This article has been written during the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2021. You are encouraged to practice local health guidelines and adventure as close to or as far from others as you wish.
Court and I love a deal. We love the feeling of having a lot of fun for not a lot of money. It can feel really difficult, though, because planning that kind of adventure usually takes a little more creativity. That ultimately means a little more effort. You’re in luck, we’ve laid out the plan for you here for your cheap Madison Saturday.
B-Cycle
One thing that has never gotten old to us, is cruising through town on Madison’s B-Cycle. Oh man, the miles of bike path in Madison just zip by at that effortless e-bike 15 miles per hour. From the community garden near the Goodman Community Center to the Lake Loop to the Arboretum and beyond. B-Cycles are a surefire way to have a good day. A bike and the bike path are the real keys to the city here in Madison. Here’s how to do it.
Use the handy B-Cycle app to locate where bikes are. B-Cycle rides can be purchased at the individual station or online/through the app. You have a couple of options for how you want to rent your B-Cycle.
B-Cycle Cost Breakdown
- Single Ride Pass Online: $5.00 per 30 minutes of riding. Total minutes calculated and billed the following day.
- Day Pass Online: $15.00 Unlimited 60-minute rides for 24 hours. Rides longer than 60 minutes are result in a usage fee of $3.00 per additional 30 minutes.
- Madtown Monthly: $20.00 Enjoy unlimited 60-minute rides for a month! Rides longer than 60 minutes result in a usage fee of $3.00 per additional 30 minutes.
- Annual: $120.00 Get an Unlimited 60-minute ride for a full season! $3.00 per 30 minutes over 60 minutes in a single trip.
Escape the Fee
Alright, so you probably saw the $3.00 fee on all of those options don’t be alarmed, rather, follow these simple steps to get around it.
Step 1
Locate a Nearby Docking Station
Step 2
Dock the Bike
Step 3
Check out new bike.
Congrats, your time is reset and now you’ve got yourself another 30/60 minutes of ride time. Please note this really only works for the Day Pass and up options.
You’ve got your bike unlocked, you’ve adjusted your seat, you’ve put your phone in the snazzy holder and now you’re off. You take that first cycle of the pedals and what is this? A subtle boost from your friend the electronic motor. You’re clear for take-off, friend.
We like to take the Atwood Bike Path from the east side toward downtown. We head up towards Capital Square to link up with the farmers market. There are a ton of options around downtown to dock bikes but know that you probably weren’t the only one who thought to do this and you may have to search a bit for an open stall to park your bike. Check the map in the app for your closest locations and the number of stalls available.
The Farmers Market
The farmers market is your oyster. Spend as much or as little as you want here. Grab a coffee from the new Wonderstate shop on the corner, snag some flowers, or if you can, a loaf of Stella’s Spicy Cheese Bread. Not in the mood to spend money? No worries, enjoy the stroll around the Capitol, take in the sights, and see all the things, people watch, it’s America’s other favorite pastime. This is a community staple in Madison and Madison shows up big for the market. It’s fun to see all the produce, flowers, and delicious foods that show up. When you’ve squeezed the Farmers Market for all of the fresh juice it’s worth and it’s time to go, open up that app again and link back up with a bike. From the market you can head back to the path, ride along the lake and head toward the Henry Vilas Zoo.
Henry Vilas Zoo
Maybe you’re not a zoo person, that’s weird, but maybe you’re not. I think the Henry Vilas Zoo will turn you into one. This place is incredible and believe it or not, free (donation encouraged). The keepers of this zoo have poured so much passion into making this a place where you can experience wildlife and as a result, learn. I always leave encouraged to be a better steward of the earth. The Vilas neighborhood is beautiful, the tree-lined streets provide fresh air and a backdrop that brings me a lot of nostalgic joy of heading to the zoo on a field trip or with family as a kid. The zoo is pretty large and there’s a lot of room to get your steps in here so on a nice day, it’s a really great place to be. When you’re done horsing around at the zoo, head back again to link up with a bike.
Picnic on the Lake
From here, swing through a local store and put together a cheese tray. Now we are talkin’ real Wisconsin. Spend as much or as little on cheese, get some good crackers and whatever other kinds of snacks you like, and head to one of the many parks in Madison. Olbrich is one of our favorites with plenty of room to roam and find a spot along the lake and close bike stalls. Spend some time feeling a little fancy with your cheese tray and enjoying the beauty of Madison. From Olbrich, along the lake, you get a great Capital view. If it’s getting close to sunset, head to the other side of the Isthmus to Tenney Park for a dreamy evening view.
Depending on how much time you’ve spent in each of these spots you either have a lot or very little day left. You might be ready for a nap or ready for the next adventure, I hope where ever you wind up from here. This road map showed you that a fun day in Madison doesn’t have to mean a lot of money.
Cost Breakdown:
$15.00 Day Pass
$10.00 Picnic Items
$25.00 Total
The Fine Print is, there is no fine print.
We weren’t commissioned by B-Cycle despite this feeling like a really big B-Cycle ad, we weren’t commissioned by anyone for this article, actually. We just really like them for our favorite mode of transportation around town. Parking can get expensive so when you subtract that from the cost of the bike pass, it takes a little hurt off of it and also is just a lot more fun than driving a car. If anyone ever pays us to write nice things about them, we’ll make sure to tell you.