Riding Chug Chug to Indiana and Back

With Dillon still out of town with the Louisville Orchestra, I decided I too would go to Indiana…on Chug Chug, my Brompton folding bike. I created a route on RWGPS that would take me across the Ohio River to the Ohio River Greenway in Indiana. While it might seem like I was heading out for a big ride, it was only going to end up being 20 miles round trip. 

First I had to get to the river, and the Big Four Bridge. As I had walked in that direction last night, I had a good idea of where I was going. Still missed a turn, but it was just a different way. 

The Big Four Bridge is an old railway bridge that has been converted into a bike and pedestrian bridge over the Ohio River. 

Odd looking two-headed sea dragon sculpture…bike rack?

Giant clover leaf to get up to the bridge. 

The car bridge (one of several). 

Still getting up to the bridge. 

Chug Chug at the bridge. 

As I was riding across the bridge, near the center, there was classical music coming from some speakers. It was quite nice. 

The mighty Ohio River. Just last summer, I crossed the Ohio from Cave-In-Rock, Illinois to Kentucky, on the Trans Am!

I wished there had been a “Welcome to Indiana” sign on the bridge. Or as I came off the bridge. There wasn’t, but there was a nice park on the other side. 

Nice water feature. 

I made my way to the Ohio River Greenway on quiet streets. 

The start of the multi-use path. 

The Greenway is a nice wide 2-lane paved path. 

There was a longish section up on, what I’m guessing, a levee. In other places on the trail, I saw concrete walls that probably are there to keep flood waters at bay. 

The spillway of the McAlpine Dam. 

The Greenway ends in New Albany. Here, I turned around, but instead of just making a u-turn, I went up to the walkway at the top of the levee, and rode back a little way on that before dropping back to the Greenway path. 

The path on the levee. 

New Albany. 

Now I’m above the “New Albany” sign. 

When I got back to Falls of Ohio State Park, I went into the park at the Visitor Center. I rode down the path to the Fossil Beds. 

From above. 

You can walk down there, but I didn’t. 

I didn’t want to leave Chug Chug unattended. I would imagine when the river floods, these fossil beds are under water. 

I continued my way back to the Big Four Bridge. I stopped for a snack before heading back over the bridge to Kentucky. 

There’s Louisville across the river. 

An egret on a log. 

And, we can do hard things!

Heading back up to the bridge. 

It was a good ride. 20 miles is plenty on Chug Chug, especially with no bike shorts (going “Chamando” as Katie would say). My average speed was a whopping 10mph. Of course, I was in no hurry, and stopped a lot. This will be a good ride for Dillon, once he gets a bike.