Carroll County Bike Poster

My dad has always cycled. My memories of him in summer are of him suiting up, hopping on his Fuji and biking through the country side for miles. In winter the steady hum of his bike on the rollers of his stationary set up was as comforting as hot chocolate to me. I find it pretty remarkable that for as long as I’ve known my dad he’s kept at it, never giving up cycling for something else. He’s the guy who always told me to pick a sport I could do for life. I like that he’s not just all talk.

For Christmas I wanted to find a poster that summed up his love of the ride. When out West a few years ago Regan and I came across some gilcee prints of mountain bikes set before rocky landscapes. These vintage-style posters are stamped with Park City or Breckenridge — places where outdoors and adventure go hand in hand.

I asked Regan to make a poster in this same vein for my dad for Christmas, but to replace the mountain bike with a road bike and the mountains with the midwestern plains. At first it seemed like it could be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the monotony of landscape that surrounds us. But as I watched Regan pull it all together I realized the beauty of the landscape. Indiana may be flat and rolling for miles, but there is also a certain peace about knowing that you can just put your head down and press onward, rolling past field after field until you reach your destination.

Thanks to Regan for creating such a perfect homage to the scenery Dad has explored for so many years.