WHHDS: Wingra, Heron, Hops and Derailleur Society

An early morning cycling tradition in Madison, Wisconsin

A Brief History of the Wingra Heron, Hops & Derailleur Society

by Donald Chambers

The Wingra Heron, Hops & Derailleur Society was founded in April 1985, the date of my daughter's birth. Until that time I rode daily after work, usually a time trial to Paoli and back. I started the clock at the Mills Street Bridge at the east end of the Arboretum (EEOTA) and stopped the clock when I returned. But this was now family time. I didn't want to give up my ride so I had to find a time that wouldn't interfere. That time was early morning when my wife and daughter were still asleep.

I left home at 5:45 AM and rode through Vilas Park to the east end of the Arboretum. Instead of riding to Paoli I rode a shorter route to get home on time. After riding through the Arboretum I rode south on South Seminole Highway to the T at Whalen Road, turned around, and returned by the same route. I was back to the Mills Street Bridge by 7 AM and home by 7:10 AM.

This worked well for me. I had my ride and didn't miss any family responsibilities. And I was able to get to work on time.

After a few of years of riding alone I was able to persuade my friend Rick Friday to ride with me. We rode the same route together for several years until the summer when he was to sail the Atlantic in a small boat, a trip that would take him several weeks. Not wanting to leave me to ride alone he arranged for two friends to ride with me, Damon Bourne and Rick Thiel. Damon, Rick and I continued to meet at 6 AM at the Mills Street Bridge, ride the same route, and return to the bridge by 7 AM. When Rick Friday returned from his adventure he re-joined us. Now we were four and were able to ride in a pace line.

The following year Damon posted the ride on the Internet and we were joined by others who were looking for what we were looking for, an early morning fast recreational ride. We were never a race club, although we did introduce some sprints into the ride. From the beginning we had one fundamental principle: no one gets dropped.

Our group now consistently had ten to twelve riders. New riders unfamiliar with pace line riding were taught the etiquette of pace line riding and there were never any accidents. With larger groups we used a double pace line.

From time to time variations in the route were introduced. The first change was to turn left at Whalen Road, left again at Mutchler, and left again on Lacy back to South Seminole, then back to the Arboretum.

The ride through the Arboretum was always at a conversational pace, warming up on the way out and warming down on the way back. The pace line formed at the bridge over the Beltline on South Seminole and continued until the turn around at Whalen Road, reforming after the turn and continuing back to the Beltline.

Another variation was to turn right on Osmondsen from Mutchler, cross Lacy, and continue through the residential neighborhood back to South Seminole. Many more rides have been added since.

For a number of years we had a time trial series. The course was the block bounded by Mutchler, Whalen, South Seminole, and Lacy. We rode clockwise so we wouldn't have to cross traffic. Results were posted later that morning.

I had a heart attack in May 1997. After a few weeks of convalescence I returned to the morning ride for several more years. I retired from work in January 1998. When my wife retired in 2007 I retired from the morning ride to ride with her later in the day. On retiring from the ride I became an emeritus member of the Wingra Heron, Hops, and Derailleur Society. It was an important feature of my life for many years. I am grateful to all those who rode with me.

Donald Chambers
WHHDS # 001
Madison Wisconsin
August 2021

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