Hi, my name is Alyson. Madison Bike Life is where I share my favorite routes, love of Dutch bikes, touring adventures, and thoughts on all things biking. I strive to make this blog a source of information and inspiration for those who want to live life by bike. My bike life began in the summer of 2006 when my childhood love of biking was rekindled by a vintage Schwinn Breeze. I bought the bike from a resale shop on its aesthetics alone – all I knew about bikes was how to ride one.

It never occurred to me to bike to work through the sprawling northern Illinois city where I lived, but living downtown allowed me to bike to visit friends nearby, as well as enjoy innumerable rides on the few available paths.
It wasn't until I embarked on a car-free lifestyle in Madison during the spring of 2007 that I realized I had a lot to learn about biking. The act of cycling is easy, but traffic, rain, snow, and flat tires complicate things. Most obstacles people list for not bicycling, such as staying warm in winter, wearing nice clothes, and bringing groceries home, I learned to overcome by using the example of other cyclists on Madison's busy bike paths or through my own process of trial and error. Through reading bike blogs and more authoritative sources, I have educated myself on cycling norms and my rights as a cyclist.  

By the time I started this blog in December of 2011, most aspects of biking had become habits, allowing me to enjoy the ride without much fuss about the details. I aim for this blog to be the support new cyclists need, as well as to offer relevant and entertaining content to seasoned bikers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Email comments and questions to alyson DOT herreid AT gmail DOT com
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)