Cycling Advocates Ride to Pro Walk Pro Bike 2006

from Vancouver B.C. to Madison, Wisconsin

Date: 2006-09-12

After looking at the maps, we discovered the Oak Leaf Trail continued along the waterfront, very close to our hotel. We started off in a light drizzle. We missed a few turns, but eventually ended up along the water all the way out of Milwaukee. The rain got heavier and we faced a gusty SE wind. The trail meandered along Lake Michigan. It was a long way to get a short distance but it was very enjoyable riding along the water and twisting through the trees in the many parks. At the end of the path, we kept following the Oak Leaf Trail for a while, until we discovered it was turning back to the other side of Milwaukee. We spent about an hour to get back on track. One of the frustrating things about Milwaukee was the lack of street signs at a lot of intersections. We decided to go south on Hwy 32 to make up some time. Jack stopped along the road for some lunch. I decided to go a little further in search of a spot further away from the hwy. My tolerance for noisy roads was at its limit. Somehow, we missed connecting again, so we arrived in Waukegan separately. I finally found another rail trail just before Racine. It was pleasant, but suddenly ended in the middle of Racine. One thing they could do is put a map when these trails end to show how to continue through the city. I cycled over to the waterfront to a nice paved path. It also ended after a few km. I went back in search of hwy 32. I came upon a man standing on the sidewalk with his bike. He was drinking a can of beer, wrapped in a paper bag. He told me how to find the next rail trail to get out of town. After several km, it also ended abruptly. Back to 32 all the way to Waukegan. The traffic was very heavy now and I arrived downtown at 5PM. I was almost dried out, but about 1 km from the hotel, the sky literally opened up. I was riding along the curb in six inches of water. Since I was already soaked again, I stopped at a service station and borrowed a rag. I’m sure the attendant thought I was nuts, as I stood out in the downpour and washed the dirt and mud off my bike and let the rain rinse it. I thought the hotel might not let me bring my bike in if it was covered in mud. It worked, but every thing in my packs is wet now.