Ride 20 - All Around

A rest stop on North Mendota Trail. 8/1/25 dwm

 Most of the time, I'm not exactly sure where I'm riding until I'm on the bike and making decisions along the way.

 Just two days before the ride Friday morning, the new seat cushion arrived, I spent time with it Thursday to determine the best way to attach it.

 I added two more strips of Velcro under the seat because that's the part that gets the most wear and tear.

 Locking the cushion down before the ride seemed unlikely but, I thought, applying pressure on the cushion and the four sections of the seat might be the best way to keep it in place.

The new cushion. 8/1/25 dwm

You couldn't have a better day. It was 64 with a gentle breeze and the wildfire haze was slowly moving out. 

I went north on the Ice Age Trail through an area that was still untouched, keeping its original look with the exception of a paved path and trails mowed into the acres of prairie.

As I got into Middleton, I rode up the western side of the Pheasant Branch Conservancy where I joined one of the crushed limestone paths that accommodated walkers and cyclists. I came out on the east side of the conservancy then went north on County Road Q to County K then went east a short distance until it intersected with County M and the upper Mendota trail.

That took me across the top of Lake Mendota and around the northeast corner into Madison where I rode familiar streets through Maple Bluff, then circled around the east side of Lake Monona before riding west and home.

Six Mile Creek on its way to Lake Mendota. dwm

 It was a good ride and a wonderful day to do it. 

 It's a route I've used twice before with a slight variation in reaching the Upper Mendota trail. I added a mile or two but eliminated some of the busiest roads. 

 Ride 20 was 52 miles at an average speed of 15.4 mph. The biggest change this year from last is the length of each ride; after the first 20 rides of 2024 I was averaging 41 miles a trip, this year it's 53. 

 There's plenty of time to ride, it will be interesting to see how far the bike will take me.