Bicycling Buckeyes
By Amber Stephens

When Mark Buchwalder sets off to bike the 210-mile Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV) this year, Floyd will be along for the ride. Floyd won't talk or pedal or clap as Buchwalder crosses the finish line, but the plastic yard flamingo will bring plenty of smiles to fellow cyclists.

"It's so stupid, we continue to do it," Buchwalder says of strapping "Pink" Floyd to his bicycle. For more than 30 years, Buchwalder and his wife, Mary, have made TOSRV part of their May routine.

"It's kind of one of those things that's kind of on our calendar forever," he says. The classic bicycle tour started in 1962 as a simple father and son bike ride. From there it blossomed into a two-day, 200-mile event from Columbus to Portsmouth and back with riders of all ages and backgrounds.

"There was no ride like this anywhere," says Charles Pace, tour director. "We were about the first tour going."

And Pace should know. He's been with the tour since its third year. In its heyday, TOSRV attracted more than 5,000 riders. Today, about half as many ride. "Now it's more manageable," he says.

The 2008 tour, organized by Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, will be held May 10-11, starting and finishing at the Statehouse grounds in downtown Columbus. For those not inclined to ride 105 miles in one day, TOSRV also offers a half ride starting in Chillicothe.

TOSRV follows the Scioto River Valley, with food and drink stops in Circleville, Chillicothe and Waverly. Riders overnight in Portsmouth, before making the long journey back to Columbus on Sunday.

For 35 years, Pace participated in the tour as a bicyclist. He can still be found along the tour route ensuring that road signs are in place and the food stops are well stocked.

"Our best tour, in my opinion, is when we have rain on Saturday morning because it gets rid of all the wimps," he says. Depending on weather conditions, between 46-85 percent of riders complete the tour.

Many, like Buchwalder, ride each year. "People get hooked on it and just ride year after year," Pace says. During the past 10 years, Pace recalls three weddings along the route. "In all cases, they've met on TOSRV and got married on TOSRV."

TOSRV will be May 10-11, beginning in downtown Columbus. Registration fee is $57. For more information, visit www.tosrv.org.

For those seeking a more leisurely ride, bicycle clubs throughout southern Ohio offer a variety, from fund raising rides to site seeing tours to simple one-day outings with friends. Some upcoming tours include:

Covered Bridge Tour

While TOSRV has a "nostalgic" place in Buchwalder's heart, for the past 20 years he's coordinated Dayton Cycling Club's annual Covered Bridge Tour.

The tour offers four different route lengths, ranging from a 23-mile ride encompassing two covered bridges to the more complete 105-mile route with 10 bridges. The self-supporting budget tour does not include food or drink stops, but the shorter route is a great ride for amateurs or beginners.

The Covered Bridge Tour begins at 8 a .m. May 24 at the Brookville High School parking lot. Registration starts at 7 a .m. Cost is $5 per person and includes a tour map. For more information, visit http://www.geocities.com/bikewalder/tour/cbtour.html.

Wright Wride Weekend

The Dayton Cycling Club also hosts its popular Wright Wride, featuring historic sites commemorative of the Wright Brothers. The weekend offers a shorter, more leisurely historic tour on Saturday with longer tours, up to 100 miles , on Sunday.

"Both of them are based on the Wright Brothers," says Dwaine Wheeler, ride director. "It's fun and it's relaxing. It's kind of hard, because it is a hilly ride."

During the historic tour, riders travel as a group visiting urban neighborhood sites such as Carillon Park and, for the first time in 2007, the Wright Mansion. A leader serves as a docent for groups of 30-50 riders.

The Wright Wride Weekend will be held August 23-24. For more information, visit http://www.daytoncyclingclub.org/wright_wride.htm.

Chili Century & Bike Month

The Cincinnati Cycle Club is one of the oldest in the nation. Founded in the 1880s, the club offers a variety of rides during May's "Bike Month," including the Chili Century, which raises funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

Other events include "Bike to Work Week," May 12-16; "Bike to Work Day" May 16; and the Ride of Silence May 21 in honor of bicyclists killed while riding. "The ride is done completely in silence," says Lloyd Shadley, CCC communications director.

Although special events are planned throughout May, the club offers rides just about every day of the year. It also sponsors several other major rides throughout the year including Ride Cincinnati in June and Tour de Montgomery in July.

The Chili Century will be held in Goshen, May 3. Tour length varies from 38- 100 miles . Family activities are included. For more information, visit www.cincinnaticycleclub.org.

For a complete listing of rides and tours throughout Ohio, visit www.ohiocycling.info.