Monon Trail

I'm Kat and have been a Bicycle Garage Indy customer for years!! I love all the staff,they are helpful and accomodating at times when I needed them! I currently own 3 bikes,all from BGI and I LOVE every single one for what they are to me!!! My Hybrid bike is a Giant Sedona.It is my Cadillac.All comfort,upright positioning,moderate in weight and solid...great for touring,camping and the NITE RIDE!!! #2 bike is my Cannondale Six road bike-my sports car!!! Wow,light and FAST and incredible!! Never thought in a million years I would love road biking (MTB biker at heart..)..Beautiful bike!!! Gets lots of looks...#3 bike- my dream bike,Cannondale red Mountain Bike!!! Wow!! This bike eats trails like crazy!!! Did Town Run many times and Westwood...so, at 49 years old,this old lady can still run the trails..may take me alittle longer,but that doesn't matter to me!! Thanks BGI for great service and the amazing bikes in my life!!!

Name: Kat Andrzejewski
Bicycle: Giant Sedona/Cannondale Six/Cannondale MTB
City: Greenfield
State: Indiana

Thank you Kat, from everyone at Bicycle Garage Indy!  Glad that we can be part of your bicycling fun! 

My wife researched vacation spots and settled on Blowing Rock and nearby Boone North Carolina as picturesque artist communities full of galleries, good restaurants, and close to the Blueridge Parkway. We made cottage reservations and, when we arrived in the area, were energized by the narrow winding tree-covered roads up mountains with folksy names that suddenly swept down into the ‘hollers’ where homes clung on the hillsides. Many times we came up on road cyclists grinding out the long serpentine climbs and each one gave me a chance to pine for my own bike which hadn’t made the agenda for this trip. But I had wanted to try off-road biking so, on the last day, I rented a mountain bike, got directions to a set of trails near a local reservoir and took off to try it out. I wish I had the space here to express how fantastic the experience turned out. Little did I know. A week after returning home I was amazed to read a bicycling magazine article that identified the area as one of the top five mountain biking areas in the country. Dumb luck indeed.

Name: Alan Edgar
Bicycle: Cannondale Synapse 3
City: Yorktown
State: IN

Alan: Thanks from everyone at Bicycle Garage Indy for sharing your story with our Customers, Friends and Fans.

So, here's what it looked like at oh-dark-thirty on Saturday morning…

On the way home from work I took the trail behind my house. It was a little damp, but nothing to worry about until I took a sharp turn and realized just how moss covered the path had gotten. The knee and the hip will recover, but the new bike got her first real scrapes. Sometimes we learn the hard way. Watch out for mossy trails!

Name: Richard Meyer
Bicycle: Gary Fisher Rail Super
City: Fishers
State: IN

Sometimes a bike just isn't complete until you have that first scratch.  Thanks from the entire staff at Bicycle Garage Indy for your post.  You have won a CamelBak bottle and Elixir drink mix sample, and you are now eligible for our monthly prize drawing.

On July 1, we had one of the few evenings that was sunny but actually cool. Eight of us rode from Bicycle Garage Indy southeast to Fall Creek Trail and back, about 20 miles. No flats this time (unlike in June) and great conversations.
Thanks to Johnine Adomitis for taking our picture (she's the 8th person, not in the picture).

August 5

No photo, but we had 10 women for the ride - several regulars and some new people. We rode out to Fort Harrison State Park, did a loop in the park and headed back.  Everyone stayed dry except me - I started riding home just as a big, dark rain cloud came overhead. About a mile down the road, I had ridden out of the range of the cloud, it stopped raining and I was dry by the time I reached home.

Email message from one of the new riders:
Hi Connie,
Thanks again for hosting the ride.  I really enjoyed it.  The weather, the light traffic, the scenic route, and the conversation were all good.  I hope your ride back home in the rain was not too bad.  I love my new helmet and look forward your Sept. 2 ride.
Kathy

Hope to see even more women bicycling on our last Nothing But Us Chicks Ride, September 2nd. NOTE: On  September 2nd, we'll be starting at 6 pm so we can return before dark.
Check out BGI's calendar of events for this and other happenings.
 
Connie Szabo Schmucker
Advocacy Director
Bicycle Garage Indy
Indianapolis, IN and Greenwood, IN

When I started looking for a new bike I really wanted a road bike, but that didn't work out. I got a Giant Rapid 3 and it is great. Since I got it, alot of my riding has been in places that would be dificult on a road bike. This includes gravel trails, very sandy areas, and even a few dirt roads. Though it handles well there, it can still can ride like a road bike.

Name: Ben Handy (Product Runner - Bicycle Garage Indy North)
Bicycle: Giant Rapid 3
City: Indianapolis
State: Indiana

The Giant Rapid 3 is just one of the Giant Bicycle Indianapolis available at either BGI location: North, Clearwater area in Indianapolis and South, just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood.

The last time I did RAIN was 10 years ago, before my son was born. So when I signed up for RAIN this year, I knew the family commitment and potential drain the long training rides would be on my wife and son. My most memorable moment from the 2010 RAIN ride was when my 9 year old son, grinning ear to ear, draped in my new RAIN jersey, handled me a water bottle from the side of HWY 40. He got to see the pay-off for all of the training time. When he got home, he and neighbor boy practiced bottle exchanges for next year!

Name: Tim
Bicycle: Wilier Cento 1
City: Westfield
State: IN

(Tim:  Congratulations on a great ride, and thanks from everyone at Bicycle Garage Indy for sharing!  Be sure to bring you 2010 Finisher Medal by!)

I had an opportunity to ride the other day in Anderson IN. Normally I go to Brown County which is awesome as everyone knows. But for something closer that is different from 96th St. The trails are well maintained and there are a lot of man made features in a little extra park they have on the side. Here is my map from www.MapMyRide.com. If you don't have this yet I really suggest you check it out. Works great with the iPhone and is a great way to check out other rides you may not know about.

Name: Chris Baggott
Bicycle: Cannondale Rush
City: Greenfield
State: IN

Chris: Thanks from everyone at Bicycle Garage Indy for sharing Your Bicycle Ride suggestion.  And of course, you are now in the running for our next- Your Bicycle drawing - Visit our two Bicycle Garage Indy locations, North (Clearwater area in Indianapolis) and South (just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood)

Congratulations to Linda Waddick of Westfield, IN, our first winner of a Bicycle Garage Indy Tune-Up Gift Card (a $54.99 value).  You can read Linda's post, The Family Starter Bike, here.  Our next drawing is the first Monday in August.  For contest details, and to submit Your Bicycle picture and story, go to www.bgindy.com/for/yourbicycle.  

On Twitter?  Follow @yourbicycle for the latest Your Bicycle posts.

Today I did a loop including the Monon, Cultural Trail, Downtown Canal, White River Greenway, Central Canal Tow Path and back to the Monon - then headed north (with a stop at brics in Broad Ripple) along the Monon, taking a detour on the Hagan-Burke Trail to 146th and back to the Monon, up to where it is closed and back down, taking 146th Street multi-use path back to Hagan-Burke to the Monon and then home. 50 miles total, only 4.5ish not on a path. Great ride.

Name: Rose Scovel
Bicycle: Nishiki Colorado (my Giant Avail 3 is in for tune up)
City: Indianapolis
State: IN

(Thanks Rose, for Your Bicycle Story from everyone at Bicycle Garage Indy.)

Bicycle headlights have come a long way in the time I have been riding.  Noisy, heavy generator lights and overgrown flashlights have been replaced by lightweight LED headlights, with rechargeable batteries in sleek, easy to mount systems for all types of riding.

 

Headlights serve two functions; let you been seen (meeting the legal requirements for being on the road at night), and to allow you to see obstacles in your path.  While every headlight at Bicycle Garage Indy will meet the first requirement, when, where and how you ride at night will determine which type of headlight is best for you.  Remember that for legal and safe night riding, a tail light is also recommended.  You should always consider what you are wearing and where you are riding before riding at night, and follow all rules of at the road to be seen and safe.

For the occasional or casual ride at night; say you get caught out late after riding to dinner or ice cream,  or for around the campground on your summer vacation, a goodbasic battery headlight is the Blackburn 3.3.  This bright, 3 LED light gets great battery life, with easy no-tool mounting.  Bicycle Garage Indy carry's many similar lights from Trek, Giant and Serfas.

 

If you are riding more often, for example, commuting to work year round; or ride away from street lights in the country or on paved trails, you will need more light for  obstacle detection.  Two mid-range rechargeable headlights, are the NiteRider MiniNewt USB and Light & Motion Vega.  While higher in cost, along with brighter lights, they quickly pay for themselves with their rechargeable batteries.

 

For the extreme night riders, either off-road rider or ultra distance road rider, (a.k.a., the crazies!), we have high intensity, long duration systems from NiteRider and Light & Motion.  They include features like helmet mounts, hi-lo beam options, fast charging, and other options for extreme night riding.

 

NiteRider and Light & Motion are just two of the many brands of bicycle accessories Indianapolis found at Bicycle Garage Indy’s two locations, North (Clearwater area in Indianapolis) and South (just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood)

Having recently moved to the Indianapolis area I have been enamored with the trails and bicycle friendly atmosphere around the city. I've been riding my 14 year old Giant CFR two for several years, and so I thought it might be time for a new ride as well as something more commuter friendly. I looked on Bicycle Garage Indy's website and was smitten with the look of the Cannondale Bad Boy Disc (love that Lefty front fork). I e-mialed with some questions and got a quick response which I greatly appreciated. A few weeks later I visited the store for the first time. Victor lugged out at least five different bikes for me to try in the parking lot. He never pressured but only wanted to help, which was a great experience! Later that week I ordered the Cannondale (despite riding several other very nice bikes) and I picked it up a week ago today. While I only have a little over 100 miles on it so far, I love it! Couldn't have asked for a better experience or be happier with my decision. Thanks BGI and Victor too.

Name: Rob Miller
Bicycle: Cannondale Bad Boy Disc
City: Indianapolis
State: IN

Rob:  Thanks from everyone at Bicycle Garage Indy for Your Bicycle story.  The Bad Boy Disc is just one of the many Cannondale Bikes Indianapolis we have ready for test rides at both BGI locations.

About 9 years ago I purchased a Giant Sedona hybrid bike and tag-a-long to tow my autistic son on the Monon Trail. This was actually the first "new" bike I had ever had in my life and LOVED it! My son soon outgrew the tag-a-long and we purchased tandem recumbents to replace it. My poor hybrid just sat unused in my garage for a couple years all by itself. When I was introduced to mountain biking and "real" road riding in 2008, I fell in love with sport! My sister Julia saw how much I loved it and started riding my hybrid. I eventually gave it to her as a present in 2009 but she quickly graduated up to a MUCH nicer road bike and has been quickly become an avid rider herself. Julia then gave the hybrid to our sister Brenda who began taking her kids on family bike rides in Beech Grove. Brenda has since started losing weight and became more interested in road bikes. Her oldest son has "filched" the family bike and frequently takes it out for rides. If you have a bike languishing in your garage, use it...or give it to someone who will. You will be amazed at the diffence it can make in a persons life!

Name: Linda Waddick
Bicycle: Giant Sedona
City: Westfield
State: IN

Linda:  Everyone at Bicycle Garage Indy thanks you for Your Bicycle story.  The Sedona continues to be a popular "starter" Giant Bike Indianapolis at Bicycle Garage Indy.

I bought this bike from a small shop run by two Indonesian brothers in a strip mall in Carbondale, Ill., in 1982. I was attending graduate school at Southern Illinois University at the time. I wanted to by a heavy, 3-speed Schwinn Varsity, but the co-owner sold me on a black Panasonic Training Track Bike with deep drop bars and a fixed wheel in back. It was drilled for brakes and brakes were installed. Plus, he cut the price to $229, which still seemed like a lot of money to me then. I still have the bike, though now I have a flip-flop hub in back and ride a 17T cog in back most of the time to go with the 48T in front. The drop bars are long gone. I've commuted on this bike to work in Champaign, Ill., St. Louis and here in Indianapolis on many occasions over the years, including on the Monon from Carmel to Downtown. The only major repair was to replace the bottom bracket from wear. But I use a Schwinn 564 aluminum bike made in Greenville, Miss., in 1989 or 1990, with early Shimano index shifting and a 14-speed, more often.

Name: Abe Aamidor
Bicycle: Panasonic Training Track Bike
City: Carmel
State: IN

Abe: Thanks from everyone at Bicycle Garage Indy for Your Bicycle Story.  

I wanted to write and thank Bicycle Garage Indy for my Trek Commuter bike conversion. I originally bought this bike for my daughter several years ago. It wasn't expensive but it was a great entry level Mountain Bike that we used a lot around Indiana...esp the trails at Brown County. For her 16th birthday she got a new dual suspension Cannondale Rush and we were deciding what to do with this old Trek. Since I was interested in commuting the always awesome Toby Holsman suggested that I convert this bike instead of buying a new commuter bike. So we put smooth tires on, fenders and a new handlebar stem & seat post to make it fit better. Needless to say I love it :-) I even rode it to the track this week for the Indy 500. The only way to get to the race :-) This picture is taken in front of Starbucks on the circle in Indianapolis....my usual parking spot.

Name: Chris Baggott
Bicycle: Trek 4500 Mountain Bike
City: Greenfield
State: IN

(Thanks Chris- we will pass your thanks along to to Toby and the rest of the staff at Bicycle Garage Indy)

Thank you to all who were patient enough to give Town Run Trail Park time to dry after last week's rain and flooding.  The HMBA has inspected the trail, and TRTP will be OPEN as of Tuesday 5/25!  Details in the HMBA Forum http://www.hmba.org. 

Thanks to HMBA member and BGI employee Mark Finney for this update.

Bicycle Garage Indy supports Mountain Bikes Indianapolis and HMBA events through sponsorship and staff support.

Hundreds of bicycle commuters converged on Monument Circle Friday morning for the 2010 Indianapolis Bike to Work Day.  After a forecast that threatened "paddle" to work, riders woke to grey, but dry skies.  Bicycle Indiana coordinated 11 starting points, with ride leaders, around the city to converge on Monument Circle.  At the Circle, volunteers from IndyCog coordinated free all-day bicycle parking.  Whole Foods provided riders free breakfast fare of bagels, fruit, juice and coffee.  Other sponsoring groups included INDot, Central Indiana Commuter Services, and the Indianapolis City Office of Sustainability (SustaINDY).  A complete list of sponsoring agencies and organizations is available on the Bicycle Indiana website.  

Hi, Bob from BGI South here. Being a bike shop guy I tend to swap bikes every year. This past year I went back to a Giant TCR. This is the TCR Alliance, which is a carbon/alluminum mix. The ride quality is quite nice with stiffness where it's needed and compliance too. The componet mix is kind of a mish-mash of stuff I had around. Being a short fellow I always have issues with fit but the TCRs have always been good to me in that way. Hope to see you on the road or trail, yes I have ridden this on trails, but that's another story.

Name: Bob Locke (Manager, Bicycle Garage Indy South)
Bicycle: 09 Giant TCR Alliance
City: Indianapolis
State: Indiana

(The TCR Alliance is just one one of the Giant Bikes Indianapolis available from Bicycle Garage Indy - North, in the Clearwater Crossing area and South, Greenwood, just west of I-65 on County Line Rd.)

As the riding season ramps up, now is good time to check out your helmet.  Along with normal wear and tear, exposure to Sunlight/UV and sweat can break down the shell and liner, reducing protection when you need it most.  For this reason, most manufacturers recommend replacing your helmet after 5 years of use.

You should also consider replacing your helmet if:
The Straps are worn or frayed.
Buckles are worn or cracked.
The outer shell is separating from the shock absorbing liner.
Internal pads have worn, and no longer keep the helmet in place.

If you have an older hard shell helmet from before 1990, you should consider a new lighter, better ventilated helmet.

And checkeyou kids helmets for sizing too.  You see a lot young teens with children's helmets perched atop adult sized heads on the Monon!

Our latest coupon - save 20% on any helmet.

We have dozens of bike Helmet Indianapolis from Giro, Bell and Trek at both BGI locations Bicycle Garage Indy North (Indianapolis, in the Clearwater Area) or Bicycle Garage Indy South (Greenwood, just west of I-65 on County Line Rd).