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Day 37
Just a great day to ride...even in circles.

ROUTE:  Crawfordsville to Indianapolis IN DISTANCE: 62 miles WINDS: light all day out of the SW
WEATHER: Sunny and warm...85 for a high TERRAIN: Flat TOTAL CLIMBING: 700 feet

DAILY DOINGS: Yawn...getting up in the eastern time zone for the first time is always tough.  The alarm went off way too early for my liking and we were still in the dark at our normal loading time...what's with this?  Everyone seemed to be on track though as the luggage got loaded and folks were off to breakfast at a local place downtown right at day break...everyone except Doug who was still in slumber land while the rest of us were leaving.  Our day was scheduled to be filled with lots of interesting activities...the first of which was a tour at the Roark bicycle factory at 9:00. 

I've been riding Roarks for 6 years now and really like the workmanship and personal attention they give their customers.  The program director, Kevin Smeltzer, gave us a great tour showing us all the new toys Roark has developed.  Besides the standard road bikes, he impressed the riders with the coupler frames that can be put in a suitcase and taken anywhere as a piece of luggage...a great concept for those who travel a lot with their bike.  They are also now building bikes with aero tubing and their time trial bikes are a dream...they just don't look fast...they are fast.  The picture left is Kevin explaining how they build bicycles in an aerospace factory and why a proper fit is of the utmost importance.  The tour also included frames in various stages of assembly, explanation of the welding process, and information on why Roark is a quality product.  They only build custom titanium frames and you only have to see one to realize it is quality workmanship...and the ride confirms that fact.  I personally have 2, a road bike and a time trial bike, and I love both of them.  All in all I had a personal victory this morning...I went on the tour and came out with my credit card intact!  But I haven't escaped completely yet.  I'm going to spend the morning with them tomorrow morning working on a new frame...can't help it.

After the tour, everyone dispersed into the Capitol city.  The route included an option to view the Indianapolis 500 track where they were doing NASCAR trials.  Several riders really enjoyed watching the cars zoom by...if they watch it too long they would have to move to the south and become a redneck...NASCAR rules!!!  Later in the route the riders stopped by the Major Taylor Velodrome and even got to ride on the track.  What a treat after authorities wouldn't let them ride around the speedway...something about all those fast cars running on the track.  But at the velodrome, after getting over the initial spooky feeling of the banked track, I think they really enjoyed flying around the track with visions of Olympic glory.  I got a shot of Larry as he streaked by me sitting half way up the track...guts on my part...glad he kept his line.

It was a wonderful, uneventful day until the last riders were about to the motel.  I got a call from Johnny just as I was starting to work on mechanics...he said that Mary had fallen on the bike path and wasn't able to ride to the motel.  I got in the van with Barb to navigate and went to find her.  When we arrived, she seemed OK except for her arm.  We took her to the ER and found she had a broken bone in her shoulder...ride's over.  This is the first accident we've had all season...we've been really lucky this year so far, but now we'll have to start another accident free streak.  We're glad it's nothing that won't heal with time...we'll see her off tomorrow and continue our quest to the East Coast.  We wish her well and hope she'll heal soon.

Tomorrow we'll try to enjoy a little time off the bike.  We're staying right downtown so we're pretty close to lots to do.  I think the staff is planning on a movie after I get back from Roark...hope I don't sleep through it.  Wednesday we finish Indiana...it won't be long before we get to the ocean...but we'll have more adventures before we get there.  See you Wednesday. 

DAILY DISCERNING DIALOGUE:

Joe has a placard on the back of his bike that says "Slow Joe...today someone was riding with him and noticed a loud noise coming from his bike. 
"What's that noise Joe?"
"Don't know...I don't hear anything."
"You should be 'deaf Joe.'"

"Watch my credit card while we are at Roark."

"I didn't know my bike would go that fast."  Greg when he went down the slope at the velodrome.

"Niki gives the best massages ever."

"Now I'm going to have to get another job to get one of those Roarks."
 

 

 DAILY DUH:

We had an early one today...everyone was itching to get started early due to the tour of the Roark plant at 33 miles.  We set the tour to start at 9:00 which gave everyone a little over 2 hours to get there after loading.  Everyone was loaded and gone shortly after loading but Doug hadn't signed in...we looked everywhere for him and finally called his room.  "Hello," came the reply.  "Hi Doug, are you going to ride today?"  "WHAT?!"  To his credit, had it been just about anyone else, they wouldn't have been able to make the tour time, but he got his luggage out and scarfed down a bit of breakfast and pulled in just as they were starting to begin the tour.  I hate the eastern time zone, but we only had one that slept through breakfast on the first day in the zone.

Had a late one too...our motel elevator has 5 black buttons all in a row vertically.  They are labeled O for open door, B for basement, 1 for first floor, 2 for second floor, and 3 for third floor.  Jeff got in the elevator, wanted to go to the 3rd floor, the door closed, and he punched the button third from the bottom...the door opened, and he noticed the area looked familiar...he was still on the first floor.  Hmmm, he thought.  The door closed again and Jeff punched the third from the bottom button again...again the door opened.  It took him several times to realize he was punching the first floor button (which was third from the bottom) and just telling the door to open again every time.  Jeff, next time take off your sunglasses off indoors.

DAILY DIGITAL DELIGHTS

Always looking for the latest in technology, Doug tested the new hydration pack, GPS/telecommunications mod.  His report will be featured in Bicycling Magazine but I got the scoop.  He was impressed with how it all worked until he tried to ride under a low overpass.

Out here the weather channel is quality entertainment.

Ever wonder why yogurt containers are built upside down?  Or maybe you should be wondering why drink cups are open at the large end.  Either way, it's so they will fit together when standing in a line.

Style is everything.

Alan couldn't believe the bikes at the Roark factory.  "If I had a bike like this, I could ride sooooooooo fast!" he thought.

Greg thought this velodrome stuff isn't so tough...but he missed a major premise of track riding...the only thing on a track bike to add weight should be the rider.

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