By Dan Hickey
“Why is it that a team from the BBC could never win the Little 500?”
This was the riddle that Jim Schroeder used to kick off the Breaking Away tour, a gentle 30-mile excursion that visits many of the scenes from the movie that made Dennis Quaid a star and helped get a generation of kids on bikes with its 1979 release. It was a perfect Spring day, one day after the 60thannual Little 500 bike race that was featured in the movie. Jim pointed that this was the first time ever that the ride did not have to be postponed because of rain.
From our gathering place in Bryan Park, we first headed up Lincoln Street, and just up the way was the Free Methodist Church shown in the very first part of the movie.
Onward north to the corner of Lincoln and Dodd, Davey’s house, with its distinct slate roof, was instantly recognizable. From there it was a few miles west to the intersection of Highways 446 and 46, the starting line for Cinzano 100. In case you have forgotten (because of course you have seen the movie), Davey crashed out when one of the smarmy Italian riders jammed a bike pump in the young upstart’s spokes.
We headed down 446 and stairstepped SSW across five miles of familiar roads to the Empire Mill and Quarry. About half of us cleated our way down the gravel road to the quarry. It was the first time I had seen actual quarry and it was awesome!
It looked just as inviting as it did in the movie, and if it had been warmer I might have gone for dip. From there we headed up the Clear Creek trail (which was definitely not there in 1979) to Woolery Mill on Tapp Road. This was a working mill when the interior scenes were shot. Now apparently in a state of suspended-renovation, the mill itself is still wide open and you can ride right through it. Curiously, an old bus now rests in the cavernous mill pit.
From the mill we headed up Countryside Lane and Rockport Road back into town on South Walnut. We first came to 1010 S Walnut. This was the site of the used car lot where Davey tried to get his dad to buy back the boy’s crapped-out Corvette (“refund? Refund!!!). Next was downtown to the square. We first passed Opie Taylor’s, which was Pagalia’s pizzeria in the movie. Jim pointed out that William’s Jewelry is the only business currently on the square that was there when they were filming.
Then around the square for a full view of the Monroe County Courthouse where Moocher and Nancy got married, after combining their spare change for the wedding license.
We got sight of Bike Smith’s, bike shop whose owner Jean Smith built the custom road bikes for the Italian team. Several years ago on a ride, Jean had told me the story of how the producers had given him carte blanche to build the bikes, and how great it was that they then just gave them back to him after filming. We didn’t stop in but apparently there is some good memorabilia from the film in the shop. Then past Indiana Theatre and Nick’s English Hut, both which were prominent featured.
After a short hop to the IU campus, we got to take some laps around the track at Bill Armstrong stadium, the current location of the race. The race banners were still in place, and the cinders were well-packed from a rainy race.
We rode past the Wells Library to Arboretum, the site of the original track where the race formally took place. At the stone structure that was formerly a ticket booth, we checked out the brass plaques honoring previous winners. Jim pointed out the plaque honoring Dave Blase. Blase was the legendary 1962 Phi Kappa Psi champion who provided team mate and IU grad Steve Tesich the inspiration for the screenplay. Blase ended up with a role in the movie as the race announcer. Jim explained that because they filmed the race scenes in the summer, they had trouble finding enough students to fill the stadium.
When we got to the Indiana Memorial Union, Jim finally clarified something that has confused me ever since I watched the movie. I could never figure out the location of the drive-by scenes that led up to the big fight with Robin’s boyfriend in the IMU. Jim explained that before the Sample Gates were built in 1987, the road went right through campus and right past the IMU. Mystery solved.
From the IMU we headed to Rose Well House outside of Maxwell Hall. The gazebo is where generations of IU coeds reportedly could clinch a future husband with a midnight kiss. I am pretty sure this gazebo is where Davey confesses to Chi Delta Delta Robin that he is not really an Italian exchange student after all. She slaps his townie face (hard!) and breaks his townie heart.
We finished with the Tri Delta house where Davey had earlier serenaded Robin and her sorority sisters.
We also learned that the Subway on 3rd Street was the franchise where the biggest-loser-of-all Jared lost 240 pounds while living in the second floor apartment upstairs. He was featured in article in the Indiana Daily Student which then got picked up nationally. You know the rest of the story.
While I certainly did not get much of a workout, this was one of the most entertaining rides of my life. After I got my car in Bryan Park, I drove back up to get a shot of Davey’s house. The current owner was out front working on the garden. I can’t recall his name but he was full of stories about the house and actually had overseas guest inside who had come to town just for Little Five. He explained that he had been working in France in 2009 when Jim led the first Breaking Away ride. A photo of the group in front of Davey’s house ended up in the Herald Times, and a friend mailed it to him. It ended up being a rather complicated bit of hometown quaintness to explain to his French colleagues. I propose that next year we ask him to let us stock his bar in exchange for letting us use his house for the pre-ride screening of the movie.
And yes of course, the riddle. So why is that Bloomington Bicycle Club team could never win the Little 500 race?
“Because they would be slowing all the time to point and exclaim ‘gravel.”
Sorry to make you slog through all of these details if you were only interested in the answer to the riddle. If it made you laugh then it a sure sign that you have ridden with the BBC, and perhaps with Jim. As some of the nicest cyclists you will ever meet, BBC members are compelled to warn everyone behind them of every pothole or spot of gravel as the ride past them.
I took the pics with my phone, which seems to have lost some functionality halfway through the ride. You can view the Breaking Away Trailer at YouTube.