I see lots of people cycling in Rock Co, in fact I was surprised to see so many out already with snow still in sight. They don't have the fancy bikes, but they are the avid bikers that use it for general transportation. Keep healthy and help the economy! That's a win, win.

My first visit to Wisconsin was a solo bike trip along Lake Michigan and then down to Madison. Fell in love with your state and came back the next year for another bike trip. People from my home state of California always ask me "why Wisconsin" when I mention my trip. It's the most bike friendly place I've ever ridden.

kiowamohican, that figure is probably valid as you interpret it -- as something someone does at least once a year. That seems to be the basis for the original list from a DNR report here:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/planning/scor...
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For comparison, it's slightly lower than sightseeing and wildflower photography, but slightly higher than going to the beach. It's significantly higher than freshwater fishing -- and about double golf. Obviously we all know people who live and breathe both activities, and then some who only dabble or perform it in their dreams 10x as often as they get out.

Good deal. However, folks in this part of the state seem to only ride a bike when they lose their license from a DWI. Got to get the bar somehow.

I'm an avid cyclist and rarely see people in Rock county riding a bike like I do, but then that's just Rock county.

Chronic Wasting Bicycles....LOLOLOLOL..!!!!!

coyote- "CWB"...LOLOLOL....good one!

Man that sure is a lot of revenue coming from the free water stops bicyclists make in our rural towns off the bike trails. You should not have published this article for now there will be fees imposed on all drinking fountains in the state of WI and the DNR is for sure, as someone mentioned, licking their chops to increase bicyclist fees like a tire tax on new bike tires purchased at Walmart or for sure, increasing state trail passes to say 25 bucks per bike to catch up to the increasing fees of deer hunting. Look what that got them, less people purchasing deer hunting licenses resulting in less revenue for the DNR. I'm sick of the DNR pissing and moaning about the budget cuts. For example, I called Governor Dodge state park and they said due to budget cuts, the road to Twin Valley lake is closed during the winter and only accessible by walking a lot more to get to it. Well, thanks for the wasted use of our precise natural resources like ice fishing Twin Valley lake being nonexistent.

"The report found that 49 percent of Wisconsinites bike for recreation, making it among the most popular outdoor activities."
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I find that hard to believe. I bike almost everyday around here in the spring and summer, and usually a good 100+ miles per week. If half the people bicycle that would mean there is about 30,000 cyclers in this city (population is about 60,000, last I checked). I hardly see anyone bicycling when I am out. I mean you run across a handful, but it's not like masses. That's probably one of those surveys where people say they bike for recreation, and in reality do it like once a year.

The League of American Bicyclists has a "bicycle friendly community" program. Last year they ranked all fifty states on their criteria and Wisconsin was 2nd. Still, only three cities in the state have formally applied for and received bicycle-friendly status -- LaCrosse, Madison, and Milwaukee.
http://www.bikeleague.org/news/090508bfs...
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I'd like to see Janesville leverage the parks-trail system, which is due to be expanded with the state constructing a bike-pedestrian bridge over Hwy 26 where Rotamer Road used to intersect, and achieve at least honorable mention status. The process will also tell us what we have that's positive and what we need to improve -- such as completing connections from Janesville to Fort Atkinson and Beloit. Some of the Hwy 26 project will have at least right-of-way set aside for a bike path, that will link with the one in Jefferson County.
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Anyway, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin has numerous rides and other events on its calendar.
http://www.bfw.org/events/events.php
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This August Dane County will be the site of a massive event bringing cyclists from around the world, the Centurion. It's sure to bring even more attention to Wisconsin as a bike venue, even though we lost out on the Olympics.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/a...
http://www.centurioncycling.com/
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Last but not least, the Janesville Velo Club is the local group that you may have seen riding the trail or roads. All skill levels, of course, are welcome, from casual riders to competitors.
http://www.veloclub.org/
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See also:
http://www.getsetwi.com/
http://www.bikesbelong.org/

Bicyclists do pay fees when we license bikes in urban settings; when we ride the amazing rural and state-maintained trails...

And the DNR is licking its lips thinking of...CWB

Great, maybe now the democrats in the legislature will figure out a way to fee you bicyclists to death like they do the hunters.