Robert Annis

“That sign warned trucks about going up this road—tight switchbacks and no shoulder,” I said. “Should we find another route?”

“I think we’ll be alright,” Sally said.

It’s nearly 7 a.m. when I roll up to the starting line of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Next Sunday, the venue will fill up with some 300,000 cheering fans for the Indy 500, the most popular auto racing event in the world. But today the stands are empty, and the only spectators are a few pit-crew members and track staff preparing for an action-packed day of practice. Even so, my neck hairs stand at attention. I may be in the saddle of a Giant TCR Advanced road bike, not an IndyCar cockpit,...

As we pedaled our bikes over the rolling hills of Kentucky, I could practically taste the bourbon.
There’d be a glass waiting for us at the end of the ride, of course — two fingers of whiskey, with a single ice cube. But being surrounded by the raw ingredients had the flavor tickling my tongue. Fields of corn beginning to brown in the August sun. Clear water trickling down limestone cliffs into a massive underground aquifer. The scent emanating from the distilleries themselves, that sweet cor...

Surrounded by seemingly endless red rock and spiky spinifex grass, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the desolate beauty of the Australian Outback. Fortune-seeking adventurers have long braved the treacherous interior region, but today’s visitors seek a different kind of rush. Instead of gold, they’re coming to the Northern Territory for epic single-track mountain-bike trails and long-distance hiking routes in a rugged, mostly untrodden land.

For more than a half-century, the so-called Red Cen...

After two men were arrested for creating illegal mountain-bike trails through Fort Harrison State Park, they found an unlikely ally: Speaker of the House Brian Bosma. But environmentalist groups say new greenways there will devastate one of the few natural areas left in the city.

Texas has always had a unique love affair with music. Fiddles and steel guitars are as ingrained in the fabric of the Lone Star State as blue bonnets, cowboy boots, and 20-ounce steaks.

In the first half of the 20th century, most Texans’ social lives revolved around their local dance hall. More than 1,000 venues could be found across the state at that time; only a fraction of those remain today. But in recent years, the tradition has begun making an unexpected comeback.

It has all the trappings of Patagonia: Towering volcanos, glacial lakes, soaring mountains and scenic trails. But unlike its neighbor Bariloche, San Martin de Los Andes isn’t making headlines—yet.
We’d only been hiking for about 90 minutes when we reached a rocky clearing. Although steep in parts, the hike up the small mountain wasn’t terribly technical. The remnants of that winter’s snowfall obscured the trail in many places, forcing us to improvise our way through thick evergreen forest and...

You can pay to stay at this kitschy Indianapolis landmark, but do you really want to?
It’s considered the ugliest house in America by many design and architecture experts, and for $400 a night, you and a dozen or so of your closest friends can experience the unusual rooms, unfortunate decorating choices, and unnerving stains for yourself.

Known somewhat affectionately by the locals as the “Dolphin House” thanks to the massive porpoise sculptures outside, or “that damn Kessler place,” the mult...

With races, rides, and plenty of paths to pedal, there’s always something bike-related going on in Indianapolis.
While it may be better known for its eponymous motor speedway, Indianapolis has, over the past decade, earned a reputation as one of the best U.S. bicycling communities. According to local bikeshare data, at least 10,000 visitors were psyched to cycle the Circle City’s lanes and trails last year. But how did a city deep in the heart of car-loving Indiana manage to adopt such a prog...

I was riding some fairly famous singletrack out West when I came across a couple of locals on a long climb. At the top, we sat on some weathered logs in the shade and chatted for a few minutes. When I mentioned I was visiting from Indiana, I could see their slight, crooked smirks, followed by a barely stifled guffaw and the snide question, “Do you actually have mountain biking in Indiana?”
Yes, we have singletrack in the Hoosier state. Some damn good singletrack, thankyouverymuch. But Indiana...

I tried to cry out “For MTB Project! For Journalism!” as I pushed off, but only a garbled yell escaped my throat as I plummeted down the chute.

Survivors, their families, and community members recount the car crash that killed five cyclists and injured four more.

The state-of-the-art Elbphilharmonie concert hall may be the buzziest venue in Hamburg—but the city’s long musical history means there’s something for everyone, from the stately opera houses to gritty Beatles-era rock clubs.
Music surrounds Hamburg visitors from the first moment they step out of the Hauptbahnhof, the city’s main train station. Buskers serenade passers-by with the latest German pop songs and American rock classics. In the nearby Reeperbahn
district, live hip-hop, electronic da...

You might buy your next bike in a bar, the back of a van, or someone’s living room. It may sound strange now, but bike shops are evolving in wild ways to remain relevant.
Across the nation, many traditional bike shops are closing as consumers increasingly buy bikes and gear online. But some shops are finding new ways to survive — even thrive — in the digital age.
Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in Indianapolis. Over the last year, brutal weather and greater competition have forced m...

If you visit Indianapolis in the month of May, you may notice a preoccupation with a certain legendary race. The Indianapolis 500 is the world’s largest single-day sporting event, bringing in hundreds of thousands of auto-racing fans from around the globe.
But if you can’t make it to the Brickyard on Memorial Day weekend – or if simply watching the action on the oval isn’t enough – these four Circle City activities can put you into the driver’s seat any day of the year.
Do a hot lap in a go-k...