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Urban bike race supports cycling community, cause

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A bicycle event on Saturday will cycle money to a cause helping kids learn life skills.

The 2018 Indy Criterium Bicycle Festival will shut down city streets in downtown Indianapolis to those on two wheels, only.

Hundreds of cyclists are expected to take part in a day of urban circuit road races including categories for children and families through elites.

The Indy Crit supports Freewheelin’ Community Bikes, a non-profit program and bike shop at 34th and Central Avenue.

The non-profit operates a program for youth who can earn the ownership of a bike by going through a class on maintenance and safe riding. Some participants continue on to earn jobs through the program.

According to the group’s director, events that join it in encouraging bicycling like the Indy Crit are important to the community.

“In addition to serving children, we feel like we’re serving this community by providing them with affordable, alternative transportation that being a bicycle so we are very much a part of the whole culture of safe and environmentally friendly, healthy ways of getting around town,” Alison Cole, the executive director of Freewheelin’ Community Bikes said.

Included on Saturday’s schedule is the VIP/Celebrity race. A relay team of WISH-TV personalities will compete against other media members, celebrities and local leaders. Drew Blair, Brittany Lewis, Nina Criscuolo and Meghan McKeown will ride in the race on bikes from the Pacers Bikeshare starting at 12:10 p.m.

Click here for the Indy Criterium Bicycle Festival’s entire schedule of events.