Ideas for 2015 short tours

[Hartmame]

No comments on Indiana specifically - having never ridden there - but it sounds like a great ride! When are you looking to go?
~Catherine

I'm looking mid to late May or early June.

[tulip]

I can't comment on Indiana but I tour often and can recommend for future trips the Natchez Trace, Vermont, hill country of Texas (especially in early spring when the bluebonnets are in bloom) and the Blue Ridge Parkway (must be ready for mountains, though).

[Hartmame]

Tulip-
Would these be week long rides or longer? Or maybe I should ask the number of miles each would ride need?

[Aromig]

I live in Columbus, Indiana. Yes, we have some decent hills in Southern Indiana. When I try to venture out beyond my house, I always get on "Ride With GPS" and do searches around where I'm riding so I can see the roads that other cyclists are riding. We have a lot of "County Roads" that you'd think would be great (long, straight, etc.) but cars will do upwards of 50 or 60 mph on these roads so I try to avoid those types of roads (I presume other riders do too) so I think looking at Ride with GPS gives me a little bit of comfort that if other cyclists are using those routes its OK.

I've done a ride called the "Round Barn Ride" that took me through the Northern Part of the Hoosier Forest (and it had some really nice rural roads) so you might look for that one on Ride with GPS. I see a lot of bikers riding on Highway 46 (and it has nice wide shoulders in some places) but then again in other places it has narrow shoulders, and its really hilly and curvy and cars just FLY on it so I personally don't like to ride on 46. It's part of the route for Race Across America so its not undoable on a bike, I guess its just dependent upon your comfort level. There are nice roads that are more rural that can still get you across that area. The People Trail can help cut off part of that route cross 46, but not all of it.

[Hartmame]

Thank you Aromig, I'll check it out.

[Catrin]

Being in Indiana, I concur with Aromig. Southern Indiana is a beautiful part of the state to ride in, but you do have to be cautious of your route for the reason she mentioned. There are some VERY hilly roads in that part of the state (a couple of counties are sometimes referred to as the "Little Smokey Mountains" for good reason) - though if you are doing tours every year I am sure you will be up for that. Also, think about dogs. I am sure this isn't a new consideration for you, but in some parts of Indiana the dogs do run free. In other parts of the state you can ride for miles on country roads without seeing a loose dog, it just depends on your location.

[Hartmame]

I've actually never had trouble with dogs yet. I'm from Ohio so I don't think the wind or humidity are that different from what I'm used to dealing with and I've been doing some extra climbing to prepare. Looks like a good part of day two will have no access to food. I'll probably end up eating pb&j on the side of the road. I'll be looking for some good food to fill up on when I get into Columbus. Catrin, aromig any suggestions?