![[Photo]](/~spiczak/l5/l5pole.jpg)
The Little 500 is a bike race patterned after the Indianapolis 500 automobile race and was made famous in the movie Breaking Away. It is popularly known as The World's Greatest College Weekend though such claims are downplayed in an attempt by the administration to decrease the party atmosphere surrounding the event. The cyclists themselves take the race very seriously, with the best teams training year round.
The race takes place on a 1/4 mile cinder track using identical single gear bicycles built exclusively for this race. Each team consists of up to four riders, but only one rider per team is allowed on the track at any given time. Thus, a high speed exchange between riders is necessary to avoid losing track position. The fastest 33 teams during qualifications earn the right to compete on race day. The first men's race took place in 1951, and a separate women's race began in 1988. The men's race consists of 200 laps, while the women's race is 100 laps (though I'm lobbying to either get this increased, perhaps to 160 laps similar to the men's/women's ratio of 15/12 laps in team pursuit or to reduce the number of women on a team from four to three.)
![[Bike]](/~spiczak/l5/bikeguy.gif){kind=small}
Dodds House is one of the 18 housing units in Wright Quad. The original residents were war veterans who wished to live together but were not interested in joining a fraternity, so they began a tradition of house comraderie, campus involvement, leadership, and excellence that is unmatched among residence hall units and is arguably as strong as any fraternity. The Dodds House Cycling Team anchors this position.
If you will be an undergraduate IU student this year, have a desire to ride (and win!) Little 500, and are willing to train hard then your name could be here. We are always interested in motivated rookies who want to join our successful program. Please check out the Dodds web site link above or e-mail me for further information.
We typically have a large number of motivated riders building a strong base of mileage in the Fall. Final rosters are chosen in early Spring and we always hope to have enough talented riders to form additional teams so that everyone who's been putting forth the effort does not miss out on an opportunity to ride.
Numerous individuals are involved in coaching this team in any given year, primarily former riders who are interested in keeping the tradition alive in quest of that next victory, but those most heavily involved are listed below.
All-Time Race Standings:
Dodds - 7th overall, 48 out of
50 races to date. Currently on a Dodds record string of 7 top tens
in a row and counting, including victory in 1998.
2000 Season Highlights:
1999 Season Highlights:
1998 Season Highlights:
Dodds House takes pole position and wins first victory!
1997 Season Highlights:
1996 Season Highlights:
1995 Season Highlights:
1994 Season Highlights:
Little 500 Biathlon: Sunday, September
Cascades Climbing Challenge: Tuesday Nights
Showalter Street Sprints: Sunday, October
IUSF Night Ride: Wednesday, October 18
Spirit-of-Sport Roller Races: February 9-10
Spring Training: Alligator Point, FL, March 10-17th.
Qualifications: Saturday, March 24th
Individual Time Trial: Wednesday, March 28th
Miss & Out: Saturday, March 31st
Team Pursuit: Friday, April 6th
Mini 500 Trike Race: Thursday, April 19th
Women's Race: Friday, April 20th
Men's Race: Saturday, April 21st
Dodds House alumni and former riders - If you have not been receiving our bi-annual alumni letter, please let us know your current address, phone number, and e-mail so that we can update our records. Tax deductible contributions can be made via a check to the Greenman Foundation and sent to Gerard Gasparino (Dodds House Alumni Chairperson), Wright-Dodds 008, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47406. From May 1st to Sept. 1st, or at any other times you prefer, you are welcome to send donations directly to me at 936 Rue Madora, Bear, DE 19701. Include a brief note if you would like to earmark your donation for improvements to our Little 500 Training Facility (currently the Dodds lounge), Trophy Room, or Spring Training - include any other encouraging words that you'd like me to pass along to the riders. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at the address below.