That "Bike...mode of transport" triggered a Lot of memories... I wish I'd had an odometer on a couple of those bikes... I wouldn't even try to guess how far I traveled...
I can tell you that my friends and I rode on I-465 Before it was opened to motor vehicle traffic and had to have gone at least 12-15 miles round trip on an average excursion (riding those cloverleafs while holding the curve at speed was some white knuckle bike riding)...
A normal circuit would be to ride to Indiana Central's (now U of Indy) basketball arena to go inside and shoot around (or just look around when we were too young to shoot at the regulation rims) on the Big floor (the AD left it open for anyone to come in [it was Great!]...) and/or head over to Possmans Hobby Shop in Southern Plaza, or head down to a then open-air Greenwood Center after it first opened...
As I recall, my parents never seemed worried as long as I gave a abbreviated version of where I'd been (and this seems to have been from about age 7 to 16).
Dad had taught me some basic self defense moves that I was Only to use if I thought I might be killed [a couple of guys will never know how close they came to being maimed for life but lucky for them, I was much more concerned about my Dads reaction if I couldn't prove to him that I Had to do it 🤣}...]...
Talk about "Free Range Kids"..., the entire neighborhood was outside right after breakfast and didn't usually return home until dinner time and Then everyone went back out to play basketball wherever there was a lighted court until close clean-up-for-bed time...
I recall routinely taking the bus downtown (from age 11-16, alone, or with one friend) to visit the Central Library, the World War Memorial, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (inside and out) and either Ayers or Blocks Department stores (Ayres to buy a shirt I'd saved up for, or Blocks to buy a couple of paperback pocket History themed book for .50 cents each...). My feet always hurt at the end of a full day of walking that adventure circuit, exploring the Indianapolis downtown...
If a parent let a kid roam like that these days they'd probably find themselves in front of a Judge by the end of the month...( and probably for good reason, there's a Lot more weirdos out there these days)...!
Turns out There Really were some "Good ole Days".. I was fortunate enough to have lived many of them...