden, seating, a playground for example. In Madison, there will be [at least] two events:

  • On Willy St, join the Madison Greenhouse Store and Strong Towns Madison from 11 AM to 8 PM. Stop by 1354 Williamson St to enjoy greenery, games, and human-centered street space — and rethink how car parking spaces can be put to better use.
  • On Monroe Street, across the street from Trader Joe’s, the Wisconsin chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects will set up an installation from 10 AM to 4:30 PM. 

On Saturday from 12-4 PM, attend a demo day hosted by Slow Roll Cycles at CamRock County Park (shelter ). Check their IG feed for the details. FYI, you will need a Dane County Trail Pass to ride the trails at CamRock.

On Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM, check out Fall Jump Jam (@ Quarry Park, not to be confused with Quarry Ridge!), again hosted by CORP (a great organization doing real work out there).

Celebrate the start of fall by joining us for the annual fall jump jam! The jumps are running the best that they ever have and conditions should be prime. Bring food, beverages, and stoke.

Also on Sunday from 12-4 PM, check out the Open Shop @ Neighborhood House hosted by Freewheel (a great organization doing real work out there).

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!

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Bike News

Weekly Update for Winter Bike Week Eve

As you may know, Winter Bike Week starts this Friday! With the frigid temps this week, hopefully we will all be ready to get out there into the balmy above 0° weather.

For a complete list of events, check out madisonbikes.org/winterbikeweek.

This Week

Monday

Bike Fitchburg has confirmed that their monthly meeting will be held tonight at Fitchburg Public Library on Lacy Road from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Basset Street Corridor Study Meeting will be tonight from 7 pm to 8:30 at the Madison Senior Center at 330 W Mifflin St.

MEAThead ride is also still on at 7pm from Ford’s gym.

Tuesday

Bombay Bicycle Club is hosting a special one-time screening of the film Le Ride, Tuesday January 29th at AMC Madison 6 at 6:30 pm. Beverages and socializing at Great Dane Hilldale afterwards.

LE RIDE follows Phil Keoghan and his friend Ben Cornell as they attempt to recreate the original route of the 1928 Tour de france. Averaging 240 kilometres a day for 26 days, Phil and Ben traverse both the unforgiving mountains of the Pyrenees and the Alps, on original vintage steel racing bikes with no gears and marginal brakes.

Thursday

Wilson Street Corridor Study Meeting 7:00 –⁠ 8:30 pm Room 260, Madison Municipal Building. Stay tuned for an action alert!

Friday

Winter Bike Week starts!

Frozen Assets Fat Bike Ride will take place instead of the race due to lake conditions. More info about the event can be found here. It will start at the east end of Law park at 6:30 pm.

Weekend

More festivities for Winter Bike Week. Check out out madisonbikes.org/winterbikeweek for more details about all of the events.

Fat Bike Sled Pull was canceled.