Ride Routes

Looking for a route to ride? Here are some favorites we’ve compiled over the years.

Madison Classics

Note: click on the “route name” to view the route on download the route as a GPX file.

These are a few of our go-to routes!

Route Name Comments Distance Elevation
Paoli Loop THE Madison classic 27 mi 950 ft
Lake Farm/McFarland ft. the square and the boardwalk 36 mi 1186 ft
Brooklyn area Fuel up in Brooklyn or Oregon 47 mi 1712 ft
Cross Plains + Observatory One of the 3 Observatories 41 mi 1718 ft
New Glarus Stop at Fat Cat 58 mi 2355 ft
Mt. Horeb Enter the Driftless 60 mi 3235 ft
Blue Mounds An 800 foot climb! 54 mi 3063 ft
Buddha's Palm 5 hard climbs in a row 51 mi 2856 ft
Day Trip: Beyond Blue Mounds Driftless Immersion 59 mi 3830 ft
Day Trip: Richland Center For the hardos 71 mi 5160 ft

Other Routes

Looking for something else? Check out these options:

Route Name Cities on Route Start Point Distance Elevation
Alternate Paoli Loop Paoli, Fitchburg Arb Bridge 28 mi 798 ft
Northwest Loop - Full Middleton, Marxville, Mazomanie Nitty Gritty Middleton 50 mi 1434 ft
Northwest Loop - Medium Middleton, Marxville, Mazomanie Nitty Gritty Middleton 38 mi 1349 ft
Northwest Loop - Short Middleton, Marxville, Mazomanie Nitty Gritty Middleton 22 mi 676 ft
West Loop - Long Nitty Gritty Middleton 58 mi 1836 ft
West Loop - Full Nitty Gritty Middleton 46 mi 1803 ft
West Loop - Medium Nitty Gritty Middleton 31 mi 1188 ft
West Loop - Short Nitty Gritty Middleton 22 mi 669 ft
Southwest Loop - Full New Glarus Wisconsin Indoor Cycling 41 mi 1532 ft
Southwest Loop - Short New Glarus Wisconsin Indoor Cycling 29 mi 993 ft
South Loop - Full Oregon, Paoli Arb Bridge 43 mi 1010 ft
South Loop - Short Oregon, Paoli Arb Bridge 22 mi 378 ft
Southeast Loop - Full McFarland, Stoughton, Cambridge Lake Farm Park 47 mi 1146 ft
Southeast Loop - Medium McFarland, Stoughton, Cambridge Lake Farm Park 34 mi 575 ft
East Loop - Full Cottage Grove, Lake Mills, Cambridge Glacial Drumlin Trailhead 47 mi 712 ft
East Loop - Medium Cottage Grove, Lake Mills, Cambridge Glacial Drumlin Trailhead 36 mi 739 ft

General Route Advice

The Strava Global Heat Map is a great way to discover popular roads and routes.

Common ride destinations/loops: Cross Plains, Black Earth, Mazomanie, Vermont, Mount Horeb, Blue Mounds, New Glarus, Belleville, Cambridge, Devils Lake, Brooklyn, etc.

Go out against the wind, and come back with it!

Avoid State Highways. County Highways are generally fine, but some can be quite high traffic.