Written by Erika D. Smith | INDYSTAR
 

When Indianapolis first began bedecking the streets with bike lanes last year, I got into a lot of conversations -- read debates and arguments -- about it. Most of those friendly little chats went something like this:

Them: "Have you seen the traffic jams around those stupid bike lanes? It's insane. I sat at the same light for five whole minutes!"

Me: "Yes. The traffic can be bad at times, but things will get better with time. Everyone just needs to adjust."

Them: "All of this for a few people riding bikes? I've seen like two people using those lanes. And wait until it gets cold and snows. They'll be empty, and we'll still be stuck in traffic."

Me: "I wouldn't be so sure."

Them: "Whatever! You're wrong."

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm not wrong -- and that I'm right about the potential for Indianapolis to become a city of healthier, more active citizens.

In the past month, even as the temperature has dropped and the snow has fallen, I've seen dozens of people whizzing by me on bikes. I've seen them Downtown, on the Northside and on the Southside. I've seen far more people than last winter or the winter before that.

People like Molly Trueblood.

A board member of the cycling advocacy group INDYCOG, she commutes from the Northwestside to her job Downtown. The trick, she says, isn't to wear a bunch of layers. You'll just get sweaty. Instead, she swears by wool underwear, and a thin and wind-resistant winter coat.

"If you kind of push yourself a little bit, you can create body heat that will keep you warm as you go. I haven't really experienced the limit yet," Trueblood said of the cold weather, "although I know that there is one. It doesn't get 20 below in Indy too much."

Ron Gurth, vice president of the Central Indiana Bicycling Association, would agree. His motto is, "There's no bad weather, just bad clothes."

There is, however, such a thing as a bad road -- bad being dangerous because the surface is covered with snow and ice. Or what's worse, narrow roads with snow piled up along the curb where cyclists usually ride.

So far, so good, though.

The city seems to be doing a good job of keeping the bike lanes clear.

And so commuters like Gurth and Trueblood are taking to the roads -- in addition to the hundreds who have taken part in cold-weather rides, such as Mayor Greg Ballard's Polar Bear Pedal earlier this month.

This kind of dedication, even from a small but determined group of cyclists, proves Indianapolis has a shot at becoming a city with a real bike culture.

Many of you probably still have your doubts.

I'll admit that you probably won't spot me riding my bike when it's 5 degrees and snowing outside. I'm not that bold, and I really don't like the cold. However, I admire those brave souls who have the desire and willpower to do it.

And I do know this: Despite the popular refrain from naysayers in Indiana, some of the biggest cycling cities in the country get as much or more snow that we do every year. Cities such as Minneapolis; Boulder, Colo.; Denver; Madison, Wis.; and Chicago.

It's about infrastructure, and it's about a few people setting an example of what's possible. Indianapolis is on the right -- if snow-covered -- track.