On a cold and drizzly February afternoon, bikers gathered at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington to train. But these were not experienced Little 500 riders. These were rookies, many of them taking part in competitive biking for the very first time.
The men lined up on the track, leaning against their bikes and chatting as they waited to do a four-lap time trial. The light curtain of rain left them undeterred.
“Getting power out of the gate is tough,” one rookie said.
“But if you go too fast,” the rookie next to him added, “you’re for sure eating it.”
All the riders were wearing helmets and gloves — both to protect from the cold but especially to protect their hands and heads from the hard cinder track. A fall on the track can be painful and it’s not uncommon, especially during rookie week.
“Honestly, most challenging for me was learning to jump on the bike in the right way, because there’s just so many things that could go wrong,” freshman Michael Shertz, a rookie on the Collins team, said. “I saw many people fall off.”
A red tent sat in the infield; three paramedics ready to step in after one of those falls.
As more rookies arrived, they stashed their bags under red metal barrels to keep them dry. The chain link fence was dotted with multi-colored bikes hanging off the fence by the handlebars. Many of the bikes had the signature stripes of bikes from past Little 500 races (each year, there is a new bike designed specifically for the race).
This was not my first time at the track for Rookie Week. In the fall, I attended rookie week as a rookie rider. I loved watching the race in the spring but spent all summer wondering what it would be like to actually be on the track. So, I decided to do rookie week. Fall rookie week is a lot different than spring — it takes place over more than a month and includes time spent on the track and out on the streets of Bloomington on “road rides.” But the comradery and challenge is the same.
Although I ultimately decided not to join a Little 500 team, I still look back fondly on the few weeks when I could call myself a part of the Little 500 community. I was excited to have a peek back into that world on this dreary day.
Rookie Week is a crucial part of Little 500 and every biker in the Little 500 community has taken part. It is the two weeks where first-time riders learn the ropes of the track. They ride special “Little 500” bicycles for the first time and learn all the skills needed to be successful and safe on the track.
“It’s basically like a two-week boot camp for riders,” Chloe Eades, a biker for Alpha Chi Omega and vice president of Rider’s Council, said. Riders Council is the committee of upperclassmen bikers that puts on the event.
To successfully complete Rookie Week, rookies must spend 10 total hours at the track over the two weeks and learn five new skills: mounting, dismounting, single-bike exchange, bike to bike exchange and pace lining. The men and women come to the track at separate times to simulate the schedule when the track opens for full teams in the spring.
“I remember watching the race my freshman year and watching people jump on the bike and get off, I was just like ‘that is so scary,” Eades said. “So, I think getting over that mental block can be really hard.”
For Phi Psi rookie Charlie Fisher, the single-bike exchange was the most difficult to learn.
“It’s just kind of sketchy and people crash all the time,” he said.
Crashes are just part of the process of learning to bike for the Little 500. My very first time attempting to mount a bike at the track, I swung my leg enthusiastically over the bike — so enthusiastically that I overshot it and slammed onto the cinders. I jumped right up, my shoulder throbbing but only more determined to master the skill.
And that’s what Rookie Week is for. Teaching bikers the essential skills during these clinics makes the track safer when it opens for spring training.
“Rookie week ultimately is how we bring more riders into the mix and how we bring more safe riders into the mix,” Eades said.
And it’s a lot of fun too. Comradery was a common theme when I asked riders about the week. Everyone was eager to help the rookies and encouraging when they stumbled or struggled.
“I know none of these people, I know nothing about the teams,” Schertz said. “But I can talk to them and they’re nice and welcoming.”
Eades remembered her Rookie Week as a bonding experience. She recounted doing a practice race as hail rained down.
“But it was like, ‘At least, we’re all in this together,’” she laughed.
Rookie Week — Rider’s Council members emphasized — is for everyone. Over the course of this year, Rider’s Council member and Delta Tau Delta rider Jack Lloyd estimates over 300 students will take part in either fall or spring rookie events.
“You should just try it, if you have the time,” he said. “I’ve even met several seniors who are going through rookie week. I think even if you don’t want to race, but you’re interested, just trying Rookie Week is a really cool opportunity.”
Riders don’t need previous experience to take part, he said, just a willingness to learn and put themselves out of their comfort zone.
“I would say Rookie Week is most successful, this is so cheesy, but if they’re having fun,” Eades said. “We want this to be enjoyable. Regardless of the weather, regardless of making them do a four-lap ITT (Individual Time Trial) to the point where they can’t breathe. It’s still supposed to be fun.”
As I left the track, music started blasting from the speakers — Kill the Lights, sung by Alex Newell of “Glee” fame. It was still grey and dismal, not ideal weather for a bike ride, but the rookies pushed through. I have to admit, I was even a little jealous, itching to have the chance to try a single bike exchange or race for myself.
“I go to bed sore; I wake up sore,” Schertz said. “But I get better, and that’s the fun in it.”
