Adventure Cycling Association Forum

Bicycle Travel => Routes => Topic started by: aggie on May 14, 2018, 08:02:49 pm

 

Title: Road conditions on Chicago to NYC in Indianapolis
Post by: aggie on May 14, 2018, 08:02:49 pm

I’m currently on a trip from Newton, KS to DC.  I planned my route to do the Katy Trail and then hook up with the Chicago to NYC route in Indianapolis.  The roads (including dirt/gravel) were pretty good up until I got to Illinois.  I thought they were the worst I would see -wrong.  Indiana and more specifically Indianapolis has the worst roads I’ve seen so far on this trip.  The roads and trails on the route are in horrible condition except near downtown.  The bike trails are covered in debris and in many cases there are holes the pavement.  It is impossible to ride either on a trail/bike route or road without riding through gravel, rocks, missing pavement and miscellaneous other debris.  I wonder if just riding on Hwy 40 wouldn’t be a better option.  Anyway, there should be a note about the horrible roads in Indianapolis/Indiana.

Title: Re: Road conditions on Chicago to NYC in Indianapolis
Post by: JHamelman on May 15, 2018, 09:05:05 am

Quote from: aggie on May 14, 2018, 08:02:49 pm

I’m currently on a trip from Newton, KS to DC.  I planned my route to do the Katy Trail and then hook up with the Chicago to NYC route in Indianapolis.  The roads (including dirt/gravel) were pretty good up until I got to Illinois.  I thought they were the worst I would see -wrong.  Indiana and more specifically Indianapolis has the worst roads I’ve seen so far on this trip.  The roads and trails on the route are in horrible condition except near downtown.  The bike trails are covered in debris and in many cases there are holes the pavement.  It is impossible to ride either on a trail/bike route or road without riding through gravel, rocks, missing pavement and miscellaneous other debris.  I wonder if just riding on Hwy 40 wouldn’t be a better option.  Anyway, there should be a note about the horrible roads in Indianapolis/Indiana.

If you can email us at cartographyATadventurecyclingDOTorg with more specifics about what you encountered and where, we can add some information to the Riding Conditions. I'm especially curious if these areas were on or off the portions using USBR 35 and 36.

Thanks,
Jennifer