One speed, one bike

It is an annual tradition that marks the start of one of the most anticipated races in all of college sports.

Before the 2013 Little 500 begins Friday and Saturday and riders line up in their assigned row positions, the following words will blare from the intercom:
“Riders, mount your Schwinn bicycles.”

It is a saying that has stuck with the IU Student Foundation since the first Little 500 in 1951. However, Schwinn has not always been the bike of choice.

When Howdy Wilcox Jr. founded the race more than 62 years ago, one of his main priorities was to ensure everyone would be on the same playing field. To do so, he made sure each team and each rider would use the same bike.

In 1951, Wilcox contracted with Schwinn, then a Chicago-based manufacturer, and for the first few years of the Little 500’s history, Schwinn provided the bicycles.

In 1956, IUSF moved away from Schwinn in favor of Roadmaster AMF bicycles until 2000.

The movie “Breaking Away” that portrays the Little 500 actually included Roadmaster bikes.

“It actually became a staple of ‘Gentlemen, mount your Roadmaster bicycles,’” Race Director Jordan Bailey said. “Then, stuff had happened in the bicycling industry and things started to get consolidated.”

In 2000, a company called Pacific Cycle bought Roadmaster and another smaller bike company called Mongoose.

IUSF made the decision to change from its Roadmaster tradition to a Mongoose off-road bike because it would fit better with the cinder track at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

News came in 2001, however, that Pacific Cycle would buy out Schwinn, and in 2002, Pacific introduced Schwinn bikes to the public.

By 2006, IUSF had decided to renew its partnership with Schwinn.

“I like the tradition because that’s what they rode in the very first year,” Bailey said. “In truth, for the most part, the bikes haven’t changed much in the last 60 years. It’s the great equalizer so it really evens out the playing field.”

Each year, IU calls Schwinn to produce a custom order of Little 500 bikes. The organization orders approximately 200 bicycles per year branded with the “Little 500” name.

Though it has not always been that way, the phrase, “Riders, mount your Schwinn bicycles,” now provides historical context and will be of special significance this weekend.

“Just because it’s been a healthy relationship for so many years, it’d be foolish on our part to look somewhere else,” Bailey said. “It’s a great tradition to have.”