National Moto + Cycle Co. (NMC) co-owner Matty Bennett's trek into bicycling has crossed paths with history and design.

"I've always been into bicycles. I've done a lot of BMX racing growing up and the pro downhill racing circuit with National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA). Back then, there were a lot more sponsorships. I worked at bike shops while going through college at Herron School of Art for furniture design. I jumped ship my junior year, doing mural paintings and decorative finishes for designers and companies. I decided to focus on interior design on a full-time basis. We've designed restaurants in town and retail spaces. That whole design theme is a through line, a connective path to this business. As a creative right-brain individual, you always have to be looking for new avenues. It's been a big full circle transition. Racing became a little stressful, so I started looking at bicycles after a visit to Holland. It reset my white balance (perspective) on how bikes are part of their genealogy and how they operate in the community. We've always been sports-oriented on how bicycles can be utilitarian when used in a community. The average trip in the U.S. is about 29 miles by car. It's important that these generations with kids see bicycles. My heart was telling me a few years ago to come back to bikes," he explained.

His company's name is part of a historic Indianapolis icon. "National is from National Motor and Vehicle Company from around 1903 until they went into receivership in 1924. The National brand was started by Charles Test, a Woodruff Place resident and Arthur C. Newby. I was introduced to National and their factory at 22nd and Monon Trail. A charter school was located in their number four building. The first factory was building was built in 1903, but the next four buildings were established in 1911. For about two months, it was the largest production facility in the United States. They built one of the first 6-cycle engines in the country in this factory. A mentor of mine and owner of the factory was Mike Higbee, when William Hudnut was Mayor when we became the amateur sports capital of the world. He helped develop the Circle Center Mall, Pan Am Plaza and procure the Pan American Games. One direct connection is that he helped with the negotiation between CSX and the city to develop the Monon Trail. Higbee has always taken on the tough projects and bought this factory seven to eight years ago. His company, DC Development, is involved in urban planning and started Martindale on the Monon. He built over 40 homes before that Black Monday in real estate in 2007. Everything slowed down when Mayor (Bart) Peterson wasn't re-elected and we re-branded the factory as the National Design Factory into condos and loft spaces. It's a design-driven factory focusing on urban development. Construction on Phase II should begin in the spring/summer of 2013. It's important that when National shut down and went into receivership, it sat dormant where it was used for logistics and shipping. When you lose schools, crime increases and in the 1970s, there was a mass exodus of the neighborhood. Higbee and I looked at the factory as a beacon of light for the neighborhood and continuing support for the National Design District. With the factory, we copyrighted the National logo and cleaned it up. That's why we're named National Moto + Cycle Company."

Bennett described National's beginnings: "They built electrobiles from 1897 to 1903 and went full combustion in 1905. They had Thomas Edison ceramic cell batteries. National was an elite group of men and women that won the second Indy 500 with the SX-1 race car in 1912. They were practically stock cars. They took off the back seat and modified the cars with higher performance. The SX-1 still holds the record for the largest cubic engine to win the 500. There are not many National cars found in the USA, about 15-17 today. As World War II hit, National Motor and Vehicle was selected by the government to provide cars to our military overseas to transport officers to the front lines. The peak production for National producing cars was about 2,700 units in 1915. They were a premiere motor company that also built taxis and limousines, but mostly civilian sedans and coupes. Draftsmen were racers and racers were mechanics, their job descriptions were wide open. Joe Dawson, who won the Indy 500 for National in 1912, later became the President of the American Auto Association (AAA). Charlie Merz, a National racer, went on to start Yellow Cab. At the turn of the century and through the 1920s, Indiana had 65+ auto manufacturers from Dusenberg to Marmon, Auburn, Cole and Packard. These are just a few of the automobiles manufactured."

"Unfortunately, they were so prejudiced with two-thirds of our state representatives being in the Klu Klux Klan, they didn't embrace a diversified workforce. People went to Cleveland and Detroit seeking better opportunities, which accelerated the auto industry's growth there," he added.

Before National, Bennett cited local businessmen who put Indianapolis on the global map. "In the 1890s, Arthur C. Newby built the Zig Zag Cycle Club here in town and the Newby Oval that was a 15,000 seat velodrome board track located at 30th and Central Avenue, one of the largest of its kind. Bicycles were all the craze then. They were just as important as a family member. People were dressed in their Sunday-best pictured with their bicycle. That's where Arthur met James Allison, Carl Fisher and Frank Wheeler. They were into bicycling. Arthur also met Charles Test and they started Indianapolis Chain & Stamp Works. That's where they saw a market and captured over 60 percent of the U.S. bicycle chain market. As they saw the bicycle craze cool a bit, they sold the company that was later named Diamond Chain and Stamp. They stayed in business together and that's when they started National and moved into electric cars. In November 1905, after National went full combustion and Fisher had developed the Presto-O-Lite technology, they saw an opportunity to break a 24-hour world record speed for distance. Wheeler, Allison, Fisher and Newby stood around a fire as two National stock cars attempted to break the world record at the Indiana State Fairgrounds that was lit up with Prest-O-Lite. The discussion for a super speedway or proving ground led to the conception of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. One of the cars wrecked, but the other kept on and broke the world record. Spending time with Donald Davidson, he spoke of the quality and craftsmanship at the National factory. In 1911, when the Marmon Wasp won the inaugural Indy 500, they never raced again since they were inundated with civilian sales. This was one of the first times when winning on the track led to civilian sales," he said.

"A.C. Newby was known in the community as the great philanthropist, donating money to Butler University, Riley Hospital and also saved Turkey Run State Park from being developed. He bought houses for people less fortunate. They were handed keys, but never knew the donor," Bennett noted.

Visiting NMC's shop is like walking into a museum. "We're kind of a mixture of bike production and pre-war racing. With our Motobikes we make a connection between bicycles and early 1900s motorcycles. Some of the bikes are vintage in style, but the technology is new. We are in love with where bicycles became their big brother, the motorcycle. We operate as a midtown urban lifestyle bike shop, by offering commuter and city bike brands and accessories," he mentioned.

"We specialize in uncommon brands of bicycles, such as Vanmoof out of Holland (that integrates solar technology), Pedego electric bikes, Public city bikes, Stromer, a Swiss-design pedal assisted bike, folding bikes, RideKick electric pusher trailers, vintage bicycles and moped consignments. For example, a vintage Schwinn lady's blue bicycle (from Mac's Bike Shop on Westfield Avenue in Broad Ripple) made in Chicago is currently available for sale at NMC. It sat in storage for 30 years and is like new with only 920 miles on its odometer," he described.

NMC will be adding several bike lines to the arsenal come springtime.

"In doing my Indianapolis Motor Speedway research I found that, technically, the first race was a balloon race in 1909. The second race was a national motorcycle and race meet, as described on a vintage IMS postcard: "Motorcycles have played an integral part in the rich history of IMS. The first appearance of motorized vehicles at IMS took place on August 14, 1909 with 15 motorcycle races scheduled. After completing only seven of the races, the event was called off due to unsafe track conditions. The results of that weekend led to the installation of 3.2 million bricks, giving the nickname that remains today, 'The Brickyard.'"

NMC's setting generates both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. "I had a couple of my studios in SoBro before it was a good location. NMC is located in the same spot at 5206 North College Avenue that our former design studio was. The reason I followed my heart back to cycling was that it is a community-driven business focused on a larger purpose, especially designing and producing the Motobikes from conception to the final product for each client. Hand-distressed models have become the new breed of vintage tribute, the NMC Motobike Collection. I'm excited about the future of integrating electrical technology with the gritty profile of the 1900s with sidecar capabilities. That is where I see us heading," he projected.

NMC's hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. They are closed Monday and open Tuesday by appointment. Model and accessory inquiries can be answered at 698-2418. More information is at: www.facebook.com/nationalmoto and www.nationalmoto.com. NMC also owns Indie Bike (www.indiebike.com), located at 652 East 52nd Street that is currently open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Bennett co-owns NMC and Indie Bike with Brendan Fox.

"Most of our sales for Indie Bike are on-line, but we are putting the 'bike' in Indie Bike come springtime. We ship all around the country. We took over in June of 2012 and have big plans for growth on-line and in-store. (The website) www.IndieBike.com started in 2008. We want to grow the on-line platform to facilitate a wider volume of products by introducing the lifestyle and utility brands of NMC into the Indie Bike.com arena," he emphasized.

Bennett mentioned recent NMC ventures. "We have been invited to be in the Orvis catalog in the coming year. We recently delivered our first bikes to their flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York City. In addition, NMC is now officially licensed to produce a limited edition collection of IMS board racer style bicycles available springtime."

His grandfather, Bertie Bennett used a mechanic's toolbox now seen in the store among other historic bicycling mementos. Bertie owned an antique shop, a Sunoco station along I-69 and Bennett's Wrecker Service. His grandson's mechanical savvy includes repairing and designing bicycles that follow his entrepreneurial footsteps.

Matty Bennett and Brendan Fox's journey of bicycling and design is writing a new chapter in National Moto + Cycle Co.'s history, making a springtime ride a memorable one from their south Broad Ripple location.