Mountain Biking - Northwest Indiana - Anyone?

If your from Northwest Indiana "Dunes Area" post here so we can form a little community of local information.... Hot spots to ride...blah blah. So many forested areas here and everything is soo spread out its hard to know all the good spots.

I know 2 pretty killer loops as of right now:

1. "The Boones" in Westville, IN
2. "Imagination Glen" in Portage, IN

Anyway lets get together and swap some info.

If your from Northwest Indiana "Dunes Area" post here so we can form a little community of local information.... Hot spots to ride...blah blah. So many forested areas here and everything is soo spread out its hard to know all the good spots.

I know 2 pretty killer loops as of right now:

1. "The Boones" in Westville, IN
2. "Imagination Glen" in Portage, IN

Anyway lets get together and swap some info.

Ok, I'm confused in your location it says Chicagoland area... but you're asking about NW Indiana.... ummmm did I miss something?

Anyways, depeinding on where exactly you are in Indiana... there are some good spots in MI that might or might not be to far from you... I drive from the Chicago suburbs to em sometimes.

Well give me a better idea of where your located and maybe I can try and help yah

Dang, I grew up in Lowell, IN! I live in Utah now.

NW Indiana is almost part of the Chicagoland area. All of our TV/radio stations are Chicago. The news is all Chicago too.

Dang, I grew up in Lowell, IN! I live in Utah now.

NW Indiana is almost part of the Chicagoland area. All of our TV/radio stations are Chicago. The news is all Chicago too.


So is the southern part of MI...

and I had a brain fart sorry, I was thinking NE Indiana... duh....sorry


Ok, well anytime anyone wants to ride, let me know I'm up for it! Incase anyone wants in I'm trying to get a little roadtrip planned to Carbondale IL, about 5 hours south of the chicago burbs.

Oh, and there is some decent riding around kalamazoo, MI... ummm... and Fort Custer, MI.....

And I have more stuff in IN, I just have to wait till I get home to look it up.

I bought a book that was titled Mountain Bike America: Indiana, years ago when I lived in Bloomington, IN.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0762707038/ref=ase_southernincom/104-9484971-5939900?v=glance&s=books

Shannon did you go to IU?

Yes I did go to IU. 1994-1999. Did you go there too?

I rode in the Little 500 Bike Race one year. My last year as a roadie too.

I am from Northwest Indiana.... 30 minutes or so from Downtown Chicago so its easier just to say the chicago area because everyone from here says that because its so close. Im right on lake Michigan.

Oh, and there is some decent riding around kalamazoo, MI... ummm... and Fort Custer, MI.....

And I have more stuff in IN, I just have to wait till I get home to look it up.

I rode in Northern Michigan a few years back stayed the weekend in the woods with a couple guys and some other riders. Dont remember the name of the trails but all the trails were black dirt and they had pink leaves all over them it was fall time. There was also a huge dune area in the middle of the woods which I thought was kinda weird. If I remember the name fo the trails I reply srry cant recall the name.

I really didnt like it much because the trails were sooooo soft, beaten down by horses and very straight and long more of a rolling hills type trail. Im very used to fast technical hard pack with tons or roots and rocks 5 to 7 mile loops here in Indiana so it was a huge change for me and my poor buddies...lol man they were so tired the dirt is like sand up there...lol

Like to here about the other things in Indiana though. Or anyother areas that are hardpack, rooty, and rocky.... no soft stuff please

My bro and sister both went to IU. The bro graduated 3 years ago and my sister 2 years ago. I've applied there but havent heard a response from them, but i'll gaurentee either my twin bro or I will go there. IU rules.

My sister rode for Alpha Phi in the Little 5. She was their top rider and she was in a 4 person wreck, but the funny thing was there was a picture of her falling on her as* dead center on the front page of the IUBS

I really didnt like it much because the trails were sooooo soft, beaten down by horses and very straight and long more of a rolling hills type trail. Im very used to fast technical hard pack with tons or roots and rocks 5 to 7 mile loops here in Indiana so it was a huge change for me and my poor buddies...lol man they were so tired the dirt is like sand up there...lol

Like to here about the other things in Indiana though. Or anyother areas that are hardpack, rooty, and rocky.... no soft stuff please

Thats all Michigan is, is sand, sand, sand and more sand. Especially in the western half. Here in SE michigan its not so bad, but you get used to riding in the stuff realllly quickly

Did you know that Indiana has an official mountain biking park? It's called Wapahai Mountain Bike Park.

http://www.bloomington.in.us/~bicycle/wapehani/wapehani.html

It used to be an old Boy Scout camp. There's a pond in the middle that usually had a wierd color to it. That's from when it was a old dump site and was contaminated. That may be a little far for you DV8R, but if you head that way you could check out Hoosier National Forest too.
http://www.perrycountyindiana.org/hnforest/trails.html
Dang, $3 to ride!

Peter, good luck with your application process! I hope you get in, I loved it there. I know there's 35,000 students, but it never felt big to me. Were you brother or sister ever in the SPEA department (School of Public and Environmental Affairs?)

I am from Northwest Indiana.... 30 minutes or so from Downtown Chicago so its easier just to say the chicago area because everyone from here says that because its so close. Im right on lake Michigan.

Any time you want to come out the southwest suburbs for a ride, let me know and I'll show you around... not tons of stuff... but no sand like in MI.

I'll see what I can do in the way of getting your more info on IN stuff I have at home. I hope I can find it.

Ok I did some digging here at work... and found this for you.. hope it helps!

http://www.indianaoutfitters.com/mtn_biking/index2.htm

Good sleuthing, slcpunk21!

I'm glad to live where I live now ;)

Good sleuthing, slcpunk21!

I'm glad to live where I live now ;)


Thanks!!, I miss living where you live now! I think I told you how I lived out there and what not.. I was actually there over Thanksgiving... visited some friends and stopped in CO on the way and rode in Denver.

Anyways, yeah Utah is sweet! I still miss it.

Peter, good luck with your application process! I hope you get in, I loved it there. I know there's 35,000 students, but it never felt big to me. Were you brother or sister ever in the SPEA department (School of Public and Environmental Affairs?)

Funny thing is my brother graduated from SPEA, that would've been in the winter of '00 though. My sister did her work with the athletic training program. What all have you been doing since graduating from SPEA jobewise? With my bro all that it seems he can get in public administration stuff

Excellent resources guys and gals thanks a million. I dont feel so screwed now seeing theres alot more places to ride. Ive been riding the Bluhms in Westville for some time now... thats were some of Team GT's guys train. Also Imagination Glen in Portage is pretty phat too worth the drive from the next state in my opinion... definetly.

Thanks alot,

Keep em coming!

Ps . Hey is that MB Park in Bloomington cool? or is it kinda gay?

Wapehani is a series of loops and interconnecting trails. There's some techinal stuff and I remember a few drops, mostly single track. The website read that it was 7 or 8 miles. I remember feeling like I was just going in circles after an hour or so.

It's cool for southern Indiana, but it's been over 4 years. I don't know if I'd drive just to see that, but maybe incorporate it on a serious of stops in S.Indiana.

cool thanks shannon