LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) - We all know how great of a boxer Ali came to be, but you may not know how he got started in the sport in the first place. It's all thanks to a red Schwinn bicycle that got stolen from the champ when he was just twelve years old.
As the story goes, Ali was so furious after his bike got stolen that he told an LMPD officer he was going to whoop whoever took it from him. Lucky for the champ and the rest of the world, that officer told him he'd have to learn how to fight if he wanted that bike back. It's that beginning and the rest of Ali's life and legacy that hundreds of bikers celebrated Thursday night.
Mayor Fischer asked Louisville Bicycle Tours and the city's bike club to put together this ride Tuesday. Just 48 hours later, hundreds upon hundreds of bikers kicked off the night outside the Muhammad Ali Center.
“Just to be a part of something so monumental, it was a no brainer,” Louisville Bicycle Tours owner Austin Render said.
The 15-mile route had stops at several landmarks key to Ali’s life, including his boyhood home on Grand Avenue, Central High School, and Spalding University. It’s the home of the former Columbia gym where that bike was stolen all those years ago. The ride started and ended at the Muhammad Ali Center.
“We thought why not take a risk. One of his biggest quotes was those who are not courageous enough to take a risk will accomplish nothing in life,” rider Jonathan Taylor said. “We’ll just be taking it all in and admiring the moment that we’re in.”
“I’ll just be thinking about Ali, and what he did for the city. He put Louisville on the map,” rider Mike Farmer said.
“He would love everybody doing this. He sure would. He was a happy man, so bless him. Rest in peace, Ali, Ali, Ali,” rider James Black said.
Spitler brought his seven-year-old daughter, Mikayla, to experience it all.
“I just really wanted her to experience this whole thing. She really didn’t know anything about him before all of this started. We’ve watched a lot of videos, and done a lot of talking to her about all of the reasons that he was important not only to Louisville, but to the world. I just wanted her to be down here to witness all of this and be a part of it,” rider Matt Spitler said.
Mikalya Spitler is proof this ride offered both exercise and education.
“I learned that he basically said no to the Army, and he had to stop his job for a long time,” rider Mikayla Spitler said.
“We’re very proud to be Louisvillians today, absolutely,” Matt Spitler said.
Louisville Bicycle Tours is also launching an official tour of Ali landmarks around the city. All of the information is available on the company’s website www.louisvillebicycleclub.org.