Annual bike race to attract more than 4,000

Soon to be riding bikes on narrow country roads against the backdrop of Indiana hardwood forests, more than 4,000 cyclists have entered the 38th Annual Hilly Hundred. \nCyclists who hail from France to Florida paid the $35 registration fee, which gives them the opportunity to mount their bikes for a two-day trek through the hilltops and ridges of southern Indiana. \nBut this weekend isn't all about spokes and wheels. \n"It's more of a people event than a biking event," Skip Higgins, managing director of the Hilly Hundred said. "You get to see old friends and visit new places."\nThe event begins Saturday morning from Edgewood High School in Ellettsville. After biking through the shorter hills of Greene County, bikers return to the high school. Bikers will log in another 50 miles Sunday morning, traveling toward Lake Monroe and tackling the steeper hills of Monroe County. \nKent Mezel, a Putnam County resident, has been riding in the Hilly Hundred for more than a decade. Mezel said he looks forward to riding with thousands of other bicycle enthusiasts.\n"I love the community aspect of riding a bike," Mezel said. "It's bike-to-bike traffic for 50 miles, but it's gratifying." \nFor some Ellettsville residents, just watching the race is enjoyable. Pat and Denise Cavanaugh, who live on the Hilly Hundred route, have thrown a party on their front lawn for 24 years. \nA few years ago, the couple put up a mountain bike by the side of the road and had each guest sit on the bike. When Denise took a picture of each party guest, it looked as if he or she was actually riding in the race, even the guest with a Bloody Mary in his hand.\n"My husband and I joke that if we ever decide not to have a party, people would still come," Cavanaugh said. "After this year, people will ask about next year's party." \nDenise Cavanaugh serves Mexican food to her 30 guests, but more importantly, she serves as the official ambulance caller. \n"I might be in the kitchen making the quesadillas, but if one of the party guests rings a bell from outside, that's my signal to call for help," she said. "Almost every year, we call an ambulance for a biker."\nMost of the bikers, however, are more concerned about their bikes than minor injuries, which Cavanaugh said are usually just scraped elbows or a bruised knees. \nHer husband, Pat, rides in the event and plans to stop by the party this Sunday to grab a glass of water. It's also a tradition for one biker to pull over to their yard and tell the party-goers his story about how he hit the Cavanaugh mailbox during his first Hilly Hundred.\nThe house is right before Mount Tabor hill, one of the most grueling hills of the event. \n"It's the steepest hill, with a high incline," Mezel said. "If you don't ride often, you'll have to walk the bike up to the hill." \nBut before he rides the hill, he looks forward to seeing the guests at the Cavanaugh party. \n"It's just one of the things I love about the Hilly Hundred," Mezel said. "I always smile and wave"