Audiophiles can wax philosophic about vinyl, or the impact of music on social justice. Literary writers can opine about baseball as the quintessence of all that is American and simultaneously thoughtful and magical. I view bicycling as equal parts parable, spiritual experience, and metaphor.
Thus, when I learned that the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure would begin in Mansfield, I was excited. I immediately sent an email off to Jay Allred, publisher of Richland Source, and cyclist, positing the idea that the publication could send an embedded reporter on the tour. I may or may not have forgotten one of the critical rules of adulthood that still seems to slip my mind–the one who has the idea is usually tasked with executing said idea. Rightly so, Jay replied briefly suggesting that I would be the perfect person for this.
GOBA is an annual seven day bicycle-camping tour. Each of the 26 years, the tour has followed a different route and theme. Designed to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, GOBA is not a race. Even so, roughly 3,000 participants cycle an average of 50 miles per day, rain or shine. They follow that with sleeping in tents. This isn’t for the faint of heart, literally or figuratively.
Therein lies the part that gave me pause. I love cycling, in fact on my Tumblr blog and in the subsequent stories I’ll write from the road, I’ll no doubt tell some lovely stories about how I fell in love with my husband, and ultimately moved to Mansfield, because of the B&O Bike Trail. Or the time I wrecked three bikes in one summer as a kid. Maybe even the revelatory experience of teaching my kid to ride a bike. But, none of those lovely stories make me a “cyclist.”
I’d always felt pretty good about our weekly jaunt from Lexington to Butler and back, a whopping 25 miles round trip. Heck, most people seem impressed by that. And yet, somehow I had a feeling that I was woefully unprepared for this new adventure.
I began training late in the winter by riding the recumbent stationary bikes at the YMCA. When I received my GOBA packet and realized that the 10 miles a day I’d been riding put me two weeks into their nine-week training calendar I figuratively patted myself on the back.
After all, as a relatively non-athletic, middle-aged woman with diabetes, a recurring slipped disc, and asthma; what could possibly go wrong? Lots of things, and some of them I didn’t even anticipate, and that was just the training.
The GOBA packet has a handy shopping list of gear, the cost of which could feed a small nation. Thrifty as I am I disregarded much of it. After all, I ride 25 miles a week, certainly I know things. Famous last words.
In case you were wondering, one cannot purchase proper cycling shorts at a discount store. The obscene price of $75 for spandex shorts turns out to be less obscene than the alternative. Another fun fact, underwear are not to be worn with cycling shorts. Yep, many cyclists “go commando,” and it turns out they do so for good reason.
Thankfully, the kind folks at YNot outfitted me in some Bontrager shorts and I should be all set.
One trip to urgent care, a dozen trips to the chiropractor, nine physical therapy appointments, and a massive investment in spandex, wicking fabrics, shoes with inflexible souls, and countless miles on the bike (some of those pulling a toddler, which I believe counts as double) have brought me to where I am today–possibly prepared. I still need to figure out what I’m doing about an air mattress, and come up with two awesome ideas.
Although Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, the nonprofit behind GOBA, claims to be about non-competitive athletics, they can’t resist competition. Which in my opinion, is good because I like winning stuff. Saturday evening there will be a contest in conjunction with the bicycle parade that will travel down the Lincoln Highway. I really need to come up with an amazing, and of course winning idea for that. Then, the last night of GOBA there is a song contest. I’m musically challenged so that one may be tricky.
Either way, you’ll be able to follow the whole adventure, or misadventure, whatever it shapes up to be. I’ll be logging my ride on Strava and keeping a live Tumblr blog while I’m on the road. Richland Source will have a cool section of the website devoted entirely to GOBA thanks to the generosity of our sponsors YNot Cycling and Fitness and Mechanics Bank.
