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5 days ago
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The deal: $10.80 vs. $17.95 list on Amazon
Road Biking Wisconsin by Russ Lowthian is $10.80 on Amazon, down from a $17.95 list price. That's $7.15 off, or roughly 40%, and it brings a planning book down to about what you'd spend on a sandwich and a coffee at a rest stop.
Check the current price on Amazon
This is a niche deal. It isn't a must-buy. If you ride in Wisconsin or plan summer trips around the Upper Midwest, though, it's an inexpensive way to collect route ideas.
Check the current price on Amazon. Before you buy, confirm the listing is the Russ Lowthian paperback from Falcon Press Publishing.
What you're getting: a 248-page print guide to 41 Wisconsin road rides
The book belongs to Falcon's Road Biking series. BookAuthority describes it as a 248-page guide covering 41 Wisconsin road rides. Retailer listings show it as a paperback.
Quick facts:
- Title: Road Biking Wisconsin (Road Biking series)
- Author: Russ Lowthian
- Publisher: Falcon Press Publishing
- Format: Paperback, per retailer listings
- Length: 248 pages, per BookAuthority
- Rides covered: 41 road routes, per BookAuthority
- Publication date: 2008
- Amazon price: $10.80 (list $17.95)
What's inside: route directions, maps, photos, mileage, terrain, traffic notes, rest stops, and lodging
According to BookAuthority, each ride includes:
- Route directions
- Maps
- Photos
- Mileage
- Terrain notes
- Traffic considerations
- Rest stops
- Lodging information
That format lets you compare rides by distance, terrain, and traffic before you commit a Saturday to one. The rest-stop and lodging notes can also give you a starting point for sketching out a multi-day trip.
Who it's for: weekend road riders, trip planners, and cyclist gift shoppers
BookAuthority says the guide is useful for both experienced riders and beginners. It makes the most sense for:
- Weekend road riders who want new loops to try
- Trip planners who like to flip through options before building routes in an app
- Riders heading into spotty-coverage areas who want a printed reference in the car or the hotel room
- Gift shoppers looking for an inexpensive add-on for the Wisconsin cyclist in their life
The catch: it was published in 2008, so verify everything before you ride
This guide is old, and it's worth taking that seriously. Since 2008, roads may have been repaved, rerouted, or closed. Traffic patterns may have shifted, signage may have changed, and the businesses, rest stops, and lodging it lists may not exist anymore.
Think of it as a source of inspiration and a planning reference, not a current navigation tool. Before you ride any route, check it against up-to-date maps, a GPS app, and local or county resources.
Not the right buy if you want mountain, gravel, or statewide bike-path coverage
The guide focuses on road rides. If you're looking for mountain-bike trails, gravel routes, or a comprehensive guide to Wisconsin's bike paths, this book isn't built for that.
How it fits with Ride with GPS, Komoot, Strava, and local bike maps
The book works best alongside your apps, not in place of them. Use it to find a ride that sounds good, then rebuild and check the route with current tools:
- Ride with GPS: user-generated route planning and navigation
- Komoot: route discovery and turn-by-turn cycling navigation
- Strava: route planning and heatmap-based ride discovery
- Wisconsin Department of Tourism and Wisconsin Bicycle Federation: current state cycling information
- County and regional bike maps: the best place to check closures and road conditions
In short, the book gives you ideas and the apps tell you what's true today.
Is $10.80 worth it? Our take
It's worth it if you go in with the right expectations. At $10.80, you're paying lunch money for 41 ride ideas laid out in a consistent format you can browse offline. You're not buying current route data, and nothing here replaces checking the details yourself.
If you already plan rides with apps and like having something printed to flip through, it's a reasonable impulse buy. Free route-planning apps pair well with it. A bike light or a portable pump is also a practical add-on for those longer rural loops.
Check the current price on Amazon, and make sure the listing is the 2008 Russ Lowthian paperback.
