On a recent chilly weekend, Indianapolis became the bustling hub of the U.S. bicycle industry.It seemed an unlikely scenario. But it just goes to show what a gutsy and determined entrepreneur can accomplish, even in this crummy economy.
Don Walker -- a trade show organizer who also operates a custom bicycle shop in Speedway -- took a big chance by bringing his North American Handmade Bicycle Show to Indianapolis for this year's event, which ran from Feb. 27 to March 1.
The show features the work of many of the world's top makers of handmade bicycles, including sleek racers, sweet single-speed urban bikes and artful innovations such as bikes made of bamboo.
Since its founding in 2005, the show had always been in places such as San Jose, Calif., and Portland, Ore. -- regions with reputations as hip cycling hotbeds.
Walker said his decision to bring the show to Indianapolis was greeted with skepticism and even disappointment. Some complained that Indianapolis lacked a cycling culture, he said. About 25 previous exhibitors chose to stay home.
Indianapolis, though, proved its pedal power.
This year's show, held at the Indiana Convention Center, attracted 118 exhibitors and more than 6,400 attendees. While a little smaller than last year's show in Portland, the turnout was impressive, considering the huge economic downturn of the past year.
It was even more impressive given Indianapolis' cycling underdog status.
"In the cycling world, when people think of cycling towns they think of Portland, San Diego, Seattle . . . and Austin, Texas, maybe. Indianapolis, frankly, isn't one of those," said Zack Vestal, technical editor for the Colorado-based cycling publication VeloNews.
Yet in one of his VeloNews.com postings from the show, Vestal wrote this: "Exhibitors commented on Saturday's huge crowds, and many shared the feeling that this was the best NAHBS ever."
Oregon-based frame builder Sacha White, owner of the Vanilla Workshop in Portland, was impressed that the show attracted visitors from multiple states, including Minnesota, Georgia and Florida.
He also sensed that attendees appreciated the show's first stop in the Midwest.
"We found people to be really warm and welcoming," White said.
California-based frame builder Craig Calfee, whose bamboo-made bikes have been featured in Time and Newsweek, also seemed pleasantly surprised.
"The turnout for the show was much higher than expected, and the genuine interest was on par with the Portland show," he wrote in an e-mail. "Indianapolis was pitched to the frame-builder community as a great location because of the proximity to a lot of cities in the region. That was certainly true!"
The show even had an international feel, with multiple overseas exhibitors. De Rosa, a legendary family-run Italian bike maker, made its first-ever appearance at the show this year.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm hopelessly hooked on bicycling -- as a competitive sport that pushes human limits, as a healthy form of recreation that gets families outdoors, and as an efficient means of transportation that unclogs roads and conserves energy.
This column, however, is not just about bikes. It's about how business people in Indiana can succeed by believing in this region and, at times, by overcoming preconceived notions of our state.
On the show floor, Walker was a friendly figure wearing a badge identifying him as the "Big Cheese." Yet last week, he was all business when asked to assess the show and those skeptical of his decision to bring it to Indianapolis.
"It was a great way for me to prove them wrong," Walker said.
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