Cycling in Madison

Few American cities are built for bikes the way Madison is. The state capital sits on a narrow isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, and the Capital City Trail threads the whole thing together — 20-plus miles of mostly rail-trail running past Olbrich Gardens and the Garver Feed Mill, along the Lake Monona shoreline below Monona Terrace, and out into the Nine Springs wetlands. It’s the spine of a citywide network that connects to lakeshore paths and regional rail-trails like the Military Ridge and Glacial Drumlin, so Madison works as both a car-free city ride and a launchpad for longer tours.

You don’t need to bring a bike, and you may not even need to rent one. Madison BCycle is a fully electric bike-share with 45 docks of Trek pedal-assist bikes linking campus, State Street, and the Capital City Trail, running mid-March through mid-December — passes start at $5 for 30 minutes or $15 for a full day. For a proper day out, Budget Bicycle Center on Regent Street rents hybrids from $30 a day with helmet, lock, and map included, plus road bikes, tandems, and kids’ rigs.

The standout stay for riders is Hotel RED near the UW campus, which gives guests complimentary BCycle passes along with secure indoor bike storage, tools, a city map, and a curated 8-mile route — you can wheel a bike right into your room. A BCycle dock sits just outside, and several 10-mile-plus rail-trails start within easy reach.

Ride April through October for the best of it; the bike-share season stretches into December for hardier riders. Note that a handful of state-trail segments (inside Capital Springs, for instance) ask for a $5 day pass, though most of the in-city trail network is free.