Out and back day rides
I usually do "base camp motel" riding on trails. This gives me flexibility for skipping bad weather, and for very lightweight riding--just food and water, maybe a jacket to carry. Most of the trails are very scenic, so it's interesting to see the same places at a different time of day and at different speeds. (I try to plan an outbound climb, with a return downhill.)
Some trails I liked:
These all had crushed stone. I liked my 38mm tires, but even 28mm could work.
The
New River trail. Quiet and few riders. Lots of forest.
The
Virginia Creeper Trail. The full 70 mile round trip is challenging. Or start in Damascus, ride uphill for 15 miles (!) and then the return is easy. You'll see balloon tire riders doing the 15 mile downhill only--shuttled uphill by bike services. But by coasting fast downhill, they are missing the great scenery that really sinks in while slowly climbing. The downhill grades were kind of bumpy in the fall season a few years ago, I had sore arms and shoulders at the end of the day. Still good though.
It follows a mountain stream valley, with whitewater and forest, and about 45 bridges along the route.
The
GAP trail. I did a couple of 60 mile day rides out and back with sunny warm weather, and lunch stops at the turnaround. Recommended. Kind of busy near the larger towns and Ohiopyle State Park, otherwise very quiet. I just slow down where there's lots of walkers and bikers, no need to hurry.
My local trail, the
Little Miami Trail, is paved and easy to ride. It's a bit busy near the south end in the mornings. I like it. But it's hard to evaluate something that's so familiar.
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Rural roads
It's worth getting comfortable with riding on rural roads. I often see very few cars, and they are mostly well behaved. Road riding is easier to do with a partner or a group, it feels safer, and there's help with flats, etc.
There's some amazing routes around Kentucky and Ohio, scenic and quiet. Way better than I knew before I started doing these rides, and only knew the areas from highways and freeways.