Jesse Todd, a mechanic at Bikesmith’s here in Bloomington, was instrumental in the development of this route. Route Development: This route is the culmination of the past three years of training rides and adventure rides.
Resupply is not an issue at all, as there are plenty of chances to get anything you might have forgotten on the way out of town, and Nashville is right at the halfway point, thus, as long as the rider is prepared to ride 40 miles with everything they need on their rig, they should be fine. A few sections of McGowan, Miller Ridge, and the 10 O’Clock Line Trail are challenging, and the hill climbing on this route, in general, is demanding. I would classify this route as a 4 out of 10. Nashville, the artist’s colony town, is a hoot as well, with its leather shops, fudge, and ample kettle corn, it won’t let you down as your resupply point. Out-of-towners will certainly be surprised at the progressive vibe of Bloomington. Hopefully, the Brown County Delight will challenge your preconceptions of Midwestern cycling. While not required, a viewing of “Breaking Away” before tackling this route will only enhance the experience.
#RIDE WITH GPS BROWN COUNTY GRAVEL MOVIE#
Fans of the movie “Breaking Away” might recognize quite a few locations, and for the true heads, Bill Armstrong stadium, where the Little 500 bike race is held every April, is only a few minutes off course. The route back into town uses the Polly Grimshaw Bike Trail to take riders on a quick cruise through the campus of Indiana University. Turning off of the lake, the ride takes you down some more backcountry doubletrack through Yellowwood State Forest, where the ride hugs the Tecumseh Trail for a bit before emptying out onto a mixed-terrain return to Bloomington: pavement, lots of gravel, and even a bit of singletrack take you back into the outlying neighborhoods. Pack up some food and water in Nashville on your way, for it won’t be long until you’re back on rustic gravel roads that take you up to Lake Lemon, where South Shore Road goes across the lake itself-it’s a particularly magical and fulfilling segment of the route. Grab a beer and some food in nearby Nashville for lunch or dinner, and then head back to camp to get rested up for your return trip.Įven on pavement, the ride out of the park is beautiful, and it also has some epic climbs and descents. The trails are a blast (note: the MTB trails are not incorporated into the route itself), and they are certainly worth your time, so take your bags off, leave them at camp, and hit the trails for a day.
#RIDE WITH GPS BROWN COUNTY GRAVEL LICENSE#
Here is where the route really delivers! Brown County State Park is a silver-level mountain bike park, so on a nice day, you’ll see license plates from all over the Midwest. The 10 O’Clock Line mountain bike trail takes you directly into Brown County State Park. The pavement doesn’t last for long, and riders will find themselves on the chunky doubletrack of Miller Ridge, which is resplendent with views of the sweeping hills, sweating up steep climbs in a backcountry trail system that local mountain bikers cherish. He often hosted other artists at his home, not far off the route, to be inspired by the local beauty. Just out of town, McGowan Road offers some beautiful views of Lake Monroe (a man-made lake that is not only the source of Bloomington’s drinking water, but also where people go to paddle and swim) and one of the toughest climbs in Indiana, which is notorious among gravel cyclists! Riders are rewarded with a screaming descent down TC Steele Road, named after a beloved landscape artist who lived in the area and captured its beauty on countless canvases. The Brown County Delight connects many cycling highlights in the area. Bloomington is about an hour’s drive south of Indianapolis and is conveniently located close to a number of state parks and a large national forest, all within a day’s bike from Bloomington and nestled in-surprise-some very scenic and hilly terrain. Its reputation as being flat is well deserved, but only for its northern half.
Folks don’t think much of Indiana, beyond it being a place with lots of corn that you fly over or drive through.
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