Bikes and Bites: New Culinary Bike Tour

Foodies and bike enthusiasts, get ready for a two-wheeled jaunt around Indianapolis. Kristel Tippins, owner of Bike Tour Indy (317-677-5726), takes riders deep into Indy’s neighborhoods to discover the city’s best food.

On Saturday, I rounded up some friends and joined the “Ridin’ Local” tour–a 9-mile excursion highlighting three restaurants that emphasize locally grown ingredients. Note: Because this same tour happens every second Saturday this summer, I will not tell you the locations along the tour. Tippins guards the identity of the specific locations as fiercely as a chef does his recipes.

The afternoon was full of easy scenic riding (tree-lined streets and sightings of ducks, geese, turtles, and dogs) along with three stops. For a mere $20 a person, we enjoyed a creamy, yet delicate soup, a medley of grilled vegetables, and local fried cheese battered in beer. At each stop, Tippins arranged for owners/chefs/managers to introduce the food and the concept. She was born to ride and guide–her personality fits the gig. At each stop, she made sure each rider’s thirst for food, water, and knowledge was 100-percent filled.

Other food-focused cruises, which range from $15 to $25, include a Tour de Markets, Mediterranean Cruise, and a Foodie TV Tour. That price might include the sharable food samples at the stops, but just remember it’s BYOB (bring your own bike, that is).