Professor takes advantage of Indiana landscape

By David Brunner
Staff Writer

Most people do not think of Indiana as a place that offers ambitious outdoor activities and challenging landscapes. This is not so for communication Professor John Greene, who can be found many times a week exploring the Indiana landscape on his bike.

Greene has been riding his bike long distances for nearly 20 years and feels bike riding is a good way to see a lot of nature that is not typically visible from a car.

"I saw a fox the other day," Greene said when describing one of his more recent multi-weekly bike rides through Indiana. "How many people can say that happens to them every day?"

Greene rides his bike hundreds of miles each week throughout the surrounding counties as a way of relaxing from his job and staying fit.

"I am very committed to the office, so it is nice to get out and just be alone," said Greene, who usually wears T-shirts to class that he earned during bike races — dozens of them.

But riding a bicycle has become more than just a simple everyday workout for Greene; it has been the design and foundation of many of his life goals.

He completed one of those goals two summers ago when he rode cross-country for seven weeks.

"About 60 riders started with us, but only about 30 actually made it all the way," Greene said.

Joy Matson, Greene’s wife, who rides tandem with him on occasion, thinks that it is good that he has remained so dedicated to riding.

"It is amazing that he stays as focused as he does," Matson said. "He seems to always have time for it."

Greene says that it's easy making time for riding.

"Riding is very exciting," he said. "I especially liked riding up the mountains in Colorado on my cross-country ride … there are no mountains in Indiana so it was a very enjoyable experience."

Greene has a 27-speed road bike that he had specially made by Project Bike bicycle shop in Lafayette that he rides on long distance trips like the cross-country trip he took two years ago.

John Cherry, the owner of the Project Bike bicycle shop, avid rider and designer of Greene’s bike, said that the bike Greene took cross-country is specifically designed for long distances because it disassembles into two main parts for easier transportation and storage.

"It is about a $4,000 titanium bike," Cherry said. "I expect it did real well cross-country."

The price of the bike may seem expensive, but Greene sees it as an investment.

"One of my other life goals is to ride in the Tour de France and ride up the infamous Alpe D’huez mountain," Greene said.

The Alpe D’huez is a mountain in eastern France that Greene hopes to climb during his next sabbatical in a few years. Greene’s work and plans may not allow him to get far from Indiana’s countryside any time soon, but he says he will keep exploring the local area on his bike anyway.

"Riding your bike just really gives you a better and new appreciation for where you live," Greene said.

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