I'm not sure exactly what I did to offend a certain colleague of mine, but it must have been a heinous breach of office etiquette, because he clearly wants me in prison, or dead.

How do I know?

A few weeks back, he suggested a little Adventure for me -- an outing dubbed "The Monon Bicycle and Beer Trail."

The plan sounded innocent enough:

Make use of Indy's wondrous paved path and the many establishments dotting the north-south, two-wheel- friendly corridor, by riding the length of it and stop- ping for a drink every now and then. He pitched it as a sort of booze cruise for cyclists.

Then it occurred to me he was basically suggesting I go out and risk getting a BWI or BUI. But as if that weren't enough, last week he dropped a story on my desk, with the headline "Boozing and Biking," published in Scientific American.

The article suggested that fatal bicycle accidents are linked to alcohol consumption, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A Johns Hopkins study found that a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 increases a cyclist's risk of a serious or fatal injury -- by 2,000 percent!

"Alcohol abuse and bicycling," a researcher was quoted as saying, "is an increasing public health problem that warrants more enforcement."

Needless to say, as a young man attracted to risky situations, I took my colleague's challenge anyway, but decided to limit the scope of my experiment.

I got my wife to drop me off in Carmel, in tending to ride the 7 to 8 miles back down to our home on 53rd Street.

The Monon bike and beer trail

I found four areas worth stopping at, and had a beer in each one, granting me the slightest buzz but keeping within a respectable sobriety level. And now I present each selection to you, as well as another option, should you want something different (or simply want something more):

-- Bub's Burgers & Ice Cream, 210 W. Main St., Carmel: This place was perfect. Bikes lined the fence, and the tables were mere feet from the trail itself. My wife had some ice cream before making her drive south, and I had a Corona before setting off.

Double-down option: Across the way, right on the trail, sits Bazbeaux Pizza.

-- Cafe Nora, 1300 E. 86th St., Indianapolis: After a 4-mile ride, this casual restaurant sat appeared in a strange place (the middle of a Target parking lot), but I wasn't complaining. I ordered an Amstel Light, and they were the server was nice enough to give me a basket of bread with oil.

Double-down option: Nothing, other than United Package Liquors, across 86th Street. Nothing, other than a can of beer from a gas station.

-- Brugge Brasserie, 1011 E. Westfield Blvd., Indianapolis: A couple of miles farther down the path, it was time to choose which time of make a choice in about what Broad Ripple locale to visit. Brugge was an easy winner, adjacent to the path, with a great Triple and greater frites.

Double-down option: The revelry at Broad Ripple Brewpub is perfect for your sixth beer.

-- Moe & Johnny's Bar & Grill, 5380 N. College Ave., Indianapolis: At 54th Street, I made a right off the trail and headed down a few blocks to this haunt, where I could relax and watch my fellow athletes on big screens and drink a bottle of Newcastle. I'd earned it, having completed my own Tour D'Indy.

Double-down option: Closed on Sundays, Mama Carolla's is hard to otherwise overlook otherwise.