09-29-2026 Indianapolis Irvington Bike Ride

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

It was one of the most beautiful days ever. Eric, Cara, Mark, and Mike went on a bike ride to go and see how things were going in Irvington. Irvington is a part of Indianapolis that is known for the love of Halloween.

Irvington is a historic neighborhood on the east side of Indianapolis, not a separate city with its own government. It was named after Washington Irving, and the Irvington Historic District is a 545-acre National Register district — which helps explain why a simple bike ride there can feel like rolling through an older, more character-filled part of the city.

It is also one of the Indianapolis neighborhoods most associated with Halloween, so late September was perfect timing. Yards were already decorated, the weather was blue-skied and in the mid-70s, and the ride turned into a relaxed loop through bike lanes, trail improvements, Irvington, dinner, and one long straight rail-trail on the way back.

Ride facts

Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Route: Indianapolis ride with Eric, Cara, Mark, and Mike, including Irvington and north-side rail-trail riding.

Distance: 26.14 miles.

Time window: 2:39 pm to 7:45 pm

Food stop: Red Lion Grog House — Cara had a walnut salad and Eric had the breaded tenderloin.

Photo log

Indianapolis has lots of bike trails and in addition they have a huge network of curbed bike lanes. Indianapolis is one of the best biking cities in the world.

Lots of yards had already been decorated.

Blue skies all day. Temps were in the mid 70s.

They are improving this section of the trail.

We ended up eating at Red Lion Grog House. Cara got a walnut salad.

Eric got the breaded tenderloin.

This is one of Indianapolis's rails-to-trails. This one goes 70-plus miles and is straight as an arrow.

The trail is perfect because the trains already had lots of bridges.

After the ride

This was the kind of Indianapolis day that makes the city easy to like on a bike: real bike infrastructure, neighborhood personality, friends along for the ride, dinner in Irvington, and then a straight rail-trail run back as the evening settled in.