biking

A 14-mile long loop of paved bike trail that connects two major campgrounds to the Heart of Vilas County Trail. That’s the goal of the latest trail expansion project in Boulder Junction.

Many local outdoors outfitters face a good problem.

Demand in bicycles, kayaks, and other outdoor equipment is so high, they can’t stock enough new products.

These days, for example, Al Jozwiak often has to work weekends just to keep up with bicycle repairs and sales.

Jozwiak owns Bikes-n-Boards in Rhinelander and said the interest in biking during the COVID-19 pandemic has been overwhelming.

“I’m seeing bikes that I haven’t seen, and I’m sure haven’t seen the light of day, in 30 years,” Jozwiak said.

If this were a normal spring, people would be starting to travel to the Northwoods to enjoy the outdoors. The state, however, is encouraging people to stay in their own communities and avoid travel for recreation. But for those of us who live up here, the Northwoods offers hundreds of miles of biking trails and country roads that make great cycling routes.

Jamee Peters, vice president of the Langlade Area Mountain Bike Association (LAMBA) describes the type of trails available in eastern Langlade County.

Brian Benson grew up in the Northwoods and has written a memoir about a bike trip he took from Wisconsin to Portland Oregon.  Now he’s touring with his book around the Midwest…also by bike. 

In his book Benson describes how after college, unable to decide on the one thing he wanted to do with his life, he took a backpacking trip through Central America.  As he tells WXPR’s Natalie Jablonski, in Guatemala he fell for a woman named Rachel…who led him down the cycling path. 

With winter still holding the Northwoods in its icy grip, most of us try to avoid going out in the cold for longer than we have to.  So you might be surprised to find that one commuter relies on his bicycle to get to work all winter long, even refusing offers of car rides and choosing instead to brave the icy streets of Stevens Point.

It’s 7 a.m. on a clear morning in March, and 20 degrees below zero outside.  Rich Sweet is in his kitchen, in the process of what he calls “gearing up.”