I make a practice of taking one day off each month just for myself. There are longer stretches of time off for holidays and family vacations, but I believe it’s important to be a little selfish occasionally, and plan time for yourself. The weather couldn’t have been better for my day off in November, so I decided to embark on my first route that I would publish for Driftless Road and Gravel.
The town of Menomonie is a great hub for cycling routes. The starting location for the routes I publish on this site is Riverside Park. Although the facilities were not open at the time I rode (November 8th), there are normally restrooms and water fountains at the park location. There is also a trailhead to the Red Cedar Trail, which is a gravel rail-trail, and a great restaurant/brewery called Lucette’s, all at the same location. Because food and beverages are such an integral part of cycling culture, the routes on this site aim to include great food and beverage experiences as part of the route.
This ride would take me to Kavu Coffee House in the town of Boyceville. As I was planning this ride, I was surprised to find a coffee shop in the little town of Boyceville. I thought the trip to Boyceville would make for a good ride, but when I realized a coffee shop could be a destination, I knew I had to give it a go. After getting my gear situated, I hopped on my custom All-City Zig Zag and headed west on County Road P. The climbing begins right away on this route and is merely a sneak-peak of what is to come for the remainder of the ride. My Garmin computer clocked over 2700 feet of climbing over 41 miles during this ride, which is great for those who love to climb, but possibly too much for some depending on one’s fitness level.
The first climb leads to an open vista to the north where I was able to see for miles. It’s always nice to get rewarded for your climbing efforts! After four miles or so on County Road P, it intersects with County Road K. County Road K first joins County Road P from the south, but after a very short distance it heads to the North towards Boyceville. I took County Road K to the north and enjoyed another hilly but scenic 5 miles before the elevation started to mellow out. The next 9-10 miles of road would wind around hills instead of going up and over them, which provided a nice break from the climbing.
I reached Boyceville after 19 miles and found my way to Kavu Coffee House. The first thing I noticed was the outdoor seating, which I wouldn’t be utilizing in the sub-50 degree temperature. However, it would make an excellent outdoor rest stop at different times of the year. The coffee shop was small, and I met the owner who was making the coffee drinks. I learned that Kavu Coffee House was born out of the pain of needing to drive to Menomonie to get a decent cup of coffee. The husband and wife duo decide to open up a shop in Boyceville to make good coffee available in their small community. Pretty cool.
I ordered a double espresso and an apple cinnamon scone. While decent coffee isn’t too hard to come by, good espresso seems to be more hit or miss from my experience. I was pleasantly surprised by the espresso, and the scone was fantastic. Although I started my route in Menomonie, Kavu Coffee House is also within reach of my house by bike. After this experience, I will be making the trip from my house as well.
After getting back on the bike, I headed down Main Street to the west end of Boyceville where I picked up County Road O heading south. A short but scenic 5 miles lead me to the town of Knapp, where I headed west on Highway 12 for a short stint until I got to 3rd Avenue (Jackson Road) which would take me up the “Knapp Hill.” Depending on what point in the ride you would like to take a break, Knapp also has a great park with a pavilion that makes for a good rest stop. Both Boyceville and Knapp have convenience stores as well.
Climbing the Knapp Hill is the most challenging section of the route. Although I wasn’t tracking it on my Garmin, I’m pretty sure the gradient reaches 15% or so during this half-mile climb. The crest of the hill gives way to what I can only describe as “Wisconsin Switchbacks,” making for a fun and beautiful descent. Totally worth the grind up the hill, in my opinion.
After descending the Knapp Hill, I rode through a scenic valley for about three miles, where I met up with County Road K again. I headed south and spent the next 9 or 10 miles climbing one hill after another all the way back to Riverside Park. The gradients during this section were more noticeable on the return trip. My legs could have been a little fatigued by this point, but I’m pretty sure the hills were steeper coming from this direction.
If 40 miles of climbing is your jam, this is a great route. Before I rode this route, I was concerned that the route might be too short for some. After riding it, I realized that the hills were a bigger factor than I expected…so the distance ended up being plenty. In my opinion, the ideal way to ride this route would be to have a mid-morning coffee break at Kavu’s, followed by lunch at Lucette’s when you return to Menomonie. In addition to excellent wood-fired pizzas, they brew their own beer and root beer on site (both excellent as well).