OK, on another thread this was brought up and now I’m curious.
How many ST’ers rode in the Little 500?
Was it your first exposure to cycling (loosely of course) or had you been riding prior to college?
Any memories or funny stories (like getting cinders scrubbed out of your skin!!!)?
When you guys get your Jackass team jerseys, I want some degree of credit here. Maybe a “Big Duke Six” patch, or something.
BTW, I didn’t ride in it, but I was a spectator a few times. And, even a Purdue guy has to admit, it was a lot of fun and quite impressive. It put our go-cart race to shame.
Yeah, I realize it is really not cycling as most of us know it, but prior to getting involved, I had no idea what the sport was about, or who Sean Kelly or Eddy Merckx was. Then my team decides in training to go down near Louisville and do a road race. I couldn’t even hang with the main pack past the first 5 miles!! Painful memories.
And yes, you get credit for the Jackass comment!
I saw that movie.
I did not ride the Little 500 but I am the PROUD father of a member of this years winner: Dodds House. It was great see them win after much hard work and training.
I rode for Sigma Phi Epsilon in 2001. It was one of my most memorable, and painful races. Cinders are a lot harder to ride on than you’d think, especially 85 laps in. We placed 3rd that year, but as the returning yellow jersey, it was pretty high pressure. It was “the best thing I’d never want to do again”
I didn’t ride in it, but my sister-in-law did. My wife got a cool picture of her in a corner. I can’t remember what sorority she rode for, but they finished third two years ago. It was very cool to watch.
See link for photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lineupinaline/14854512/
“Riders, mount your Rodemaster bicycles!”
I rode for Lambda Chi Alpha in '88. We were four “rookies” and finished fourth, so we were pretty satisfied. That was the first year the Cutters won.
I thought the first year the Cutters won was when Dave kicked ass and Moocher had a hard time reaching the pedals? Was I drunk that year and had it wrong?
Moocher, now that cracks me up. Where I live now it seems everyone has some strange nickname like that!
I have jumped off those cliffs at the quarry that they show in that movie though. Man, that is a loooong way down!
Come on! Surely there are more riders out there? I think Shakes said he was an IU grad?
I rode for Sigma Nu for 4 years - 1986 through 1989. The movie, Breaking Away, made me want to ride Little 500 so I sought out a team when I went to college. It was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had the pleasure of participating in. I was there when MTV and ESPN covered the race. The parties started the Monday before the race and just got wilder each night. More and more college aged kids and party goers would descend on Bloomington as the week wore on. As a rider you really did not get to enjoy the partys until after the race and then you had a free pass to be a drunken ass.
Racing Little 500 lead me to racing at Major Taylor Velodrome for a few years which then lead me towards triathlons which led me more towards water polo, cyclocross and MTB racing.
By the time I was in school, there were many Cat 1 and 2’s and several 3’s in the race as well as a future professional triathlete - Rob Mackle (sp?). Rob road on a team run by my very good friend and they ended up winning the race in 1988 (I think I got the year right.)
The average level of rider in the race in the late 80’s was quite high. Then, sometime in the 90’s, they made a rule the limited the USA cycling riders (Cats 1, 2 and maybe 3) from riding in the Little 500.
As to an earlier post, I am pretty sure the Cutters had won at least once before 1986.
David K