The leaves have been cleared from the 2 mile new singletrack loop at Big Eau Pleine Park so now it can actually be found again (big thanks to Pete Hoover and his leaf blower).  The trail is in good shape and begging to be ridden.  Since Nine Mile is officially closed for the season Eau Pleine is a perfect spot to scratch any mountain bike itch you still may have and with the additional 9 miles of doubletrack trail there you can get a pretty decent fall ride in.  Also remember that the Eau Pleine is a county park so there is NO hunting allowed which will also make this a great (and safe) place to ride during the Thanksgiving holiday and beyond!

The first single track loop is now complete at Eau Pleine park totalling 2.1 miles.  This is in addition to over nine miles of double track/ski trail that are graveled and fun to ride....not nearly as wide as Nine Mile ski trail.  The map has been updated and can be seen HERE.  The map indicates all proposed singletrack (marked in red), all completed singletrack (marked in blue) as well as all of the ski trails.

Finally More Riding Opportunities for Central Wisconsin!!

For the past 4 years I have been working closely with the Marathon County Parks, Recreation and Forestry Dept. regarding all things mountain bike related in the Wausau area.  In an effort to gain more trails (outside of Nine Mile) I have a developed, and approved, plan to build approximately 10 miles of singletrack at the Big Eau Pleine County Park just west of Mosinee (click here for a map to Big Eau Pleine Park).  There already exists approximately 9 miles of double track trail at this 1400 acre county park so there is plenty of room an lots of opportunity to gain some new fun trails.  No hunting is allowed so there is potential for riding well into the late fall or early winter...well after Nine Mile is officially closed for the season (Oct 15th every year).

Construction has already begun as of late fall 2006 with only about 0.75 miles constructed so there is a long way to go.....

 Please stay tuned to the website for updates on our progress.  If you are interested in helping build trails please contact Matt Block at mblock2@verizon.net or 359-0187.

Alright so if you ventured on into this site you probably know something about cyclocross. Well we are here to further your knowledge on this great 4 th leg of competitive cycling, the other 3 being road, mountain bike, and track racing. Cyclocross (CX) is exactly what it looks like; a cross or mixture of cycling events. CX is a hybrid of road cycling and mountain biking with some running thrown into the blend as well. Some say it is the steeplechase of cycling, I would agree with this and I also agree that it is the most grueling segment of cycling.

So how a CX race works is organizers will set up a 1-2 mile course that will cover varying terrain including grass, dirt, sand pits, mud pits, short run ups, monster runs up (thank you Winding Trails, CT), singletrack, off-camber sections, and you cannot forget the barrier sections, yes now you have a visual. Many times races are held on soccer fields, college and high school campuses, motor raceways, and city parks. Races range in length from 30-60 minutes depending on category with the fast guys (aka pros) hammering for the full 60 minutes around the 1-2 mile circuit. The season begins at the end of September in the United States and finishing up with the National Championships in early December. The World Championships are held (usually) during the first week in February.

Here is the latest update on the Wisconsin River bike/ped bridge project. Looks like there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

Click here for a link the Wausau Daily Herald website.

Click here for a PDF version of the article.

2006 Spring Newsletter:

Click here to download a copy of the newsletter.

Next week is National Bike-To-Work Week and Shepherd & Schaller Sporting Goods is kicking it off with some commuting clinics and free goodies for everyone who signs up for Bike-To-Work week! Check out the event flyer below. Even if you do not commute but are interested please stop by the square across from Shepherd & Schaller Monday May 16th between 5:30 and 7:00 PM. Click here for the Wausau Wheeler & Shepherd & Schaller flyer to print out and hang up at your office.

EVERY MONTH IS BIKE MONTH May marks the 49th annual National Bike Month, as designated by the League of American Bicyclists. May is also Better Sleep Month, National Salad Month, National Electrical Safety Month, National Barbecue Month, National Military Appreciation Month, and National Egg Month. If you think you'll have trouble keeping up the momentum for thirty-one days with so much to celebrate, know that May 16 through 20 is Bike-to-Work Week. Or, if you'd prefer to distill your two-wheeled tribute into one twenty-four-hour period, make it Friday, May 20, officially known as Bike-to-Work Day. To learn if anything special is happening in your community, or to post information on your own event, visit these sites: Bike-To-Work National Bike Month

A "mailing list" is a list of e-mail addresses identified by a single name, such as Members@WausauWheelers.org.

When an e-mail message is sent to the mailing list name, it is automatically forwarded to all the e-mail addresses in the list.

** For example:
Matt wishes to send a message to all Wausau Wheelers members about an upcoming event. He can simply send a normal e-mail message to a single e-mail address, Members@WausauWheelers.org and the message will automatically be routed to all registered Wausau Wheelers members.

A mailing list solves the problem of determining which individuals should receive a message, ensuring that all interested participants are included.

I am currently working on putting the verbage together for several mailing lists to facilitate communication between Wausau Wheelers Members.

A mailing list is a group e-mail addresses of individuals with a common interest. For example, if you are interested in organizing a last minute road ride, simply send an e-mail to: RoadRides@WausauWheelers.org and all members subscribed to the list will receive your message. Its that easy!

Some of the lists I have in mind are:
* RoadRides@WausauWheelers.org
* MTBRides@WausauWheelers.org
* RoadRaces@WausauWheelers.org
* MTBRaces@WausauWheelers.org
* Members@WausauWheelers.org

Lists are easy to add, delete and modify, so if anyone has any input, let me know and I would be happy to assist.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanks
Justin - jbraathen@charter.net

If you wish to road ride on Tuesday, September 20, 2005, please meet at 620 Franklin Street, Wausau, at 5:00 p.m. Hoping to get in 25 - 30 miles before the sun sets. Call 845-3797 if you have questions.
Barb & Scott