I've got my bike ready to go. I'm looking for suggestions of some places to ride a road bike not too far from Tel Aviv, and any tips an American might need about riding in Israel.

If you have a MTB check out the burma road.

Yes, it is clear that I would have a lot more options if I had a MTB instead of a road bike. MTB outnumber road bikes here by a large margin. I rode in the Carmel mountain range yesterday, and it was beautiful. But you have to get out before dawn to avoid the traffic.