PROFILE
Cycling [on roads] can be dan - gerous; zoning, whether urban or rural, has been designed WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR USING TRAILS TO HONOR YOUR DAD AND RAISE AWARENESS FOR ALS? Q: A: around the car since World War II. Trails are very safe and accommo- dating and offer people a part of nature they might not have discov- ered. A friend used Ride With GPS software to design my route, which connected trails, but when one was not available, ensured I was on the roads less traveled by cars using a “heat map.” doing 100-miles-plus rides and bikepacking. Now that I’m in downtown Indianapolis, I commute to work and take rounds on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Monon Trail and White River Greenway.
Growing up in Gary, Indiana, bicycling advocate Robert Ordway looked up to his dad, Doug. He was a man of wisdom, Robert said, who first taught him to ride a bike at age 5. Doug went on to instill in his son a strong sense of agency and motivated him to push himself in all his pursuits until—when Robert was just 18—Doug died after a five- year battle with ALS. Inspired by his dad’s lessons, Robert has since dedicated his life to public service, currently as a senior policy adviser to Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, as an author, and as an advocate for how bicycling impacts people’s lives. In April, we spoke with Robert about his work and the 825-mile bike ride he completed in 2024 between Washington, D.C., and Indiana—much of it on trails— to honor his dad and raise $100,000 for ALS research. Below are some highlights.
Robert Ordway Indiana Bicycling Advocate
Q:
In an interview with the Chicago Post-Tribune , the journalist asked if I would ever HOW DID THE IDEA EVOLVE INTO REALITY?
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HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO BICYCLING AS A KID IN INDIANA? WHAT
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INDUCED YOU BACK INTO BICYCLING AS AN ADULT?
Interview by Amy Kapp
move back to Indiana. I told him I would when I could bike it. It was a tongue-in-cheek response to keep me in D.C., but all that changed when my boss—then-Sen. Braun— asked me to follow him back to Indiana in the governor’s office. I was confident he would win, and I
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I rode my first bike at the age of 5 in the spring of 1990. My dad held the seat over
“Trails are not just a means of transporting people and goods, but they also impact one’s psychology in positive ways and increase a community’s overall quality of life.”
and over until he let go without telling me … then I looked back and crashed. After that moment, I fell in love. In the fifth grade, I was awarded an 18-speed bike with my first-place essay at the completion of the D.A.R.E. program, and later on I got into BMX, which came to an end my sophomore year when I acquired a driver’s license and a girlfriend. It wasn’t until I moved to D.C. in January 2017 and sold my car that I was reacquainted with two wheels, beginning with my commute to work. Next thing I know, I’m head over heels,
Rails to Trails MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2025
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