Bicycling in Bloomington

 Based on the number and variety of “dan henrys” that I see on the roads, there are quite a few organized rides. However, I don’t know how they are publicized or where more information can be found. Many dan henrys follow the traditional pattern but some are different.

On my recent ride around the Lake and through Harrodsburg and Kirksville, I started seeing some dan henrys just below the Monroe Dam. They are white and have “MS” painted next to them. I followed them through Harrodsburg. It seemed they ended on Ketcham Rd at a shelter but I’m not sure. The paint was relatively fresh, so I assume it either just happened or will happen soon.

This morning, I observed a much more puzzling set of yellow dan henrys on my morning commute. Starting (for me) at the corner of Sare, Moore’s and College Mall, I saw a dan henry pointing north onto College Mall Rd. The dan henrys followed College Mall Rd and turned left (across 2 traffic lanes) into the Eastland Plaza shopping center parking lot. The route exited the parking lot at Woodcrest, turned right, crossed 3^rd St on to Hillsdale, and then left on 7^th St. At 7^th and Union, I had to turn to my office on Union but the last dan henry I observed pointed to continuing on 7^th. I will follow the route further on Saturday.

This is a strange route for an organized ride. College Mall Rd traffic travels at autobahn speeds and crossing two lanes to make a left turn is challenging for an experienced rider. I hope the road is closed during the ride. I often ride across the Eastland parking lot. It’s sorta fun to see which cars will put out in front of me. And, it has 2 stop signs that create more traffic confusion than traffic control. The light at 3^rd St and Woodcrest is tripped by a wire that is totally unresponsive to bicyclists. I know because I cross it every day. I hope the organizers realize the challenges of that part of the ride.

Other dan henrys that I see, mostly north and east of Bloomington, are green, white, orange/pink and mark many roads. One set (orange/pink) that I reported on earlier, is especially challenging. If anyone has more information on these rides, please post a comment.