Heading west from a park near the Middleton Municipal Airport, the ride will pass through Cross Plains before it makes three loops on the hilly roads north and west of Blue Mounds State Park, which includes the highest point in southwestern Wisconsin at 1,719 feet above sea level. Two counterclockwise circuits north of Blue Mounds will present the most difficult climbs, the wildest downhills and the most panoramic views of the Wisconsin countryside. A few smaller climbs precede the ride’s entry into Black Earth.
A likely tailwind on the nearly flat due east finishing leg will be welcomed by Centurion riders. However, there will be one short, steep hill to tackle before the ride finishes with a downhill back to Middleton.
You can check out maps of the 100-, 50- and 25-mile routes and their elevation profiles on the Centurion Cycling website, www.centurioncycling.com/wisconsin/.
I certainly welcome the Centurion to Wisconsin. I believe their ride will introduce many more people to some of the finest bicycling roads in the country. My only regret is that they are not offering a ride as difficult as they originally advertised. The roads west of Madison hold the potential for a much more difficult 100-mile ride. There are easy route changes that could increase its difficulty without increasing its distance.
For example, instead of climbing up to County Road J on Garfoot Road, I would take Barlow Road to Mineral Point Road and then Garfoot Road to County J. This change would add a steep climb on both Barlow and Mineral Point roads while adding less than a mile to the ride.
I would also suggest changes to the second counterclockwise circuit north of Blue Mounds State Park. Instead of taking County Road FF, KK and K, an essentially flat section of this circuit, I would veer onto Zwettler Road from County F to County K. This change would add a short, steep climb and a very nice downhill and actually decrease the ride’s overall mileage. Saving a few miles here would provide the opportunity to add more hills to the ride.
The second change to the second circuit would be to continue the second climb on Mounds Park Road all the way to the top of the Blue Mounds. This complete climb is certainly one of the most difficult in Wisconsin. The third and final change to the second circuit would be to add the descent on Ryan Road and the climb on Moyer Road to bring the ride to County F instead of picking up County F on the way out of the town of Blue Mounds. This change would again add more difficulty to the ride without sacrificing the thrill of the descent out of Blue Mounds.
I realize that there are many reasons and constraints that went into designing the existing Centurion Wisconsin 100-mile route. My proposed changes are only a reflection of my desire to really showcase the hilly back roads of southwestern Wisconsin.
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6/20/10 - 11:13AM