June 20, 2025
7:00 AM
I stayed last tonight in the first motel of this tour. Greenfield is where the sprawl of Indianapolis begins. I rode into the city on the Pennsy Trail which got me off of Route 40. Route 40 is also Bike Route 50, part of the National Bike Route system. All of yesterday I was riding in the sun on a four lane highway.
I am now packed and ready for a long miles day. I ride out of the Budget Motel, old and rundown but clean. I’m on Main Street, a strip mall, two blocks from the Pennsy Trail. Hardee’s is open so I stop for a breakfast sandwich and coffee before taking a side street back to the trail. I begin a twenty-four mile journey that is the end of the ACA Route Chicago to NYC.
10:15 AM
As I enter Indianapolis I merge on to Bike Route 35 which brings me right into the city center. I now switch to the ACA Eastern Express route. I deside to break today into two sections, I have 24.3 miles on my odometer and the Eastern Express route starts at 0 miles. This will make navigation out of the city so much easier.
I make my way on city streets with dedicated bike lanes to Washington Park. From here I ride a pedestrian bridge over the canal by the Zoo and turn onto a trail that follows the canal out of the city. In a quarter mile this trail goes under a highway bridge that is under repair, so the trail is closed. I turn back to the Zoo and stop a walker for suggestions. The only way to get back to the trail beyond the construction is to get onto the interstate and horseshoe back around to get to the exit beyond the construction. Or as a New Englander would say, “Ya can ain’t get there from here”. Well I did get there from here! I am now in an industrial area and I did find the trail. I am now back on route.
11:45 AM
I stop at a Marathon gas station to pick up some peanut butter crackers and iced tea. This is my lunch. I eat some and pack the rest. I am once again on my way. I’ll try to get as far as I can today. I have detours on the country roads from the tornado that went through two days ago. Roads closed, trees and power lines down. I make my way through. Everything is good for the rest of the way, I hope.
6:00 PM
I could not find any Warmshowers, campgrounds, nor motels in the sixty mile stretch so I continued to the Lieber S. R. A. where Nancy set up camp yesterday.
Today I’m riding strong and feel good. For the past three years I’ve been fussing with the way I pack and load the bike. I have finally hit the bullseye. I carry sixty pounds and this is the first tour that I can stand to climb and not fight the bike up the hill. When I was racing through hills I’d ride down as fast as I could then pedal hard until I slowed then stand and run on the pedals to the top. I can now do this with a fully loaded bike.
I am now in the campsite with Nancy. It has been eleven days riding without any rest days. I finished strong after a ninety-four mile day.