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Other stories in "Bicycling"

• Red Cedar ride 'n' glide
  Along a popular trail in western Wisconsin, a hardy tourist can take in the sights by water and by land.
• Mackinac Island by bicycle
  On a scenic web of trails, visitors see another side of a celebrated spot.
• Bicycling to Lake Wobegon
  In central Minnesota, cyclists enter a storied land.
• Sightseeing by bicycle
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• Towns of the Fox River
  An hour west of Chicago, a scenic bicycle trail makes sightseeing easy.
• Tours on two wheels
  On organized weekend bike trips, it's easy to go along for the ride.
• Bicycling in Iowa
  Quietly, this low-profile but ambitious state has piled on miles of trails.
• Riding the Dakota Rail Trail
  On the edge of the Twin Cities, bicyclists breeze along the bays of Lake Minnetonka.
• The belle of bluff country
  In southeast Minnesota, tiny Lanesboro pulls in the tourists.
• Rolling through the Iron Range
  In northern Minnesota, Mesabi Trail draws bicyclists with scenery and machinery.
• Biking in Minneapolis
  On the breathtaking Grand Rounds, bicyclists soak up the scenery.
• Bicycling in St. Paul and beyond
  Minnesota's capital city has its own set of marquee trails on rivers and lakes.
• Bicycling in Minnesota
  This state's long, paved trails draw eager riders from around the region.
• Mankato meander
  To see the best of this low-key river town, hop on a bike.
• Two trails from Two Rivers
  On Lake Michigan, bicyclists ride the breezes between a lighthouse and a submarine.
• On a roll in Hayward and Cable
  In a famous forest, mountain bikers navigate a singular system of singletrack.
• Bicycling in bluff country
  In southeast Minnesota, the Root River Trail brings swarms of tourists to scenic villages.
• Summer in Madison
  In warm months, head for the brewpubs and bicycle paths of this exuberant college town.
• A slice of cheese country
  On Wisconsin's Badger Trail, bicyclists bite off as much as they can chew.
• 15 great trails to ride in fall
  Here's where to get your fill of flora, fauna and fall colors.
• Bicycling along Lake Michigan
  Miles of trails in Milwaukee and on Ozaukee County's Interurban Trail provide non-stop scenery.
• Riding the Glacial Drumlin
  Mementos of a distant past line a bicycle trail through Lake Mills.
• Bikes, birds and bogs
  Wisconsin's Great River Trail is a happy mix of wildlife and civilization.
• Braking for blooms
  In late summer and early fall, you'll find the best array of wildflowers on bicycle trails.
• Bicycling through the Minneapolis suburbs
  An expanding web of trails takes bicyclists from the city into the lake-filled countryside.
• Beaches on bike trails
  After the sweating, cool off in the surf.
• 15 great trails to ride in spring
  On a bike, get out to see what's new in countryside or city.
• Bicycling in Wisconsin
  The state that pioneered rail trails isn't resting on its laurels.
• Bicycling the Central Lakes
  In western Minnesota, a 55-mile trail is a window onto the natural world.
• Cycling in coulee country
  The famous Elroy-Sparta is just one of the trails in a picturesque pocket of Wisconsin.
• Towns of the Heartland Trail
  Bicyclists find plenty of personality along this northern Minnesota path.
• Bicycling the Bunyan
  A long trail cuts through the heart of Minnesota lakes country.
• The Fire Ride
  A bicycle trail connects two eastern Minnesota towns that share a painful past.
• Savoring the Seven Lakes
  A ride on Wisconsin's newest trail yields scenery, serenity and ice cream.
• Spin City
  On a bicycle, visitors can explore every inch of Chicago's lakefront.
• Walk 'n' roll
  Thanks to a bike trail, backtracking on the Superior Hiking Trail is a thing of the past.
• A trail for Old Abe
  On Wisconsin's Chippewa River, a bald eagle paves way for bicyclists.
• Spokes, sneakers and shops
  She likes to shop and he likes to sweat? No problem.

Bash on a bike trail

In fall, kick up your wheels at a small-town festival or on a tour.

By the start of September, temperatures cool down and everyone starts thinking the same thing: Time to plan a weekend bike trip.

Autumn is a great time to try out a new bike trail, not only because of fall colors and invigorating weather but because so many small towns throw harvest festivals in September and October.

Since trails go right through towns, bicycle tourists are right in the middle of the action.

Food always is the main draw, and there's nothing bicyclists like more than food. Grape harvests result in wine festivals and Oktoberfests in a river of beer; that goes over pretty well, too.

So why not pair a bike ride with a fun little festival? Here are great fests in 2012.

For organized bike tours, see Bash on a bike trail.

Wisconsin bike trails

Elroy-Sparta Trail in southwest Wisconsin: Sept. 8, Apple Dumpling Days in Elroy, at the heart of this 32-mile, three-tunnel trail in southwest Wisconsin.

For more, see Cycling in coulee country.

Old Abe State Trail in western Wisconsin: Aug. 31-Sept. 3, Lion's Sturgeon Festival in Jim Falls. Sept. 8, Pork in the Park in Cornell. Sept. 21-23, Oktoberfest in Chippewa Falls.

Follow the Chippewa River on this 19½-mile trail between Chippewa Falls and Cornell, named for a ferocious Civil War mascot.

For more, see A trail for Old Abe.

Sugar River State Trail in southern Wisconsin: Aug. 31-Sept. 2, Wilhelm Tell Festival in New Glarus. Sept. 28-30, Octoberfest in New Glarus.

Sept. 29, Autumn Fest and Sugar River Tour, Brodhead. Oct. 6, Fall Festival in Albany. Oct. 7, Harvest Fest in New Glarus.

Since this 23-mile trail goes through  Wisconsin cheese country, connecting to the Badger State Trail, food is bountiful and heritage strong.

For more, see Swiss at heart.

Badger State Trail south of Madison: Sept. 14-16, Green County Cheese Days in Monroe. Oct. 6, Tour de Cheese bike tour from Monroe.

Monroe is party central on this 40-mile trail from Madison's exurbs to the Illinois border. It intersects with the Sugar River at Monticello.

For more, see A slice of cheese country.

Military Ridge State Trail west of Madison: Sept. 2, Wright Stuff Century Ride. Sept. 8, Thirsty Troll Brewfest in Mount Horeb. Oct. 6-7, Fall Heritage Festival in Mount Horeb. 

This 40-mile trail heads west from the Madison suburb of Fitchburg (linked to Capital City Trail) to Dodgeville.

Stower Seven Lakes Trail in western Wisconsin: Sept. 13-16, Fall Festival in Amery. Oct. 6, Changing Colors Ride & Oktoberfest.

For more, see Savoring the Seven Lakes.

Interurban Trail north of Milwaukee: Sept. 7-8, Paramount Blues Festival in Grafton. Sept. 15-16, Wine & Harvest Festival in Cedarburg.

Oct. 12-14, Covered Bridge Studio Tour, with artists from Mequon to Port Washington. Oct. 13-14, Oktoberfest in Cedarburg.

This paved 30-mile trail follows an old trolley line from the northern suburbs of Milwaukee to the tourist towns of Cedarburg and Port Washington on Lake Michigan.

For more, see Bicycling along Lake Michigan.

Minnesota bike trails

Paul Bunyan State Trail in northern Minnesota: Sept. 7-8, Heritage Days in Pine River. Sept. 8, Ethnic Fest in Walker. Sept. 15, A Taste of Pequot Arts & Crafts Fair.

The Minnesota lakes country through which this trail cuts is unjustly forsaken when summer ends; the fall color there is as good or better than the display on the North Shore.

The Bunyan connects to the 47-mile Heartland State Trail just east of Akeley.

For more, see Bicycling the Bunyan and Autumn at the lake.

Root River and Harmony-Preston Valley state trails in southeast Minnesota: Sept. 8, 15 and 22, Taste of the Root River. Oct. 5-7, Fall Foliage Fest in Harmony.

Southeast Minnesota and its bike trails, the 42-mile Root River and 18-mile Harmony-Preston Valley, are favorite destinations in fall.

For more, see  Bicycling in bluff country.

Central Lakes Trail in west-central Minnesota: Sept. 1, Edible Bike Ride from Alexandria. Sept. 7-9, Lake Region Pioneer Threshing Show in Dalton.

This 55-mile trail between Fergus Falls and Osakis is at its best in fall, when prairie wildflowers are blooming and migratory birds are on the move.

For more, see Bicycling the Central Lakes.

Red Jacket Trail in Mankato: Sept. 21-23, Mahkato Wacipi in Mankato. Oct. 7, Mankato River Ramble.

This 13-mile trail through the countryside south of Mankato connects to the 5-mile North Minnesota River Trail in town and the 39-mile Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail.

For more, see Mankato meander.

Grand Rounds in the Twin Cities: Sept. 9, St. Paul Classic Bike Tour. Sept. 16, Minneapolis Bike Tour.

Both tours include music and snacks at frequent rest stops on scenic, traffic-free river boulevards and parkways around lakes.

For more, see Biking in Minneapolis and Bicycling in St. Paul and beyond.

Last updated on September 12, 2012