Indiana’s cycling business, form high-tech components to handmade frames, in on an uphill climb. That might seem ironic for a state known more for flat surfaces and fast cars, but make no mistake; Hoosiers know their bikes, and they’re churning out special rides at a record pace.

“Indiana really has become a hotbed for custom bikes,” said Mike Hewitt, owner of 2 Wheel Sports in New Albany, where he promotes cycling events around the country. “Bike racers are very persnickety about their equipment, and if you’re going to spend that many hours on a bike, you want a comfortable fit.”

Hewitt swears he’ll never go back to an off-the-rack bike after getting a custom bike several  years ago.  And, he’s not alone in his quest for a bike that was made just for him.

From New Albany in Southern Indiana to the tip of the lakeshore in Northern Indian, you’ll find a variety of bike and component makers, from the small handmade specialists with waiting lists spanning several months, to big high-tech businesses bringing in big dollars for Indiana.

In early 2010, ZIPP Speed Weaponry announced it was expanding, creating 105 new jobs over the next three years and investing $12.4 million to build a new manufacturing center near Speedway. ZIPP designs and manufactures wheels, bars and accessories for racing bikes. Astana cycling team, featuring 2009 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, will ride on ZIPP wheels during the 2010 competition season.

“There’s a lot going on in the world of cycling and a significant amount of biking in Indiana,” said Tim O’Donnell of Shamrock Cycles in Broad Ripple.  “Most people just arbitrarily dismiss (Indiana), but we’re ahead of the curve.”

O’Donnell, for one, never intended to open his own custom-frame business, but after building his first frame in 2003, he kept getting requests from friends an family, and Shamrock Cycles grew organically.

Over the last several years, more people are seeking custom bikes, perhaps wanting a bike that harkens back to simpler times or an heirloom to pass down to generations, or maybe just a bike that fits right, rides comfortably and does what they want it to do - on the road or off...

“People are hunting out cachet, something built for them and their needs and desires and that isn’t something you can just guy off the peg,” O’Donnell said.

Those same cyclists are spending more on a bike than they probably did for their first car.  But the advancements in steel and joinery techniques allow craftsmen - and mass producers - far more options than the guys who mass-produced your childhood Schwinn.

Biking is big business in Indiana, whether it’s fueling small, locally owned businesses or powerhouses such as C.F. Roark Company, which makes custom-made titanium bikes in a massive facility in Brownsburg.  It’s also home to the North American Handmade Bike Show, operated by Don Walker, who  also makes custom bikes from his shop not far from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The demand for custom bikes likely will continue - and grow as the economy rebounds, Walker says.  The largest increase may well come from the urban sector, where people are looking to reduce their carbon footprints and turning in their four-wheel gas-guzzlers for two-wheeled transportation.  And, there’s also an increase in cyclo-cross, which is part mountain biking, part road racing.

The good news for Indiana? With a growing reputation as a hotbed for great bikes and components, increasing demand for bikes means increasing business for Hoosier-based businesses - and great home-made bikes and components for Hoosiers.