Looking for a new bike route? Well, look no further! Below are some routes to follow while using a Drift Cycle Bike or your personal bike. Our mission is to not only help promote a more accessible source of transportation, but to also get people outside and riding. Below are four different rides for you to try on your own or with a group!
Cameron Park Farmers Market Ride
Description: The La Crosse Farmers Markets are a great place to go if you are looking for local goods. The booths range from freshly picked fruits and veggies to handcrafted items. There are food truck options for a between-ride snack as well. Make a Friday evening or Saturday morning trip and you won’t be disappointed. The ride takes about 10 minutes (1.5 miles) to get there from the UWL campus. Here is a link to their website for some more information: http://www.cameronparkmarket.org/
Directions to Cameron Park from the UWL Student Union: https://goo.gl/maps/aayHifsuCC1QnP8i7
Pettibone Beach Ride
Description: Hot day and looking to take a dip? Pack a beach bag and head over the bridge to Pettibone Park. There are lots of amenities to take advantage of: frisbee golf, watercraft rentals, sunbathing, beach volleyball, swimming AND MORE! The ride is about 15 minutes (about 2.3 miles) starting from Riverside Park. Below is the route to take from there.
Directions from Riverside Park to Pettibone Beach : https://goo.gl/maps/PyErDxvgxTdNvj1M8
Kane Street Garden
Description: If you have a green thumb, this ride is for you! Our Kane Street Community Garden is always looking for volunteers to come help out in the garden. If you ride over on a Monday, Thursday, or Saturday evening make sure to bring your tote bag for harvesting some fresh food! Here is a link to their website for some more information: https://lacrossehtf.org/the-kane-street-community-garden/
Directions from Riverside Park to Kane St Garden: https://goo.gl/maps/EPnTnQuD2UZzAs6Y8
Ice cream and sweets ride!
Description: Ranison Ice Cream & Candy and The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor are two great sweet treat choices when in La Crosse. This ride is all road riding and if you have any worries about riding with traffic please check out this link for some tips: https://bikeleague.org/content/rules-road-0
Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/m7Y4iwvaYrHGJHzC9
Hear, Here Ride : Stories from & of Indigenous Peoples
Description: Make sure you have your phone ready for this ride! Hear, Here is a organization that has listened and compiled stories from the La Crosse Area’s community members. They have made these stories public for everyone to listen. As you ride through town, you will be able to stop at the Hear, Here locations, call the number, enter in the information, and listen to a story. There are lots of important stories to be listened to, but to get you acquainted Hear,Here has given us a themed route to honor the land and people who were in La Crosse first. Below are the locations of each stop. To learn more about Hear, Here head on over to their website: https://www.hearherelacrosse.org/#
As you read this, we would like you to take a second to recognize the land you stand on and will be riding on. The route you will be riding on takes place on the ancestral lands of the Ho-Chunk, who have stewarded this land well before any other group of people occupied this space.
The Route and brief history of each story for each stop (provided by Hear,Here) : http://www.footstepsoflacrosse.org/files/9815/8811/6936/Voices_of_La_Crosse__Ho-Chunk_tour.pdf
NOTE: For purposes of riding a bike with traffic, the suggested route below is reversed from the one shown in the PDF link given above.
The suggested start location for this ride is the Drift Cycle Bike station located outside of The Pump House. However, feel free to rent a bike from any station and make your way toward the first stop.
Below are pictures of the stops to hit while on the route:
Location: Pump House (119 King Street)
Story: Tracy Littlejohn and “Confluence” by John Pugh
Location: 4th Street Across the Street from Duluth Trading Co. (324 Main Street)
Story: Tom Jones and Ho-Chunk Basket Weaving
Location: North of Friendship Garden
Story: Dan Green and the Hiawatha Statue of Riverside Park
Location: Oktoberfest Grounds (498 2nd St. N.)
Story: Robert “Ernie” Boszhardt and First Nations Burial Grounds
After hitting your last stop outside of the fest grounds, the closest Drift Station will be the Landmark station. However, feel free to keep riding around town to find more stories or end at a different station!
Hope you enjoy these rides and PEDAL POSITIVELY!