WORLD’S BEST ROAD CYCLING! – SW Wisconsin – Driftless Randonneurs 125k & 150k Weekend!

I’ve come to believe that the best road cycling in the world is right here in Southwestern WI. And yes, I’d like to be proven wrong!

Known as The Driftless Area, we enjoy a small, unique geological anomaly where the glaciers ceased to flow, right where MN, IA, IL and WI come together as the Mississippi River picks up the Wisconsin river.

It’s very hilly, remote, fertile farm land, so there’s very little traffic, and thanks to the dairy lobby, all of the roads are paved and well maintained for the milk trucks.

This video is my attempt to show the world a bit about what Randonneuring is like and hopefully demonstrate this landscape that I’ve grown to love via my bicycle since discovering it myself!

I didn’t expect to be busted for trespassing on day one and to find a dead body or be attacked by a dog on day two, but that’s what I get for seeking adventure!

125k Route – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/7208142
150k Route – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44555722

Hey bike Farmers thanks for clicking in I’ve come to believe that the best cycling in the world is right here in Southwestern Wisconsin known as the driftless area we enjoy a small unique geological anomaly where the glaciers cease to flow right where Minnesota Iowa Illinois and Wisconsin come together as

The Mississippi River picks up the Wisconsin River it’s very hilly very remote very fertile Farmland so there’s very little traffic and thanks to the dairy Lobby all of the roads are paved and very wellmaintained for the milk trucks thankfully there’s a little known Cycling Club called the driftless roners

That schedules a series of endurance events ranging from 100K to 1200k each season I can’t think of a better series of rides to showcase the magic of this underappreciated recreational resource this video is my attempt to show a little bit about what randine earing is like and hopefully demonstrate this

Landscape that I’ve grown to love via my bicycle since discovering it myself so let’s start in the shop by getting my bike ready [Applause] A lot of people think that randine earing is just super long crazy riding but a lot of times it’s just about camaraderie and there are some shorter rides this weekend the local rering club that I ride with is the driftless randers and we have a weekend so people

Can get What’s called the ruler award Ru roule ruler award it’s a series of shorter rides tomorrow is 125k and then Sunday is 150k we’re going to be riding some of the big steep hills in Western Wisconsin known as the driftless region and we’re also going to

Spend a lot of time on the flat spots right along the Wisconsin River you know it’s four or five good climbs each day which is why I built this bike with such low gearing is because you need it out there sometimes we get on some of these

Hills and it’s 15% for a while so it’s nice to be able to clunk down into a really low granny gear and and take your time this will be the first real test to my handbuilt by Ellis Drumlin branded bike I call Dark Star so I got it up in

The stand we’re going to give it a little bit of a Polish throw some lube on the Chain I just built this bike a couple weeks ago I’ve been riding it um everything’s working great but I always give my bike a good check before I take

It out on some of these more important rides I think it’s going to be dry but uh it’s going to be cold especially in the mornings I’m going to be shedding layers I’m going to need a place to put them so I’m going to put a little bit

Bigger bag than this one on the front we’re going to get the bike set up and then I’m going to take you along for the rides one of my favorite Parts about randine earing is the bikes people tend to have really nice bikes they take good care of

Them a lot of guys you know they totally clean them and everything before every ride some of the more dieh hard randers they’re riding a minimum of 200k every weekend it’s pretty nuts the amount of Miles some people put on I’ve never really done much for the multi-day stuff

I’ve done a 600k once done a number of 300 K that’s my favorite distance good couple 100 miles you know 190 Mi or so the 400 K is like the 72 oun stake of cycling I heard somebody say once and that’s 250 m in a day that’s enough i’

I’d call that enough I don’t even think we’re going to get over 100 miles either day out there this weekend but it’s 2 days in a row and I get to show off my new bike so I’m going to make sure it’s shiny that’s about all I need to do it’s

Always a good idea to lube the chain I just do a couple of drops on each Link you’ll see me on my tuneups that I just spray the crap out of it and wipe it off that’s because most of those drivetrains are pretty filthy not shiny and new like this one I like to carry an extra bottle a big part of randine earing is you know

Back in the day before GPS you would stop at controls and have them sign a little card to prove your passage and they would make the routes just so it’s the only way you could possibly go and then you’d have to stop at these controls and prove your passage now that

We have GPS it’s a little different but we still ride like 30 mile segments and stop at a convenience store along the way so there’s always resources out there it’s rare that you get you know more than 50 miles between controls I like to drink a bottle of water every

Hour or so I do carry a little extra water just in case I get stuck out there between controls I don’t want to run out of water I got this little bag that’s good for just most of my rides I’m going to keep a flat kit back here this bigger

Bag has a little more room for windbreakers and such all right that looks pretty good out there you know what I could just strap it right here to the cables and it’d be fine I’m going to use this little zip tie who knows how long this bag will live

Here just cuz the bike’s new I’m going to bring the extra large tool the little Leatherman I love this Leatherman squirt cuz it’s a pliers comes in real Handy sometimes got a hydration multiplier just in case shammy butter just in case BTS bees just in case and the way I do

My setup is I my phone up here and then I just carry a little battery not a whole lot to do for bike prep this bike is uh running really good and very clean and ready to go so going to load up the van in the

Morning um it’s been raining for 2 days straight and a lot of rain so I think the roads are going to be super wet and I’d hate to take my brand new bike out there and get it all Filthy um and it’s a two-day ride so I can ride the gray one

Tomorrow ride the blue one today it’s nice and early in the morning and I’m just gearing up to load the van up All cinched up and ready to roll Rando Time [Applause] All right here we are at the first control there’s the river we across that bridge into Blue River got the bikes I got uh my chocolate milk already they probably thought I stole it got to find some calories oo strawberry apple strudel bites that sounds Good [Applause] [Applause] La [Applause] [Applause] Right in the land of tesen which is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright that structure that you just saw is the entry gate to a place called winter green and it says here winter green is for sale winter green is oh looks like a conference center so I’m going to go check it

Out the rest of the guys are all behind me I’m not in a hurry I heard about this place being for sale the gates open welcome to the driftless so nice you can see on the the map Wisconsin River it’s where Frank lyd Wright made his home so beautiful switchbacks in

Wisconsin you got to be kidding me this is steep I’m running a 30 tooth chain ring the 34 to rear and I’m working that was steep holy cpes yeah that was 15% had to be I got to get away to measure that about something looks like we’re at the parking lot

Though oh there’s people empty nice big deck can I help you just checking it out yeah that’s private property oh okay well then I guess uh yeah oh you need me to leave not a very friendly guy pretty hard to sell a place if you’re going to be that grumpy it’s Pretty Here we can do this tasen here comes the cyclist looks like Doug and that’s tally Essen up there on the hill I don’t know if I can zoom in on it hey Doug You Found Me Than I think this is our last control we have about 20 miles to go we’re 60 m in it’s just me and Doug go get AOW it out there and then there were three I need a second I got somewhere what know going to get all riled up now just this one the other one’s like wants to be my best friend that one wants to kill me that’s my best friend right there that

One hey buddy how you [Laughter] Doing Oh Okay here we are back at the Ramada oh and there’s our fearless leader take I’m going to take a Victory lap going pretty good how are you Okay the morning of day two I’m in uh spring green about 20 minutes from the ride start I just stopped and got me my morning calories ride starts in a half hour I think I’m ready to go see you on the flip side pulling in looks like we got a few more riders

Today morning good morning I’m Andy oh Andy Eric Eric Road view in the past couple years ago yeah we met a couple years ago good to see again yeah same here so no announcements about the route everything’s fine I I previewed the whole Route E [Applause] [Applause] Oh [Applause] [Applause] I’m just kind of trying to capture the uh-huh the whole Rando thing the vibe the experience you know what the controls are like and right the bikes oh so does that long cage ceramic speed thing allow you to all those gears in the back no like or did it no you

Don’t have to have that for that it’s all performance I don’t know if it makes the difference but looks good that’s all the difference I Need Oh Oh [Applause] [Applause] Oh That’s it’s Don zlo yeah [Applause] oh excuse me can you turn them on yeah I’ve never seen all right mile 61 just leaving the control festive [Applause] House [Applause] Oh [Applause] Got a dead body in There Because I can’t do math I was like 24 more miles and I looked at my GPS and it said 14 [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Oh hey buddy good boy he’s all right does he well we’re we’ll leave I just had to fix my chain quick yeah hopefully he doesn’t follow us all right that was exciting La Well and that is a wrap the Rada Richland Center many many rides out of this back lot back in the Rando van oh yeah nice left over pizza from last night ooh good ride man yeah that was good real good well I’m still working on putting these

Videos together and that wasn’t much of a climactic ending I don’t mean to flex on you but 185 mil in 2 days it’s not a whole lot for a roner these fall rides are always touch and go with the weather and day one was pretty gloomy and cloudy

Aside from the wind Sunday afternoon was absolutely beautiful the skies opened up and we got some sunshine to show the Fall colors that are just starting to pop if you want to learn more about randine earing you can just go to rsa.com that’s R usa.com there’s a ton of information

There you’ll be able to find a club in your area and see the calendar of events there’s rides going on just about any weekend of the Year somewhere the rides are slow and long and conversational but it’s Road cycling and we do get a lot of racers that are just looking for a

Change of pace I encourage anyone looking to push themselves and go that extra mile to give it a shot thanks for clicking in and if you like this and want to see more you can support the channel by clicking all the things you’re supposed to until then I’ll see you next [Applause] time