Tour of wisconsin
Arrive in Beloit WI - July 15th, 2024
Depart Beloit WI - July 27th, 2024
2025 DATES TBD
TOUR FEES
Payment Schedule:
$500 Deposit to register
April 15, 2025: Final balance due
2025 PRICES TBD
2024 Tour Fees: $3,000
2024 Single Supplement: $950
WHAT’S INCLUDED
11 Supported riding days
1 Optional rest day in Sturgeon Bay
Training support and advice from champion RAAM riders Lon Haldeman & Susan Notorangelo
Updated route for 2024 to reduce difficulty of the first few days
Hotel room every night with double or single occupancy options
Over 800 miles of rural routes. GPS & Route card options provided.
Full vehicle support & baggage transfer
Bicycle Maintenance & Repair Service
Breakfast, Lunch & Snack stops. Salsa & chips at the finish.
Custom Voler Jersey
Wisconsin Tour commemorative T-Shirt
Rider Information Packet - Contains packing, travel & hotel information.
Saturday ice cream ride (Arrive earlier than 2 pm to participate)
WHAT tO EXPECT
We start our tour traveling to the serene drift-less region, we will stay in New Glarus and enjoy peaceful farm roads and historic rails to trails gravel bike routes. The drift-less region is a 100 by 150-mile rectangle in the state's southwest corner. The glaciers which plowed and flattened most of the Midwest thousands of years ago missed this landmass, leaving numerous river valleys separated by 500-foot ridges. This is an ideal cycling area because of the many farm roads that crisscross the sparsely populated hillsides.
Our tour of Wisconsin features flat farming valleys with an occasional climb up and over the ridges. Daily miles range from 75 to 90, with about 4,000 feet of climbing. Some country roads can be steep with 10-15% grades, so we recommend low gears with a compact crank and freewheel of 36 x 28. We have ridden these routes during five previous tours and are impressed with the road quality. An average PAC Tour rider can ride most days in about six hours. Recommended rider average speed is 10-15 mph with rest stops.
Wisconsin Tour is for riders of intermediate cycling ability who are looking for a challenging week of cycling, but not as extreme as a PAC Tour cross-country tour. Wisconsin Tour is designed to introduce riders to the PAC Tour experience - plenty of good riding with excellent support and guidance. In the past Wisconsin Tour has been filled with 75% of PAC Tour veterans who return year after year. If you are considering joining a PAC Tour event, this tour is a good one to try. We are limited to about 30 riders.
The roads are legendary; No one describes them better than prominent biking journalist Fred Matheny
Routes are planned to travel 75 – 90 miles daily, with many desolate stretches of secluded farm roads and plenty of picturesque lakes and wildlife areas. Breakfast meals will be served at the hotel or will be PAC Tour style when hotels are lacking. Lunches are PAC Tour style in local parks or byways. Since Wisconsin is famous for its dairy products, many riders stop in the afternoon to sample local ice cream before heading to the motel.
Wisconsin Tour is unique to offer a great selection of destinations to ride each day while keeping the daily distances to 75-90 miles. Besides the countryside, each day will offer other historic and scenic points of interest. We will stay at several classic towns, including a visit to the New Glarus Brewery.
After the driftless region, we will ride east toward the shoreline of Lake Michigan on our way to Door County. Lake Michigan covers over 25,000 square miles, similar to an inland sea with many lighthouses and fishing ports along the shore. Door County is the peninsula that extends 100 miles north into Lake Michigan. Our tour will meander back and forth across Door County, visiting the quaint tourist towns along the east and west shorelines.
We will spend two days in beautiful Sturgeon bay, allowing you to explore this hidden gem in the evening, as well as door county and Washington island during the day. Sturgeon bay has many local restaurants, museums, and history to explore, as well as an imposing lighthouse and marina. These imposing waterways make it clear where door county gets its name "Porte de Mortes"- the doors of death, as they were so dangerous for French sailors to navigate on their way to Green Bay.
We will return to Beloit riding thru the Kettle Moraine region of the southern part of the state. This will take us through some beautiful wildlife preserves. The terrain on this route is much gentler than in the southwestern part of the state. Daily distances average 75-85 miles per day with 2,000 feet of climbing, making this a perfect tandem vacation tour.
Email us if you have any questions, as we are eager to share the beauty of our home state with our fellow cycling enthusiasts.
July 16th
DAY 1 - Beloit to New Glarus
Explore the surprisingly hilly driftless region of southwestern Wisconsin. Experience authentic Swiss immigrant culture in picturesque New Glarus or take a tour of the regionally-renowned New Glarus Brewery.
July 17th
DAY 2 - New Glarus to Richland Center
Beautiful rolling farmland through Amish settlements and organic farms.
July 18th
DAY 3 - Richland Center to Sparta
More quiet farm roads with some challenging hills along the way on our way in to the quiet town of Sparta, this evening we will be having a group pizza party so dinner is on us!
July 19th
DAY 4 - Sparta to Wisconsin Dells
Featuring the Elroy-Sparta bike trail, a converted railway with three tunnels ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 miles long! Bring your lights! we Stay in walking distance of a few boat launches to see the dells by river boat, there are even options for a dinner cruise.
July 20th
DAY 5 - Dells to Waupaun
Explore the beautiful Rock River Valley, ending in historic and scenic Waupun - only 3 miles west from 33,000 acre Horicon National Wildlife Refuge and Horicon Marsh.
July 21st
DAY 6 - Waupaun to Manitowoc
Pass through hills and valleys of the northeast driftless region, the Kettle Moraine State Forest, on the way to the first views of Lake Michigan. Visit Cedar Crest Creamery just before entering Manitowoc.
July 22nd
DAY 7 - Manitowoc to Sturgeon Bay
Stunning vistas over Lake Michigan on the way north towards Door County. Enjoy downtown lodging at Stone Harbor Resort for two nights.
July 23rd
DAY 8 - Sturgeon Bay - Washington Island Loop
Quaint harbor villages and cherry orchards are the signature highlights of Door County. Option to take a ferryboat ride to picturesque Washington Island to ride through the Midwest’s largest lavender fields and the oldest Icelandic settlement in the USA.
July 24th
DAY 9 - Sturgeon Bay to Sheboygan
Travel south along Lake Michigan to Sheboygan County, known for its bratwursts and lake-surfing. Sheboygan is also known as “The Malibu of the Midwest!”
July 25th
DAY 10 - Sheboygan to Watertown
Head inland through small dairy farming communities and pristine Kettle Moraine State Forest.
July 26th
DAY 11 - Watertown to Beloit
Final day of the tour skirts around Lake Koshkonong and surrounding marshes, home to rare and endangered bird species. Our final lunch spot of the day will be at PAC Tour HQ, where you have the option of leaving your car during the tour for easy early departure, or you can return to Beloit and depart the following morning.