http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/214473
I did this route or a close variation quite a bit in the summer months when there was more daylight in the evening. Its nice because its a good amount of miles for a weeknight and its very low traffic. Also, those who live in Appleton know the wind generally blows out of the west, so this route would have a tailwind on the way home.
The route is generally flat. On Manley Road south of Highway 15, you will have a couple of rollers but nothing too serious. The scenery is pretty much small farms. There is an old Lutheran church to see on County Road O right after the "Y" from the Quarry. Its neat to look at from the bike, but nothing I've ever felt the need to get off the bike for. Once you get down onto Island Road and Shady Lane, you do have some more trees. I snapped this picture today along Island Road.
We had a couple storms come through Appleton this last week with some wind and rain. So the trees have lost a lot of their leaves from the previous weekend. There are still some fall colors out there, just not as many. I've always liked the area down by Shady Lane. Being a little more wooded, its a little more interesting than just farm after farm.
There are a number of variations one could do on this route. You could follow County Road MM into Hortonville to add a couple miles or if you need a store stop. At the "Y" intersection at the Quarry, you could go left instead of right and cut off a few miles if you want a shorter ride. You don't have to come in Shady Lane either. It all depends on what one is in the mood for.
The temperature today in Appleton was mid 50's. There was some wind out of the south, but it eased as the ride went on. I moved to Wisconsin from Virginia, where I would ride year round. Yes, January and February were cool, but you would usually get some days in the mid 40's or even 50+. I was concerned coming to Wisconsin about how much the weather would cut into the riding season. Clearly, there is going to be snow on the ground here in January and February, so those months will be for cross country skiing. But how soon would that snow and cold get here? Would I be done riding November 1? October 15?
I have to say I've been very pleased so far. I like riding when the temp is around 50 degrees. I like riding in arm warmers. I like to not have to wear the leg warmers, but something about 50 degrees to me seems like the perfect temperature. Maybe because its warm enough that you aren't worried about staying warm, but cool enough that you aren't worried about overheating like on a summer day. I wore a long sleeve base layer and a long sleeve wool jersey today and felt great. Clearly it will get colder, but I also have more gear I can wear, so my cycling season isn't done yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment