gpsKevin Adventure Rides

Wisconsin Backways Adventure Trail (WIBAT)

Self Guided WIBAT

The WIBAT forms a 1,100 mile adventure loop around the mountains and forests of Wisconsin. It is a mix of back paved roads and dirt roads with some optional trails. The ride has many easy and hard route choices. This ride is best done as a 5 day adventure. Riders can either stay in motels or find campsites along the route. A recommended list of motels is included. As the motels in this area are inexpensive, I recommend that you travel light and leave your camping gear at home. The route is partly based on the famous Trans-Wisconsin-Trail but gives riders many more choices for options and it forms a loop around the state. The route map is comprised of three colored lines, Red, Green and Blue. The main route is Blue and includes lots of dirt road sections and some amazing back places. There can be some challenging sections on this route. The Green route choices are mainly paved and often shortcuts. The Red routes can be tough depending on weather conditions and time of year. Depending on your choices, the ride can accommodate a wide range of skill levels.

Status of this route: These routes are not fully proven. Some sections may be more difficult or impassable at times due to local weather conditions or maintenance. Riders should always be prepared to turn around and when appropriate, choose an easier option or another route. These are meant to be adventures and if you can't find some enjoyment in that sort of thing, you should choose another, more mainstream, trip.

This BAT ride targets riders who really want to take their adventure bikes off road. At times it can be a tough guys ride. This ride is for skilled, experienced riders only. The ride is put together as a lodging style ride meaning each evening riders will spend the night in a different motel. The ride includes easy and hard options for riders wanting choices or having a tough day.

Self Guided Adventure: The Wisconsin Backways Adventure Trail is designed to be a self-guided adventure. As GPS units have become both more powerful and easier to use, it has enabled anyone to be able to easily find their way along the trail. For many, this allows them to just experience the trail without the burden of getting lost.

Buy the GPS Card and Rider Maps:

You can order a microSD Card for your Garmin GPS and a set of big picture overview maps as well as tank bag reference maps designed in combination with the microSD card to fit the pocket in your "Tank Bag"

See the choices below:

WIBAT Choice (Scroll Down Menu)

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Notes: I suggest you plan and order early. Normally I ship within a week. But sometimes I run out and it can take me several weeks to get new cards and maps. And sometimes I am out riding and building new adventures so that can be hard too. I list the Option for 2 SD cards because many riders like to carry a backup card or a cheap backup GPS in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

Ride Details

I know many of you also enjoy dreaming about the ride and making your plans, so here is the detail, enjoy!

Ride Plan WIBAT

View the ride maps

OK since many of you like to study more detail about the ride, below are the ride maps.

I put these ride maps on the web page because I know a few of you love looking at the ride detail and dreaming about the ride. At first glance these maps do not look so impressive, but they are way cool. If you start zooming in, you can see the ride in incredible detail. I have spent a ton of hours sorting through the details of the ride for each day, so for those of you that enjoy this sort of thing, well enjoy!

Legend:

The Blue lines are MAIN routes

The Red lines are Harder routes

The Green lines are Easy options

The Black lines are the out and back viewpoints

How does the ride navigation work?

This is a self-led GPS ride; all riding is on your own. You are responsible for your own riding. You will be given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit. People will hook up in small groups of less than 6 riders and tend to ride together. You are not encouraged to ride alone. You are responsible for your own riding and yourself.

(see my ride Navigation Video)

Are you right for this ride?

When something goes wrong on a ride, would your riding friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help? You should be in the more likely to offer help camp. This ride is filled with riders that are more likely to give help, so most of the time the riders never need help. Additionally there is all the normal stuff, come prepared to maintain your bike, fix your bike on the trail, repair flat tires, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.

How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?

I develop very high quality ride maps custom for our ride. They come from much of what I and others have ridden. I take the best from all my rides and make new ones.

(See my Custom Ride Maps Video)

Note from me, gpsKevin

My goal for this ride is simple: great riding. So you can count on great routes and places to ride.

But in addition, the ride is about discovering new places, meeting new friends, seeing new parts of the country.

Thanks

gpsKevin

FAQ's

Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin GPS?

A: Buy one, you need it, we will show you how to use it. You can get a great one for under $200 bucks. ( See gpsKevin's gps recommendations)

Q: Is the riding really on my own?

A: Yes, but almost everyone hooks up and rides with a friend, or a new friend or me.