Brian Holzhausen leads a family bike ride with his wife Amanda and three of their seven kids: Karina, 8, Greta, 6 and Treasure, 2 (in bike trailer). Holzhausen is biking 160 miles across the state today, July 16, as part of the Ride Across Indiana, which takes thousands of cyclists from West Terre Haute to Richmond along U.S. 40.
McCORDSVILLE — A McCordsville man who makes a living encouraging others to get active is spending the day bicycling 160 miles across the state.
Brian Holzhausen is taking part in the Ride Across Indiana — also known as RAIN — a one-day ride stretching from West Terre Haute to Richmond.
The ride draws thousands of riders each year but was canceled the past two years due to COVID.
Today, July 16, the tradition resumes as riders make their way east throughout the state starting at 7 a.m., with a goal of finishing no later than 9 p.m.
The ride includes five rest stops, including one at Brandywine Park in Greenfield between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Holzhausen said the RAIN ride will be the longest consistent bike ride he’s taken since taking up distance riding about 30 years ago, but he’s hardly a stranger to going the distance.
“I’ve done a lot of further endurance events that were up to 24 or 30 hours in length (that involved biking, running and canoeing), but have never done one cycling event for that long. It will be a new experience,” said the 50-year-old father of seven.
Holzhausen and his wife, Amanda, are both avid cyclists and have made a point to encourage physical activity in their kids.
They can often be seen cruising the country roads near their rural McCordsville home, with up to four kids in tow. The couple has long enjoyed riding a tandem bike together, and now ride with a two-seater extension for the kids, along with a two-seated trailer.
“It’s 17 feet long,” said Holzhausen, who leads the pack from the front seat.
In 2001, he and his wife bought a company called DINO — Do Indiana Offroad — which hosts offroad racing events throughout the state, including marathons, triathlons, adventure races and other events.
The company first organized mountain bike races, but the Holzhausens expanded to include running and multi-sport events.
“The best part about it is the people, seeing the sense of accomplishment they get when they finish a race,” Amanda Holzhausen said.
Her husband, who was born and raised in McCordsville, enjoys the challenge that comes with long-distance events.
“I like thinking about how long you can go, how far you can go, and what you can actually accomplish if you put your mind and body to it,” he said.
Holzhausen said training for the RAIN isn’t that difficult when you love to ride. “I ride quite a bit just for enjoyment and to keep in shape, so when I do start riding some longer rides, I start training more often throughout the week. I did a 100-miler about a week ago,” he said.
While he sometimes bikes with family, he enjoys the solitude of cycling the open road, especially on the country roads throughout Hancock County.
He also bikes to a weekly appointment in Broad Ripple, cycling through Ft. Benjamin Harrison and along the Fall Creek Greenway trail.
“I’m kind of an introvert, so I enjoy spending time on my own to think and reflect and pray,” he said.
Holzhausen anticipates the RAIN ride will take him about 10 hours to complete, which means he would arrive at the finish line at Earlham College in Richmond around 5 p.m.
Mitch Doran, owner of Family Bike Chain in Greenfield, looks forward to the RAIN ride rolling through town each year. His bike shop at 101 E. Main St. is listed on the RAIN map for riders who may need a quick fix along the way.
An avid cyclist, Doran looks forward to the day he can complete his first RAIN ride.
“I know it’s an awesome event that I’d love to participate in in the future, but Saturday’s our busiest day at the shop, so I tend to stay here,” he said.
Doran thinks having thousands of cyclists from throughout the state and beyond cycling through Greenfield is great exposure for the city.
“It takes you through the main part of downtown and turns on (State Road 9), which is a really nice part of the city to have on display. Hopefully people like what they see and come back to visit in the future,” he said.
