How To Get Out In Oak Creek For Wisconsin Bike Week

OAK CREEK, WI — This week is Wisconsin Bike Week. The annual event, which comes a bit late this year, marks Wisconsin's love of bikes, and sets aside a week to do just that.

Wisconsin Bike Fed, a statewide bicycle advocacy group, holds the event each year. The program brings coordination between Bike Fed and local groups across the state for a week full of celebrating bikes.

While Oak Creek is not an official city participating in the event, there are still plenty of ways to get out for a ride. Whether it's long-haul trips, mountain biking or a nice leisurely ride, there's something for everyone around town.

Accessing Trails From Oak Creek

The easiest established trail to access in Oak Creek is the Oak Creek line of the Oak Leaf Trail. The trail is a mix of gravel, asphalt and surface streets. The line cuts across the city and can take one from south to north.

The Oak Creek connector is another trail in Oak Creek. It runs west toward Franklin along Drexel Avenue. It becomes an on-street trail at 27th Street.

The trails connect, and with them, one can make it to quite a few spots in Milwaukee County with minimal on-road time. Trailheads with parking can be found at Oak Creek Parkway. Trails can also be accessed at road crossings.

Check out a detailed map of the whole trail system to find where to start.

Where To Go

The various trails Milwaukee County offers can take someone miles in all directions, so the only concern is where to go. Here are a few landmarks in the county that are either accessible by bike trails or easy to get to using trails:

• Lake Michigan and parks such as Grant Park and Bradford Beach.
• The Milwaukee Art Museum
• Root River Parkway
• Franklin Field and The Rock
• State Fair Grounds
• American Family Field
• Boerner Botanical Gardens

If you're looking to try new beers without the calories, this weekend is also the return of the pop-up beer garden at Abendshcien Park. The park is accessible by Oak Creek's bike trails.

The best way to plan a trip is by checking out the resources and maps of Milwaukee County's trail system. Learn more here.

Looking For Mountain Biking?

In Oak Creek's backyard, Franklin, there is one of Milwaukee County's few mountain biking trails, the Kegel Alpha Trail. It's accessible by a parking lot at Rock Sports Complex or 6740 S 92nd Street.

Trail-users should ride counter-clockwise and should avoid the trail when it is wet, according to TravelWisconsin.com.

Streets To Avoid

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation put together a map that conveys the best parts of the county to bike in, but also the worst. Main highways with high traffic volumes should be avoided, according to WisDOT's map.

As a rule of thumb, roads with a lot of cars and no bike lanes are not as great for riding. Luckily, Milwaukee County's trail system helps to avoid that.

Another way to increase one's safety is by wearing a helmet. Although a minority of people regularly wear them when on a bicycle, helmets are a proven way to prevent severe injury. Head injuries can be reduced by 80 percent with helmets, the CDC found.