Trail Happy Cycling

Even though I have lived only a short car ride away from the Madison County Transit (MCT) Trail System for years, this August was my first time ever riding the trails. And I'm pretty mad at myself I waited so long!  This trail system is gigantic - at least to me! Over 20 years ago, Madison County, IL started acquiring rail rights-of-way, which they have now transformed into around 130 miles of trails, a lot of them paved! There are a total of nine different trails, yet many of them intersect and create a number of loops of varying lengths. MCT Trails highlights 7 of the loops on their website and printed maps. Speaking of maps, MCT will mail you a paper map if you request one online. I ordered mine a few days before my ride and it came in time for me to bring along. I think the design is super clever - the covers are glossy, which keeps moisture out when packed into a bag, and the heft of the covers also makes folding and unfolding super easy. I'm a nerd for maps!  So cute fold

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, my family convened at my parents' house in northern Wisconsin for our first Christmas in July! My bucket list activity for the vacation was a bike ride on the Manitowish Waters Bike Trail, a section of the Heart of Vilas County Trail System.  This trail system is amazing! There are over 50 miles of paved trails that connect five different communities. The towns have small populations year-round, but numbers balloon in the summer from all the tourists. The bike trails are really a great amenity for connecting the towns and offering active travel opportunities for locals and visitors.  For this trip, my sister, brother-in-law and I started out at River's Edge Outfitters between Manitowish Waters and Mercer WI. River's Edge was great. We were able to rent bikes and helmets and connect to the trail (an on-road section) right behind the lodge. We got some route planning advice, a couple maps, and water. They also have a great selection of wine and

Welcome to Trail Happy Cycling!                                                     My name is Katie and I love riding my bike - especially on trails!  Here's my cycling origin story: I moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 2008 to start nursing school and I got a bike - a Giant hybrid (which I still have!). I rode a little bit here and there and over the years I did more and more riding, mostly on the greenway near my apartment. In 2014, I bought a second bike - a Giant Anyroad - and a bike rack for my car. In 2015, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin to start graduate school. Grad school was just okay, but the cycling was amazing! I had a bike trail right outside my apartment and from my front door I could bike over 40 miles one-way in multiple directions, almost all on bike trails! In 2018, I moved back to St. Louis but it took me about a year to get settled and back into a cycling routine. In early 2020 - prior to the COVID-19 pandemic - I was cycling at least weekly, even in chilly weathe