Dairyland Dare

Spring is finally here, and with it comes the bike helmets, the water bottles and maybe even some spandex. The League of American Bicyclists recently ranked Wisconsin the third most bike-friendly state in the country. Wisconsin has made the top ten since the bike advocacy group began ranking states in 2008.

And if that’s not enough to convince you of Wisconsin’s bike-awesomeness, take it from Betty White, who said this about the Dairyland Dare in 2010: “I dare you to find a more beautiful, more challenging ride anywhere. The Dairyland Dare is the best ride on the planet! I’ve been training for the 300 kilometer all winter, but darn it all, I have to work that day.”

Looking for a good ride? Here are some places to start:

• Cycle Southwest Wisconsin. The group’s excellent bike trail map details 28 loops in the Driftless Area. Antoine, Blackhawk Lake, Prairie, Yellowstone Lake, Badger Camp Loops range from 31 to 70 miles, and you can start and finish the rides right here in Mineral Point. The routes take you past farms and fields on tree-lined paved roads, following rivers and the mining history of Southwest Wisconsin.
• Travel Wisconsin. The state’s department of tourism website has a downloadable biking guide, which features the nearby 40-mile Military Ridge State Trail.
• Governor Dodge State Park. For the mountain biker, the nearby state park has almost 10 miles of off-road bike trails to enjoy.

– Contributed by Susan Webb