In Indiana, railroads are everywhere. That's how a state more known for auto racing got the nickname "Crossroads of America." It may keep the name from the highways, but it originated from trains.
Take Vincennes, a small town between Evansville and Terre Haute that was the capital of Indiana in the state's days as a territory. According to an article from Trains Magazine, in 1998 CSX ran 60 trains through the town of 18,701 people every day. That's an average of about five trains an hour.
Elsewhere in Indiana, abandoned railroads sit dilapidated, no longer of any use and too expensive to remove.
It is surprising that in a state with so much rail, that the sport of railbiking hasn't caught on more rapidly.
Railbiking is, just as it sounds, a sport of riding bicycles that have been modified to run on railroads.
While it may sound like a cycling version of the 'go-kart' track at Disney World, railbiking is slightly more entertaining.
The basic design includes two additions: a front-wheel guide and an outrigger. The front-wheel guide is attached to the front wheel and controls the steering, while the outrigger attaches to the left side of the bike at three places and is attached to a wheel that rides on the opposite rail to maintain balance.
Many railroads, especially abandoned railroads, travel through forests and other foliage. Because railbikes are self-steering, you can look around and gaze at the scenery.
Even without steering, accidents can happen. Like its steam-powered counterpart, railbikes can 'derail,' and the results can be, well, bruises.
So how can you build your own railbike? Well Bentley RAILBIKE design sells its design on its Web site, http://rrbike.freeservers.com.
If you aren't looking to construct a railbike, Railbike Tours Inc. sells completed bikes and offers tours on railbikes.
The first railbike design sent to the U.S. Patent Office is dated at 1869, and both railroad companies and Telegraph companies used railbikes to do their jobs.
Railbiking is an easy way to stay in shape that is more interesting that taking a walk and is easy to do in a state where long-forgotten railroads mark the terrain.
But please, make sure you use tracks you know are abandoned.
Write to Will at wjohargan@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
