It’s been a minute since we’ve been on an extended bike tour… since February and the Tour Aoteaoa earlier this year. Before winter comes to the Midwest, we decided we could squeeze in an “easy-does-it” tour in one of our fave states – WISCONSIN. Off to the Northwoods we go!
We’ve yet to try one of Bikebacking Roots bike routes, and this seemed liked a suitable opportunity. Plus we want to dial in some new equipment for two out-of-the country bike tours in 2026. Come to think of it, we haven’t made any changes to our bikepacking setup besides replacing worn out items (like tires and sleeping pads) since we got into extended touring in 2018 on our first cross country tour on the Northern Tier Ride.
The 365 mile Tour de Nicolet travels through the majority of the Nicolet National Forest which is adjacent to the Chequamegon National Forest and together they make up 1.5 million acres of quintessential Wisconsin Northwoods. Wow!
We’re likely to share the woods with black bear, badgers, porcupines, wolves, bobcats, whitetail deer and wait for it… LOONS! Mostly looking forward to hearing the loons’ haunting sounds from our tent. The Northwoods’ mammals can stick to themselves. lol
It’s not an exceptionally technical route with only 12,600 feet of elevation and the road surfaces are doable. I’m particularly smiling at the (only) 1% single track after some of New Zealand’s single track scared the bejabbers out of me.
The potential issue would be below freezing temps at night but there are some cut offs to shorten the route if it gets too cold. We don’t have the equipment for extreme weather, plus we both hate being cold. lol
At the top of our list is scoring a Wisconsin trifecta, that is a meal that includes brats, beer and cheese. Stay tuned for a ride report in early November.
Keep Calm and Pedal On 