(from Columbus, OH )
May 23,2003
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 Indy Greenways senior administrator and committed Car Free cyclist, Jonathan Gick comes off a Greenway project to present Fred Kirchner & Jim Muellner the NBG Indy Proclamation. The archway behind them is the original door way of the city market. |
Hi Everyone: The group rode 20 miles to our City Hall reception from Valley Bikes, led by shop owner, Mike McDonald. There were several dedicated customers, his son Drew and Holly his girl friend. Of course Fred Kirchner and I tried to keep up. We started out on the Monan rail-to-trail route, then switched to the Central Canal Towpath along a canal that had been dug to move goods, similar to the C&O Tow path out of DC. There were ducks, especially colorful wooden ones, gophers, geese and the other trail users were a joy to see and talk to.
Along the Monon trail the neighbors have become very innovative. One set up an air hose, water and a little shelter to fix people's bikes. Another has made an angel all out of vines and branches, they even light it up at night. It is about 15 feet tall, beautiful and I got a picture.
The trail does not go directly into downtown yet, so we wound through a variety of traffic, barricades and bleachers. The city was getting ready for the Indy parade on Saturday. This is a very big event here.
We were honored to be received by Kristin Weaver, a charming young woman who is in charge of PR for their Parks and Rec. They even have a whole department for Indy Greenways. I do believe of all the cities I have been in that this is the most impressive. Mainly due to the business that have developed along the trails that are demonstrating what an asset biking can be to a community. Communities that are resisting or just not developing are missing out on a huge marketing opportunity. People will be spending their money in communities that are user friendly and Indy sure is.
Mike treated us all to a lunch downtown, we took a few rides around Monument circle and headed back to Carmel where his shop is located.
Along the Monon trail the neighbors have become very innovative. One set up an air hose, water and a little shelter to fix people's bikes. Another has made an angel all out of vines and branches, they even light it up at night. It is about 15 feet tall, beautiful and I got a picture.
The trail does not go directly into downtown yet, so we wound through a variety of traffic, barricades and bleachers. The city was getting ready for the Indy parade on Saturday. This is a very big event here.
We were honored to be received by Kristin Weaver, a charming young woman who is in charge of PR for their Parks and Rec. They even have a whole department for Indy Greenways. I do believe of all the cities I have been in that this is the most impressive. Mainly due to the business that have developed along the trails that are demonstrating what an asset biking can be to a community. Communities that are resisting or just not developing are missing out on a huge marketing opportunity. People will be spending their money in communities that are user friendly and Indy sure is.
Mike treated us all to a lunch downtown, we took a few rides around Monument circle and headed back to Carmel where his shop is located.
Jim Muellner is riding a folding trike,
made by his company, Just Two Bikes
that fits in a suitcase!!
Fred Kirchner
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 26 miles of urban bikeways on 7 major trails and growing!! |
 Indy Greenways' Monon Bridge over Fall Creek! |
 A view of downtown from the Indianapolis Zoo, the southwest anchor of the proposed Cultural Trail |
Hello everyone:I spent most of the day yesterday riding to Downtown Indy and back with Mike McDowell of Valley Bikes, my genial host in this fine city, Jim Muellner, the chairman of the NBG riding cadre, several of Mike's riding buddies, his son Drew, and Holly, Drew's girlfriend. As the only representative of the upright riding community, I felt like Gulliver among his literary acquaintances of less vertical stature.
On our way back from the ceremony to recognize the miles that Jim and I, and, by extension, all the other NBG riders put in for the cause we passed two young racers on their very sleek machines. One fellow was sporting his Lance-jersey-replica and the other guy looked like a setting sun with loads of yellows and oranges. I had just given them the polite nod I offer to all passing riders, when one of the fellows told Mike to "get a horse!"
This kind of bias has no place in the bicycling world. It seems counter productive to the whole point of biking. Aren't we all out there together, equally vulnerable to cars, trucks, and other vehicular traffic? Isn't the point of cycling to enjoy the rush of the passing air, the kiss of the sun, the community of riders, and the blessing of a life in which we are healthy enough to be able to ride a bike?
(Anyway, I did try to race briefly--albeit unsuccessfully--with Mike's son Drew on his sleek, laid back Harmon recumbent. There aren't many racers who could stay with him when he puts the hammer down!)
Racing wasn't the point of this ride, however. Celebrating our purpose and thinking about the relationships between cycling, a cleaner world, safer communities, and alternatives to snarled rush hours was! And Indianapolis, on the eve of the 500, turned out to be the perfect place to show this! Our little crew of decked out recumbents turned quite a few heads as we circled the bricks
surrounding the magnificent statue at the heart of the city.
The downtown was full of preparations for today's parade for the cars and riders. There were sculptures throughout the city center of Indy race cars painted in various themes: A Mondrian inspired primary geometric pattern, a landscape of the track and the surrounding city, and many, many more!
I noticed an interesting artistic counterpoint on the Monon trail heading home from the small reception the NBG crew was given by the representatives of the mayor's office. Along the trail north from downtown, there was a series of murals painted by various artists on the theme of Nature in Indy.
One of the panels still fills my head with its message. Clustered around a tranquil pool, at the heart of an intimate, shaded glade, crouched a large frog, a boy, and a woman. The woman, wearing a garland of leaves, was in the center of the trio. She clearly represented the spirit of the natural world--what we call Mother Nature. The boy was to her left; and the frog, to her right. All three beings were viewing their own reflections in the pool. The spirit/dryad/Mother Nature figure saw only herself. The boy's reflection was the frog; the frog's double, the boy!
Just as we are linked to the world of fauna, the world of animals is also linked to us. Our identity is reflected in the care we take of this world with which we have been entrusted. This link that we share with other species passes straight through the spirit of the Earth. Without conscious contemplation of the societal manifestations of this sacred relationship, the link, the spirit, and the Earth itself, will eventually perish. And once the Earth perishes...you and I and everyone that ever was will pass into oblivion as well.
One way for cities to evidence respect and consideration of this is to provide funding for resources like Indianapolis' Monon Trail. This trail journeys north from the downtown and covers at least 15 miles of changing neighborhoods, busy streets, shopping districts, and the yards of many families. Many stores and businesses support themselves and their employees on the happy stream of citizens that travel this Greenway. Supporting development like this is the reason why I chose to ride 230 miles from Columbus to Indy as part of the National Bicycle Greenway Mayor's Ride!
On our way back from the ceremony to recognize the miles that Jim and I, and, by extension, all the other NBG riders put in for the cause we passed two young racers on their very sleek machines. One fellow was sporting his Lance-jersey-replica and the other guy looked like a setting sun with loads of yellows and oranges. I had just given them the polite nod I offer to all passing riders, when one of the fellows told Mike to "get a horse!"
This kind of bias has no place in the bicycling world. It seems counter productive to the whole point of biking. Aren't we all out there together, equally vulnerable to cars, trucks, and other vehicular traffic? Isn't the point of cycling to enjoy the rush of the passing air, the kiss of the sun, the community of riders, and the blessing of a life in which we are healthy enough to be able to ride a bike?
(Anyway, I did try to race briefly--albeit unsuccessfully--with Mike's son Drew on his sleek, laid back Harmon recumbent. There aren't many racers who could stay with him when he puts the hammer down!)
Racing wasn't the point of this ride, however. Celebrating our purpose and thinking about the relationships between cycling, a cleaner world, safer communities, and alternatives to snarled rush hours was! And Indianapolis, on the eve of the 500, turned out to be the perfect place to show this! Our little crew of decked out recumbents turned quite a few heads as we circled the bricks
surrounding the magnificent statue at the heart of the city.
The downtown was full of preparations for today's parade for the cars and riders. There were sculptures throughout the city center of Indy race cars painted in various themes: A Mondrian inspired primary geometric pattern, a landscape of the track and the surrounding city, and many, many more!
I noticed an interesting artistic counterpoint on the Monon trail heading home from the small reception the NBG crew was given by the representatives of the mayor's office. Along the trail north from downtown, there was a series of murals painted by various artists on the theme of Nature in Indy.
One of the panels still fills my head with its message. Clustered around a tranquil pool, at the heart of an intimate, shaded glade, crouched a large frog, a boy, and a woman. The woman, wearing a garland of leaves, was in the center of the trio. She clearly represented the spirit of the natural world--what we call Mother Nature. The boy was to her left; and the frog, to her right. All three beings were viewing their own reflections in the pool. The spirit/dryad/Mother Nature figure saw only herself. The boy's reflection was the frog; the frog's double, the boy!
Just as we are linked to the world of fauna, the world of animals is also linked to us. Our identity is reflected in the care we take of this world with which we have been entrusted. This link that we share with other species passes straight through the spirit of the Earth. Without conscious contemplation of the societal manifestations of this sacred relationship, the link, the spirit, and the Earth itself, will eventually perish. And once the Earth perishes...you and I and everyone that ever was will pass into oblivion as well.
One way for cities to evidence respect and consideration of this is to provide funding for resources like Indianapolis' Monon Trail. This trail journeys north from the downtown and covers at least 15 miles of changing neighborhoods, busy streets, shopping districts, and the yards of many families. Many stores and businesses support themselves and their employees on the happy stream of citizens that travel this Greenway. Supporting development like this is the reason why I chose to ride 230 miles from Columbus to Indy as part of the National Bicycle Greenway Mayor's Ride!
 Fred Kirchner, far right, at Columbus reception |
This slow, leisurely ride with new friends on their really cool recumbents symbolized all that we are trying to do on the NBG. The location was stunning. We rode 34 miles through Indy, nearly all of it on scenic bikeways! We passed mural after mural, a 15 ft. tall angel formed from natural fibre, gardens, rivers, canal paths, turtles, herons, canoe rental stores, pubs, restaurants, and excited children on field trips. Many of the homeowners whose yards abut the trail have erected patios, gazebos, or other structures that make this trail truly a collective work of art, urban planning, and--more importantly--a vision on which other cities can build. (I heard that one friendly homeowner put an airhose in his backyard for passers by!) It was a humbling, liberating, moving and supremely powerful ride. Throughout nearly all of the trail, there was a tangible spirit of community, as Indy's populace exercised and traveled together.
Mike summed it all up when he kept telling me: "It's only a matter of time!" While he was teasing me about eventually choosing a recumbent over an upright, his statement can be applied to the whole point of life. The Earth cannot wait forever for us, her stewards, to learn how to take better care of her. We must each do what we feel able to, what moves our hearts, what races our pulses, what fills our time here with meaning, purpose, and vision. For me, it was riding to Indianapolis as part of the NBG!
 A Fred & Jim with Valley Bike crew |
 State Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Monument Circle, Center of City) constructed 1888-1901 |
 Jonathan Gick and riders shake in show of solidarity |
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| Original Images and Sounds are Copyright © 2003 National Bicycle Greenway. All Rights Reserved. | |||
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