Just a few feet from the door of Vermont Lutheran Church, cyclists often whiz past, enjoying the rolling hills of western Dane County as they train for endurance races that will be held on those same rural roads. The area’s popularity as a biking hot spot has not come without tension. Residents complain of litter and road closures. Cyclists say they don’t always feel welcome. Both sides tell of rudeness and unsafe conditions.
This has put Vermont Lutheran Church “in the heart of bicycling nirvana and sometimes in the crossfire between bikers and drivers,” said Gaila Olsen, a church member and an avid biker. The 420-member church is near Black Earth, about 20 miles west of Madison.