Cyclists' journey, hard work to become reality show

“Survivor.” “Jersey Shore.” “Little Five”?

While the Little 500 may lack the insect eating and designer haircuts of other great reality shows, Junkdrawer Media and 12th Floor Films are currently working on bringing “College’s Greatest Weekend” to the reality TV show world in “Cycle U: The Little 500.”

Mary Beth Anderson, an IU alumna and founder of Junkdrawer Media, said the show is still in the early stages of production, as they will gather interviews and film from this year’s Little 500 to put together a trailer that will be pitched to the TV networks during the summer.

Anderson said the Little 500 is the perfect cocktail for great, quality programing.

“Little Five is about passion,” Anderson said. “It’s about excitement and being competitive but also about being a part of a tradition and in something that’s bigger than who you are. (The audience) will feel the high points and the low points but will be inspired by the race and what it is and how it stands for the love of sports.”

Four women’s teams will be chosen as the focus of the show, and the teams will be followed throughout the entire academic year, training and race day. The show will present the challenges riders face while juggling their training, classes and finals, along with the desire to keep their college social life at IU.

Anderson said she believes the obstacles Little 500 cyclists face make a story that translates to all walks of life because of the constant challenges that the Little 500 provides, whether physical or mental.

“I think when you look at the riders, especially in the women’s race, some of them have not even been on a bike before,” Anderson said. “It’s about taking a risk and proving to yourself that you can do something that you didn’t think was possible. I have a feeling that most women who go across the finish line on race day feel really good about themselves, and I hope that the viewer will be inspired by these women and entertained by them.”

After a year of negotiating, the companies signed a three-year contract with the IU Student Foundation for the exclusive rights to produce a Little 500 reality show.

Pam Loebig, an assistant director for the IUSF and Little 500 race director, said IUSF is very excited that the TV show will bring the Little 500 race into the national spotlight while providing a unique opportunity for the riders.

Loebig said it is important that the reality show can debunk some people’s perceptions that the Little 500 is just an excuse to party.

“It’s frustrating that we have to constantly deal with that,” Loebig said. “People think Little Five and they think of partying, while we (IUSF) are putting on this bike race to raise scholarship money.”

Anderson, who admitted she is biased because she is an alumna, said the show will be able to spotlight athletes who do not fit into the traditional collegiate student-athlete mold that most of the country thinks of.

“These cyclists are doing it for the love of their school, for their organization and for the love of biking,” Anderson said. “We think more people need to know that an event like this exists within college life because it is one of the most spectacular collegiate events in the country.”