Madison is an oasis for bicyclists. It received a gold medal rating from the League of American Bicyclists, it has bike lanes and multi-use trails, and there are almost as many bike shops as bars. That said, there are still plenty of ways to get hit by car or lost. Or both, if it's a really bad day. So here's a few resources to help you keep pedaling.

 Navigating Madison

 Rules of the Road

 Not Getting Injured

 Winter Bicycling

Getting Around

The first thing you'll need is a map. Abrakadabra! Here it is. You can pick up a real life version at most bike shops and libraries, or in Madison's very own infoshop.

The map is extremely helpful, especially for those new to Madison. Remember to choose a route you feel comfortable with and not to assume you are safe just because a road is green on the map, or that a road is off limits if it isn't.

For many, the multi-use trails are the crème de la crème of Madison biking. They are car-free conduits for joggers, bicyclists and dog walkers. Just remember that bicyclists on the trails are in the unique position of being the fastest and most dangerous users of the trail. If you are biking the trail and a Rollerblading dog walker rolls into your lane ahead of you, you need to be able to stop before you run him over.

Rules

It may come as a surprise to some, but there are a few rules you have to follow to bike on public roads. Actually, you have to follow all of them. Besides the obvious, such as stopping at stop signs, there are some specific rules for the bicyclist. Here are the city and state regulations.

A few important gems hidden within the cryptic rules include:

   -When biking at night you must have a headlight visible from 500 ft, and a rear reflector of 2 sq inches that is "so mounted and maintained as to be visible from all distances from 50 to 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle." Also important: a rear light can supplement, but not replace, a rear reflector.

  -You are required to register you bike. Although you probably won't be fined for not doing so, it helps recover stolen bikes, it is a means of identification if you are in a crash, and most importantly: you get a cool sticker.

  -You are allowed to bike on the sidewalk as long as it isn't abutted by a building. You're not supposed to hit pedestrians, though.

  -Don't chain you bike to a tree, they have it hard enough as it is.

Not Getting Hit by Cars

Cars are inherently dangerous. They are massive hunks of metal flying at high speeds. Some drivers are worse than others, but they are all dangerous. Some are drunk, some are texting, some haven't had their coffee yet, but as bicyclists we can't be sure who is who, and even an attentive driver can kill you.

Because of this, many people think bicycling is dangerous. That of course depends on how you consider danger. As a bicyclists, it is very unlikely my behavior on the road will kill someone, which is important to me.

Then there is the selfish question of keeping yourself alive. Many potential bicyclists say they would love to bike everywhere. "I love the environment, I just wish biking weren't so dangerous" they say. This excuse hinges on the false belief that you are safer traveling by car. The truth is that bicycling tends to lengthen your life, and even though getting hit by a car sucks, statistics show it is more dangerous to live a sedentary life. Here are some musings on bicycle statistics.

Another often overlooked factor is that defensive bicycling has a huge effect on safety. Here's how not to get hit by cars.

What Bicycling Season?

It is a closely guarded secret that you don't actually have to be insane to bike through a Wisconsin winter. Get yourself a scarf and some fenders, you'll be fine. Here's a guide for you.

A few things to remember about Madison winters:

  -Things get slippery. This isn't really Madison specific, but it's important. Wider tires, maybe even spikes, can help. Perhaps you should come by Freewheel for a new pair. Drivers also have less control in winter, take longer to stop, and might not know where their lane is.

  -While you're at Freewheel, learn how to properly adjust your brakes. A good rear brake can skid the tire, and a good front brake can send you over the handlebars. Don't kill yourself testing your brakes.

  -As the snow accumulates, bike lanes get covered up. This doesn't mean you don't have a right to be on the road, but it warrants extra caution.

  -The multi-use trails get plowed (yipee!). They are sometimes even plowed before major roads (much to the dismay of frustrated commuters).

  -As the winter gets messy, it is more tempting to use the sidewalks. This is a personal choice, but keep in mind that drivers are less likely to see you at intersections if you are using the crosswalk instead of the road. It is especially dangerous to pull the old sidewalk-to-road-then-left-turn-onto-the-far-sidewalk-then-wrong-way-through-the-drive-through-across-a-blind-driveway-and-back-onto-the-road move.

  -That bright thing in the sky isn't around as much, react accordingly.