That's hard for me to answer because while Indianapolis isn't the prettiest place to ride, our club is one of the most active in the country and offers a wide variety of well-organized rides. Depending on my mood, I like all of them. We have weekend rides, breakfast and dinner rides, weekday training rides, grand touring rides and social (family) rides, all of which are organized and manned by club members, who serve as volunteers. As someone who had led a weekend ride, it takes a lot of work and I have a real appreciation for just how much our club offers--at a bargain price--to its members. Oh, and the club also hosts the Hilly Hundred!

Here's a brief description of the rides:

Training rides: These rides are offered from April through October, Monday throuh Friday and follow a set and marked course of between 20 and 25 miles. There are probably about 10 different training rides throughout the week, each catering to a different side of town and slightly different average speed. The training rides are not meant for beginning or slower riders. The group rides in a paceline and some of the rides are known to be pretty aggressive. Some are a little more mellow, but speed is the name of the game. Slower riders can attend the training rides, but they must be comfortable with getting dropped. The rides don't have a no drop policy.

Weekend rides: From St. Patty's Day to early December, our club--solely with the help of member/volunteers--offers a group ride almost every Saturday and Sunday. Ride leaders are responsible for defining the routes, preparing a map and/or cue sheet, marking the route with painted "Dan Henrys", providing food and water at "SAG" stops along the route, and sweeping the route to make sure all riders are in. The club provides the money needed for paint, food and supplies, as well as the water coolers. The ride leader supplies the time and manpower. They typically cost about $200.

The rides start typically from a church or school parking lot, i.e., someplace that can accomodate a big crowd. We try to spread the rides out on different sides of town. Some are flat, some are hilly. Most are in rural areas. Each ride offers routes of various lengths. For instance, the ride I hosted in August offered four routes, ranging from 18 to 65 miles. Believe me when I say that these rides take a lot of work, and it's a wonder that the club offers them as regularly as it does. Many of the ride leaders have been doing their rides for years so it becomes easier to organize over time.

At any given ride, we might have between 80 and 150 people. All types of riders show up for the weekend rides--from the hardcore racer to the slowest beginner. Road bikes are the norm, but there are hybrids as well. Some will tell you that there's an elitist vibe at the rides. I can't say that I sense that, but then again, I may not be in the best position to judge that. I've never felt anything but welcomed. That said, no one's there to really hold your hand.

The ride starts en masse. The faster riders will take the lead and everybody else more or less follows. There are no set paces or groups. You ride however fast or slow you want to ride. Even when a big group shows up at the ride, it's pretty easy to end up riding alone because everyone gets rather spaced out. You can kind of regroup, however, at the SAG stops. Because the routes are marked, however, you don't necessarily need to ride with others unless you want to. Mentors are usually available for new riders.

Breakfast, dinner and social rides: They are offered regularly and are designed for a more relaxed pace, generally between 13 and 16 mph. Some of the routes are marked, but most aren't. The group more or less stays together. Route lengths vary.

Grand Touring: These are typically offered outside of Indianapolis and are often built around a landmark, site, festival or event. The routes aren't marked but maps are provided. The group typically sticks together and the routes are around 50 miles.

In addition to the above rides, several bike shops offer rides for the beginner to the advanced. There's a group ride somewhere around town almost every day/night.

If I could say what one thing I like most about our area rides is that most of them are marked. I hate riding with a map and cue sheet. Following Dan Henrys is so much easier.