Ride: Tour de Mad Dog Stage 20: MEDORA
Starting Location: Clark State Forest, 2 Service Rd, Henryville, IN 47126
Route Distance: 101.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,924
Route Description:
Ride start at Clark State Forestry. Wheels roll at 9:00. No Wheelman time. To get to the ride start from Louisville, take I 65 North to the Henryville exit (19). Go right (east) off the exit on State Road 160. At the first stop sign, go left (North) on State Road 31. Take the first forestry entry on the left. SEE DIRECTIONS BELOW FOR ONCE YOU ENTER THE PARK.
Lunch is at the festival and on your own. See the country's longest covered bridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medora_Covered_Bridge and a round barn on the ride. If anyone is interested, I can take them to or give them directions to the old brick factory. It has come a long way since I first came across it grown up with weeds. https://www.medorabrickplant.org/M-History.htm
WEAR PINK. Support Medora goes Pink by dressing appropriately. In the past we have had men in pink tutu's, pink jersey's, pink socks, pink bandanas, pink bras (worn on the outside of jerseys), and more. Be inventive. Have fun. Take a train ride in the barrel train while there.
Food will be festival food. Maybe not healthy food, but food. I suggest bringing cash in case the vendor you pick does not take credit cards.
Ride will be swept to 12 mph. As centuries go, this is one of the easier or maybe even the easiest one, but remember it is still a century and wind can make it a difficult ride as there is nowhere to shelter. RC: Melissa "Puddle" Hall, lissah45@yahoo.com (Eight12) seven52-three973. Cancellations announced on the club web site. Feel free to email with questions. I will be going for pizza after the ride at GoodFellas Pizza at Henryville and would love to have your company to celebrate the end of the 2024 TMD.
Unfortunately, due to a road closure, I have had to change the Medora route for 2024. There was no way to take the ride up the east side of 31 into Austin without dumping everyone out on 31 for even longer, so I opted to take it up the westside. Next year hopefully we can revert to the older, though notthe oldest, route. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48689417
I also opted for a different start location to avoid the foot race that is happening at the same time and same place where we normally start. Our new start is still inside the forestry. (SEE ATTACHED MAP OR CHECK THE LBC FB PAGE) Once you enter the forestry however, so not turn left but continue straight. After you cross I-65, take the first left and when the road Y's, go to the right toward OLD Franke. Park there. Please park with either your headlights or taillights facing the side of the road so we have enough parking and I don't have to issue a BAD DOG ticket.
This will allow us to start our ride ahead of the runners. The run is for a good cause: a scholarship. I don't want to interfere with it any more than necessary and I don't want to change the 9:00 a.m. Start time.
Jon, Chris, and I rode the new route Wednesday to be sure it worked and that the GPS file is correct. It has a few glitches but works. I also took out the short gravel part of the route. This was a good move as it has been newly graveled and the gravel is thick and not worn down as it has been in the past.
Please note:
There is a primitive toilet at the ride start. The first and third store stop are at the same store and it does have bathrooms. There are port-a-pots at the festival. There are also numerous corn fields along the route.
The forestry is always colder than Louisville. Dress appropriately.
The first store stop is at mile 19.8. The festival is at 49. 6. The last store stop is not until 82.6.
If you need to hit a store at the festival to fill up, you can continue down 256 away from the festival and will come to a Dollar General Store. There are no other options along the course.
We did not have any significant issues with dogs, but you may have a different experience.
Not all stops are 4 way stops. Obey traffic laws.
Yield to farm equipment. They are working and you are playing.
The new route adds about 100 feet of climb from the old route and does repeat a few roads from the Bethlehem Century. Sorry about that.
WEAR PINK if possible. Play and have fun. Enjoy each other's company. And congratulations to all who earn their TMD jersey this year. Well done! I hope you comeback next year for the 20th anniversary of the TMD.
PIZZA AFTERWARD AT GOOD FELLOWS TOCELEBRATE THE ENDING OF THE TMD. EVEN I YOU DON'T WANT TO WAIT FORME AS I WILL BE SLEEPING, GRAB A FRIEND AND GO CELEBRATE! YOU HAVEEARNED IT.
FIRE TOWER CHALLENGE: Last year I started a fire tower challenge for anyone interested. There are two fire tower climbs along the route but NOT on the route. The first is in the forestry. You would take a left at about .6 miles and would get to the climb shortly. You would need to descend and return to the route. The second climb is after the festival somewhere around mile 59. You will see a sign for it off to the left. Again, you would need to climb and then descend and return to the route. Thus far there have been two people who accepted and completed the challenge: Jon Wineland and Samuel Bland. If you decide to join this elite group and are successful, let me know and I will add you to the l list. Honor system.
