There was a recent article in the Indy Star about the new bike hub/storage area available to bike riders riding to work from the outlying areas.  Indianapolis is becoming a more bike friendly area with bike paths like the Indy Cultural Trail available as well as the Monon and nearby parks.

Really, biking is available in many larger cities across this nation as a means to site-see.  Recently my wife and I rode in the “City that Never Sleeps” – New York.  Manhattan is my kind of city.  I was particularly impressed with the bike pizza delivery and bike rickshaws in Central Park.  Like the rickshaws of New York City, we have Circle City Pedicabs in Indianapolis (good to know).  Anyway, my wife and I had our mountain bikes with us so we ventured onto the New York City streets where we hoped to remain calm, cool, and alive!  We headed up to Broadway which had a green bike lane for us to follow.  We weren’t going the right way, but that didn’t seem to matter to any of the other bikers coming in the opposite direction.

Once in Central Park, we were only allowed to bike on the roads, however we managed to see the ball fields, the Conservatory Gardens, and some talented acrobats.  We passed the  Googenheim and the Metropolitan Museum of Art before riding over to the Hudson River.  This route took us out of the park and onto the city streets again, but cars and pedestrians alike seem to be pretty sensible to the biking crowd.  We made it to the East Riverwalk, a greenway system of biking trails that criss-cross the city’s five borroughs  (almost circumnavigating Manhattan Island).  Unfortunately we didn’t have time for that, so we enjoyed the beautiful riverside soccer field and outdoor exercise area, then pedaled back to Central Park.  We ended up spending an hour and a half in Central Park and barely scratched the surface.

I’m not sure when we will get back, but there are still plenty of trails and parks for me to explore locally around Indianapolis.  Make sure you try out one of my favorites, Fort Ben State Park, on the east side.  I usually pack my FiveFingers and combine a little mountain biking with a good run through the hills and beautiful trails there.  On the west side, Eagle Creek has great roads with rolling hills to ride on and in the winter, you can cross country ski on the hiking trails.  Rowing is HUGE there.  As a matter of fact my wife Laura and I took a rowing lesson at the Indy Rowing Center a couple of years ago and had a blast.  Also of note:  The Big Ten Women’s Rowing Championships are being held at the Rowing Center in Eagle Creek Park in May 12 – 13,  2012.  These are some amazing athletes! 

The point is…there is so much to do here, and it is getting more outdoor fitness friendly all the time!

~ by Steve Smith