Next week is going to be an adventure.
Literally. June 18-25 is the 23rd annual Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA), and I’m riding.
What is GOBA? A 3000-person, week-long bicycle tour around Ohio. That’s it, short and sweet. We camp out in tents every night in a moving town affectionately known as Gobaville, then ride an average of 50 miles (though I’ve done as little as 40 and as much as 70 in one GOBA day) each day to our next destination.
There are two wonderful, fantastical layover days though, during which the really ambitious people can ride their choice of 50 or 100 miles. People like me? We sleep. A lot. But if I were crazy enough to ride everything GOBA includes this year, I’d end up pedaling 416 miles. Which is insane. So I’ll probably skip the optional loops and finish with 259 miles under my belt. A respectable journey, nonetheless.
Why would I take part in and even encourage something ridiculous like this? Two reasons. One: my whole family does it. We’ve taken our tandem and triplet (yes, that’s a bicycle for three people) on GOBA on and off since 2002, and although we complain during the hills and wind (and rain and thunderstorms and tornado warnings), I think we secretly enjoy it. And two: the feeling of accomplishment when you pull into the last stop at the end of the week is unbelievable. And pretty much impossible to describe.
Also we get T-shirts.
Here’s proof that our crazy bicycle exists.
Yes, that’s me, my little brother, and my dad riding the triplet on GOBA 2002. And no, those shorts are not an optical illusion.
And here’s proof that we’re not the craziest ones out there….
And here’s proof that we’re not the craziest ones out there….
That monstrosity is called a quad, in case you were wondering. Feel free to stare.
