One of the best Little 500 teams has been training for this year’s race amidst a pandemic, Bloomington snowstorms, and uncertainty a race would even be held.

Just last week, IU announced that the Little 500 will take place, only it will happen on May 26, after the semester is over.

The Black Key Bulls have won eight top ten finished since 2006. The team is comprised of nine Indiana University students – normally ranging from freshmen to seniors. This year, they are all upperclassmen.

IU senior and BKB captain Robert Strobel has been biking with BKB since his freshman year of college.

“Prior to college, my dad would ride with me a bit,” Strobel said. “I wasn’t really all that interested in it. But, after coming to IU, I asked around for some guys who were on a team and I ended up connecting with BKB.”

During the Spring semester, many Little 500 teams start their roller season, a type of bicycle trainer that make it possible to ride indoors without moving forward – and BKB is no exception.

Along with Strobel, three BKB riders live in a house off of North Woodlawn Avenue. All nine team members try and ride together as much as possible, practicing in the basement of the home.

IU junior Austin Goodwin joined BKB this year and is one of the team’s rookies.

“I’ve realized that I get motivated a lot through my peers,” Goodwin said. “If I see my peers spinning, let’s say we’re riding together, and they’re spinning at a high cadence – that’s going to motivate me to go faster.”

The Little 500 race weekend will not be held in April, as in previous years, and there will be no Qualifications event.

“I don’t mind if there’s no fans,” Strobel said. “I just want to race.”

To stay up to date on all race details and updates, visit the IUSF webpage.