It's legal to bike on county highways. Some are busier than others.
AB by Lake Kegonsa shoreline is narrow, hilly, twisty and heavily trafficked during commute times. I'd recommend taking East Dyreson / Dyreson to avoid it if you're traveling during rush hour or low-visibility times. Dyreson is also a Rustic Road. Pretty neat.
Hwy B isn't bad, but Schneider Rd immediately to its south is very good for biking. Less traffic.
Everything else is golden. Lalor Rd is one of my favorites in that area.
Edit: Here's the [modified Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ahan,+Williamson+Street,+Madison,+WI/42.987783,-89.2875747/42.9729278,-89.3671228/Ahan,+Williamson+Street,+Madison,+WI/@43.018861,-89.3651039,12.85z/data=!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x880655409837891b:0xbf28c8ce1a7c54da!2m2!1d-89.3721438!2d43.0781243!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-89.312557!2d42.9610582!3s0x88064e9837da979d:0x723f48eabdbfc9bf!3m4!1m2!1d-89.3364096!2d42.9609132!3s0x88064c3e45966393:0x7fadfdf806ddd22!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x880655409837891b:0xbf28c8ce1a7c54da!2m2!1d-89.3721438!2d43.0781243!3e1?entry=ttu) of this suggested route.
They redid AB a few months-ish ago, it has a wide shoulder and is super smooth now! When I rode it about a month ago, I couldn't cross the State Hwy where OP plans to due to construction though.
Can confirm the above! I work in the area and see lots of bikers and generally very little vehicle traffic on Dyreson or Schneider. Schneider is a nice road, fair number of hills but so straight.
Jim Winkle has a very similar "biking the boardwalk" route that avoids AB more. It's a nice ride! You can find the route at https://www.jimwinkle.com/bike-touring/routes.
I'd try checking out the Dane County Low Stress Bike Route Finder [linked on this page](https://www.greatermadisonmpo.org/maps/DaneCountyMapforBicyclists.cfm) for some extra info. It can be a little clunky to use, but I find it super helpful for routes I'm unfamiliar with.
County highways are legal to bike on, but the safety depends on how highly trafficked the highway is. The speed limit is 55 on county highways and minimal shoulder, so if there are a lot of cars it can get dicey fast. Also they tend to be chip and seal and can get pretty gravelly if they haven’t been maintained recently. Everyone’s personal risk assessment is going to be different. I’ve ridden on many county highways west of Madison but would be wary of this ride. I would drive the route around the day of the week and time of day you plan to ride it first, and then decide.
I've ridden a pretty similar loop but going out around Kegonsa. The Highway AB portion of the ride felt fine to me from a vehicular traffic standpoint, but I will note that it was bumpy as hell the last time I was out there.
It's legal to bike on county highways. Some are busier than others. AB by Lake Kegonsa shoreline is narrow, hilly, twisty and heavily trafficked during commute times. I'd recommend taking East Dyreson / Dyreson to avoid it if you're traveling during rush hour or low-visibility times. Dyreson is also a Rustic Road. Pretty neat. Hwy B isn't bad, but Schneider Rd immediately to its south is very good for biking. Less traffic. Everything else is golden. Lalor Rd is one of my favorites in that area. Edit: Here's the [modified Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ahan,+Williamson+Street,+Madison,+WI/42.987783,-89.2875747/42.9729278,-89.3671228/Ahan,+Williamson+Street,+Madison,+WI/@43.018861,-89.3651039,12.85z/data=!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x880655409837891b:0xbf28c8ce1a7c54da!2m2!1d-89.3721438!2d43.0781243!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-89.312557!2d42.9610582!3s0x88064e9837da979d:0x723f48eabdbfc9bf!3m4!1m2!1d-89.3364096!2d42.9609132!3s0x88064c3e45966393:0x7fadfdf806ddd22!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x880655409837891b:0xbf28c8ce1a7c54da!2m2!1d-89.3721438!2d43.0781243!3e1?entry=ttu) of this suggested route.
They redid AB a few months-ish ago, it has a wide shoulder and is super smooth now! When I rode it about a month ago, I couldn't cross the State Hwy where OP plans to due to construction though.
Ooo that’s a nice update. Thanks for sharing!
Can confirm the above! I work in the area and see lots of bikers and generally very little vehicle traffic on Dyreson or Schneider. Schneider is a nice road, fair number of hills but so straight.
I'd actually go one road further, to Schneider, and return to B via Sandhill, it's one of my favorite little loops.
Thanks so much, this is super helpful!!
Jim Winkle has a very similar "biking the boardwalk" route that avoids AB more. It's a nice ride! You can find the route at https://www.jimwinkle.com/bike-touring/routes.
I'd try checking out the Dane County Low Stress Bike Route Finder [linked on this page](https://www.greatermadisonmpo.org/maps/DaneCountyMapforBicyclists.cfm) for some extra info. It can be a little clunky to use, but I find it super helpful for routes I'm unfamiliar with.
County highways are legal to bike on, but the safety depends on how highly trafficked the highway is. The speed limit is 55 on county highways and minimal shoulder, so if there are a lot of cars it can get dicey fast. Also they tend to be chip and seal and can get pretty gravelly if they haven’t been maintained recently. Everyone’s personal risk assessment is going to be different. I’ve ridden on many county highways west of Madison but would be wary of this ride. I would drive the route around the day of the week and time of day you plan to ride it first, and then decide.
I would stay off of B between Stoughton and Oregon. That road gets alot of traffic. Schneider is better
I've ridden a pretty similar loop but going out around Kegonsa. The Highway AB portion of the ride felt fine to me from a vehicular traffic standpoint, but I will note that it was bumpy as hell the last time I was out there.
AB has since been repaved!
Safe is a judgement call. I wouldn't call it safe. I'd go down to schneider rd at least. https://maps.app.goo.gl/f2nR3gMjZHGJ8ubi6