This is How to Get Out of Working and Riding TOSRV.
By Janice JET Thomas
The Sunday before TOSRV is the annual stuffing party at Charlie Pace's house. I arrived early around 5:30 to complete the stamping of the luggage tickets. The rest of the group started to arrive after 6 and up until 7 pm. Bob Allen is in charge of this part of the tour. We all sat around tables and passed the envelope placing stickers, numbers, pins, maps and patches in each one of them. Then they had to be put in a large box that had 350 in each one of them.
I was sitting at the end of the table with the second group, and my job was to put the envelopes in the box. Bob picked up the completed box from the first group and was walking around the table when he stepped on Charlie's vacuum cleaner and twists his ankle. I saw him come hurtling at me and the guy sitting next to me. I caught Bob and the box before they hit me and the other guy. I knew instantly that Bob was hurt big time. I helped him around the corner and on to a chair. He immediately got clammy and went into shock. We got him some ice to put on his ankle. He then decided to elevate the foot and lay down on the floor. I asked him how he was going to get home and he said he could drive himself. I knew right then that he wasn't thinking clearly. I told him I could drive a stick shift since I learned on a 66 VW. He said they didn't have them. Boy, was he out of it!!!! I told him I would take him home.
Suzanne Birk drove his car home. He wanted to me take him home and let his wife take him to the hospital. I told him I was taking him directly there to save him getting in and out of two cars. Plus it was on the way to his house. I dropped him off at the emergency room entrance and put him in a wheelchair.
Luckily, Bob only had a minor strain on his ankle. He won't be riding TOSRV this year with Eve. He will probably be riding down there with me in my Cadillac and having fun at all of the food stops since my riding buddy Ben crashed when he hit and killed a ground hog the week before the ride.
06/01/2010
How To Kill A Groundhog Or How a Bicycle Helmet Can/Will Save Your Life/Pre
By Ben Slay, Life Member # 2654
On 4/30/2010, at approximately 10 AM, I was riding on a Columbus Outdoor Pursuits Friday Delaware County Bike Ride lead by Dick Seebode. At approximately the 8 Mile Mark, at approximately 13.83 MPH, I hit a Woodchuck/Groundhog.
I was riding going South on Pollock Road. With A.J. Zanyk on my right side, we were near the right berm.I only saw the animal in my left eye’s peripheral vision, as it zipped out of the grass on the left side of the road.Before I could move a hand, to apply the brakes and get a foot out of my cleats, I hit the groundhog.
As I started to tumble something inside me said “relax.” I went down hard, landing on the right side of my head, right shoulder, right hand, right elbow, right torso and right hip and right leg.The impact of hitting the road shattered the foam liner inside my helmet. The impact caused me to see stars and lose consciousness for a brief moment.
When I came to my senses, I was being attended to by my wonderful fellow riders. They redirected traffic as I lay in the road stunned and hurt.I took a self inventory of how I felt, checking to make sure a bone was not broken, and a cognitive inventory of my level consciousness, before I got up.
As A.J. Zanyk later wrote in an email to Connie Walley, “after shaking it off he finished the ride.” Not that one should try this at home, so to speak, but I cognitively and physically I felt well enough to finish the ride. I figure if I had a serious head injury, I'd have fallen of the bike, before I finished the last 25 miles. And even if I had a C-Spine compression or Smiths Fracture of a bone (e.g. C-spine, rib, wrist, etc.) the ER wouldn't find that initially anyway on an MRI. So I didn’t invoke a call to 911.
I appreciate all that attended to me on the road. As I know some of them are skilled in First Aid, CPR, Wilderness First Responder, and/or EMS. So I was very thankful I was NOT on a solo ride when this happened.
As I write this, I feel as if someone beat me up with a baseball bat on my right side. I will heal in time. But I won’t need skilled nursing, resulting from a closed head injury, caused by NOT wearing a helmet.
My accident of 4/30/2010 is another testament to the importance of wearing a helmet on a bicycle and to the wisdom of riding with a group, or a friend, vs. riding solo. And as Janice “JET” Thomas pointed out, when she heard the news, if the ground hog wore a helmet, he might still be alive.
Bike riding is such a healthy and environmentally friendly endeavor, isn't it?
04/24/2010
Bike Lanes Now on Google Maps
By Ann Gerckens, Editor
Several members sent me copies of the Associated Press article announcing this new feature on Google Maps.
Starting in mid-March, Google Maps supplements the guidance previous provided to motorists and pedestrians with biking directions. The new feature can be used to pinpoint bicycling trails in more than 150 cities in the USA.
Though Google spent the past six months tweaking its mapping service so it could recommend routes that would steer bicyclists away from big hills and heavily congested streets, there is clearly more work to be done. Consider Biking responded to the news by sending Google a copy of the Columbus Metro bike users map. Iím sure we all look forward to continued improvements in this Google Maps feature.
04/24/2010
Keeping a Secret
By Julie Schmitt
It is raining and getting dark. Yet it is best that I keep my head down so drivers donít see that Iím smiling. I donít want the secret to get out that it is crazy fun to commute to work on a bicycle. If they were riding instead of dashing madly about in cars, they might too smell the earth coming to life after being locked in a freezer over the last five months. They might hear rain drops falling softly onto winter leaves still clinging to their branches and then cascading down onto the ground where they hit the fallen leaves and the symphony continues. If they were riding they might have to urge to continue on lured by moonlight reflecting off a creek. When they are driving, they wonít stop to put on a jacket and happen to turn around and see a lovely March sky of blue-black that is edged in pink.
If the secret gets out and the drivers see me smiling they might try it and the world as we know it would change forever. Anti-depressant medication sales would plummet. Fast food restaurants would have to struggle for business because calmer commuters would be more willing to cook their own meals. Think of the trouble that would occur in the boardrooms of sleep-aid manufacturing companies. Imagine a life not dependent on fossil fuels. The chaos would be unbearable. So keep it a secret that buzzing around town on a cheap bike running errands is a hoot. Goodness knows the economy is in bad enough shape and a new way of looking at things would just be awful.
11/21/2009
Steve Barbour:A Passion for Cycling, a Very Fine Friend to All
By Donna Bush:
As a member of COP I am constantly in awe of the many achievements I read in our newsletter. I smile, as always, reading the many stories. A fellow cyclist and COP member Don Hamilton had asked me to write an article for the RUSA (Randonuer USA) newsletter about Steve.
If there’s just one amazing thing to be said about Steve Barbour, it is, that the man could climb hills. Okay, so you think, “what is so amazing about that?” We all climb hills. Ah, but here is the kicker. Put all these attributes together at one time. He climbed hills always standing, never sitting , any hill or mountain, anywhere, any length, and all the while chatting up a storm without breaking a sweat. I’m telling you, that is just plain unnatural! I knew of no one else who could actually speak, let alone hold a conversation going up some of these Ohio hills. Not Steve though. He would be carrying on about something, ask you a question, and typically our answer would be a grunt. Okay, my answer would be a grunt. Nevertheless, Steve’s definition of hills was far from normal. Moderate to him (15-20% grade), was extremely difficult to us mere non-climbing cyclists.
Steve Barbour, our dear friend, fellow randonnuer, cycling enthusiast, son, brother, and family member was struck down Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 6:15 a.m. by an “alledged” intoxicated driver while on his way to lead a ride for Columbus Outdoor Pursuits (local outdoor-adventure-cycling group). Steve passed away Tuesday evening, July 21, 2009 from head injuries sustained from this accident.
As all of us work through our own personal grief with this, I know he wouldn’t want any of us to be making such a fuss about him. He was a quiet unassuming man, whose passion for cycling spread through his veins and on to anyone who had a chance to meet and know him. I was blessed to have known him and have the privilege to ride with him. Steve was a quiet and gentle soul, whose kindness endeared you to him.
I look back on the very fond memories of doing many brevets and other rides with him. Many of those hilly brevets in which he always waited on me, and whoever else rode with him were always an adventure of passion with cycling. You see, I call Steve a true randonnuer. Why? Well, he would always stop and help fellow cyclists, he came upon, who were having mechanical difficulties. Always! Never failed. Even in the rain, while I sometimes stood there not so patiently waiting in the rain for him to finish. All the while, having an admiration for his persistence and patience in wanting to help another cyclist. He was not going to leave until he fixed the problem. If he couldn’t fix the problem, he was more than apologetic. He was always willing to ride with me and another female randonnuerring friend (Eve Hush), even though we were always much slower on the hills than he. He helped fellow bevet riders from DNF’ing by fixing their bikes, he encouraged people like myself, who have a big fear of riding in the dark and he was a true cycling leader. Someone said, in tribute to him, that Steve had an analytical mind. He never got into the electronic gadgetry things, took forever to get an e-mail address, but man, his mind was like an automated GPS. He never got lost, and had the maps (with no GPS assistance) all figured out before the brevet. While, I personally am a GPS, cue sheet kind of gal, he would have none of that. It took Eve, other friends and I, 2 years to convince him to get a cell phone. He finally caved.
I fondly remember a 300k last spring in which, we were the last two riders. With about 40 or 50 miles to go, the rain started coming down pretty good with a slight chill in the air. I got into the woman’s rest room at the last control and began using the hand dryer in there to dry out what clothes I could, that had previously gotten wet, and then tried talking Steve into using a share of some of the clothes I had brought along . He only wore a jacket for protection against the rain on this ride. As he stood there visibly shaking from being cold, he refused the offer stating he would be fine. Now that I think about it, he probably didn’t want to embarrass me. The leg warmers that I offered him probably wouldn’t have stayed up on his legs. While the man was slender, he was built like an ox. Not a single ounce of fat on this guy! UGH! His only comment at the end of that 300k about being cold was that he almost couldn’t sign his card, because his fingers quit working and he couldn’t stop shaking. He never complained about anything, that I can remember.
He was the one who gave me courage through my first 400k on my single bike and kept up the chatter as much as he could throughout the night to keep my mind off of my immense fear of riding in the dark. He did that…not just for me, but for anyone he met. He gave encouragement out like a fountain of water….continuously.
Steve also belonged to and lead rides for Columbus Outdoor Pursuits (COP) out of Columbus, OH. He knew the roads, he knew how to do the maps right, and how to put together some pretty awesome rides. He always stuck with the slowest of the riders to make sure they wouldn’t get lost or feel left out. His last ride he led was through a very hilly part of Ohio in which the Amish live. He loved putting that ride together for us, because he wanted to show the beauty of the countryside out there and the simplicity of the people who lived there. You can tell how much it meant to him, by his continuous comments about the land, the hillside and the people. He was on his way to leading another COP ride that Saturday he was struck, in yet another area of the State he also loved riding in. We used to just shake our heads in amazement as he would always ride to the ride, sometimes up to 40 miles just to get to the start of the ride. Then he would ride the ride, anywhere from 50-90 miles, and then ride home. He could easily do 150 plus miles on a Saturday, and then ride with us again on Sunday, putting in another 150 or so miles, never breaking a sweat or groaning in agony that his legs were tired (see previous not natural comment). His bike always had lights, he was always with his vest and ankle reflectors. Even during brevets he never took off the reflective stuff. Said it was easier to wear it, than carry it. This randonnuer, this cyclist , to everyone that knew him, knew that he followed the rules and always kept safety in mind.
Maybe, this is why this tragedy is so very hard on all of us who were touched by him, knew him and are proud to be his friend. While I fondly run through all the memories of riding with him, as will all of his friends, I smile, because the guy was as unselfish as they come. He had a laugh and a smile that was so very genuine. Although I can’t find a single picture of him smiling, I think it was due to the fact that he felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. He was a very humble man. Its been hard to get on my bike since the accident, but I have. All the while, weeping for the loss of a very dear friend, who all of us had such an immense respect for. I will, as will all of us will, work through our grief. I believe that Steve would want us to be brave and share his love of cycling! More importantly he probably would want us to pursue encouraging and educating new cyclists. As a ride leader for Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, I intend to keep doing just that. As a randonnuer, who loves those longer distances, that passion may be tougher to hold on to. While my security in riding with Steve is gone, my passion for cycling is not. I’ll come around. I’ve already been given a lecture by a fellow randonnuer. So, I ask that the next time you see a parent with kids riding along, and only the kids have helmets on, tell the parents they matter too. Next time you see a cyclist not riding safely, tell them they matter to someone. I’m almost sure Steve wouldn’t mind us doing that.
Late edit note: Driver that struck/killed Steve has been indicted on 4 counts, including felony charges of aggravated vehicular homicide and driving under the influence.
05/27/2009
2008 Ron Eisele Volunteer of the Year Award goes to Wallie and Leo Hocke
The success of Columbus Outdoor Pursuits is rooted in the volunteer efforts of its members. Ron Eisele exemplified this spirit and in his memory the 2008 Ron Eisele Volunteer of the Year Award is given to a very deserving couple, Wallie and Leo Hocke.
Wallie and Leo have an extensive history of supporting TOSRV at the Chillicothe food stop. What began as a family affair in 1978, when Wallie acted as SAG for her then 13 year old son and his friends, became an annual enterprise in volunteerism. From 1978 through 1987 she spent her Mother's Day helping family and friends on the tour. In 1988 through 1991 she was drafted to work the drink station while waiting for the group in her care to arrive in Chillicothe. Leo began his stint in the cold drink department in 1991.
The couple's "unofficial" volunteer status ended after the 1991 tour when Wallie and Leo agreed to fill in for their friends, the Comptons, who were retiring as TOSRV volunteers. They worked the drink stand together for the next 3 tours. Leo took a couple of years off, but Wallie continued serving refreshments at the lunch stop until Leo rejoined her in 1997, and they have been at it ever since. With the 2009 tour that makes 13 straight years Leo and Wallie have worked together and the 31st consecutive year Wallie has devoted to the support of the TOSRV experience. In addition to their own efforts, their 3 sons have contributed their time to 16 TOSRVs and, including Leo, have completed 37 tours.
Perennial TOSRV tour director Charlie Pace presented the award to the Hockes on Mother's Day, May 10, at the Chillicothe lunch stop in Yoctangee Park while an appreciative crowd looked on. Charlie stated that "Each year Columbus Outdoor Pursuits selects a person or persons to receive an outstanding service award. This is resented to persons who have demonstrated an exceptional and continued support to Columbus Outdoor Pursuits and our programs. This years recipients are Wallie and Leo Hocke. Wallie has worked here at the TOSRV lunch stop since 1988. Her husband Leo joined her in 1997. At least one of their sons has been on the tour since 1978. This year their son Rick was going to ride the tour, but was unable due to an injury. So he is helping us here today."
COP President Dave Seslar wishes to express the gratitude of the board to Wallie and Leo for their efforts. Tom Lester, Vice President, has worked the lunch stop with the Hockes many times and nominated them for this award. Tom said "The Hockes and many other dedicated volunteers have made my role in co-ordinating the food stop a pleasure. Their knowledge and experience makes me feel extremely lucky to have so many wonderful people to work with."
This is the 6th year that the Ron Eisele Award has been presented.
03/02/2009
The Way To GOBA Handbook is Online
The Way To GOBA Handout
Our rider handbook, "The Way to GOBA," is published online only (please call us at 614-273-0811, x1, or gobainfo@goba.com, if you would like a copy mailed to you).
Refund policy: All refund requests must be sent by certified mail and be postmarked by May 20, 2009; there will be no refunds for any reason after May 20, 2009. A $40 processing fee will be deducted from all refunds. Address your letter to the registration address, below under "Changes".
Changes: For all changes or additions, whether you have registered electronically or by mail, please contact the GOBA office.
"Ride Five Miles" - A Training Guide for A Week-Long Bicycle Tour
From "The Way to GOBA", edited by Julie Van Winkle, GOBA Director Disclaimer: These techniques and the opinions expressed here are compiled from years of input from experienced and knowledgeable GOBA volunteers and the GOBA Medical Directors, and are not meant to replace guidance from your own physician. COP bike rides and tours are physically demanding activities that require good general health. Consult your physician about your ability to participate in a week-long bicycle tour.
So, you're thinking about riding GOBA or another week-long bicycle tour? Just imagine... you could make new friends, visit new places, and accomplish a feat that will leave most of your friends in awe: traveling 350 miles on a bicycle in a single week. If there is one secret to a week-long bicycle tour, though, it is this: The people who spend time preparing for it have the most fun. If you wait till the last moment, put off training and tuning up your bike, you'll find each day hard enough that you won't have much energy to enjoy the evening festivities. This is especially important for families with children. It simply isn't fair to bring a ten-year-old without spending time beforehand helping him/her get ready. Even if you are resigned to the pain of the untrained, take some pity on others in your family and get them out on training rides.
So how do you prepare for a week-long bicycle tour? We have talked to a lot of riders and to a lot of bike clubs who lead training rides. What they report is that in most cases, there is no substitute for miles and minutes. Some folks may get on their bikes the week before a week-long bicycle tour, ride 10 miles and declare themselves fit. We don't recommend that approach. The fact is, there are lots of methods to enhance bicycling fitness and, honestly, we believe that the method that appeals to you and that you will stick to is undoubtedly the best for you. And any activity that enhances fitness, such as swimming or hiking, will certainly make your cycling efforts that much easier. However, as many trainers in other fields will tell you, even if you have a solid fitness routine, you still also need to practice the activity that is your goal. What we suggest is a simple plan with no other goal than to spend time on your bike: ride five miles --- then ride two 5 miles during the same ride --- then three 5 miles etc, etc, etc. If you could take the time to ride at least 350 miles before a week-long bicycle tour, spread out over any amount of time, you would probably be in excellent shape to ride each day and dance each night. If you bicycle regularly in the three months before a week-long bicycle tour, you'll have a ball, and be in the best shape of your life!Your personal fitness level and the frequency and intensity of your pre-ride training will correlate closely with your level of enjoyment of any long distance tour. It is prudent to train but intensity is a relative term, especially if the tour is a non-competitive event. Any training is better than none. Set a reasonable goal given your schedule, and stick to it. Your work will pay off. (From my own experience, when I was training for TOSRV, I did not have time to go on long rides, but I rode about 15 miles a day and accumulated about 400 miles in 2 months, and had a very comfortable [yet slow!] TOSRV experience.)
So, for those of you who would like a plan to work on, we offer the schedule below, for you to modify according to your desired training. It is a solid program, but we are not suggesting you MUST complete it. The goal of riding 50 miles in 6 hours or less should prepare you well for a week-long bicycle tour and will leave you plenty of time to linger at food stops and museums along the route. While we believe that your cycling skills will be greatly enhanced by riding often, we also suggest that you seek out a local expert to critique your techniques, as there are many ways to make your pedaling more efficient. We recommend a training schedule beginning 6- 10 weeks before the start of the tour. Begin cycling 2-3 times a week, increasing the daily mileage until you are riding long stretches over multiple days. Speed is not as important as distance. Try working some organized tours into your schedule. These will help you meet people, learn group riding skills, and take you to some wonderful places. Also, consider joining your local bicycling club. Again, you'll meet great people who can help you train and give tips on touring. During the early weeks, pay special attention to maintaining a consistent pace. It is especially important for you to train on a variety of terrain including HILLS!
Remember, we want you to have fun.
Health and Nutrition
Hyperthermia can affect any cyclist, in any shape, in any heat, if the right precautions aren't taken. Commonly known as heat stroke, heat exhaustion or muscle cramps, hyperthermia can be deadly. The symptoms are: (a) dizziness, (b) dry skin (no sweating), (c) redness, (d) nausea or cramps, (e) goose bumps on the chest and arms and (f) incoherent speech and thoughts. During the hot weather season, keep body contents of magnesium and potassium high. These minerals exist naturally in foods such as cantaloupe, watermelon, tomatoes, carrots, bananas, and cucumbers. Wear fabrics that breathe and do not trap the heat that your body produces. Light colors are cooler than dark ones. Remain cool before the ride, and be sure to drink plenty of fluids.
Water
Drink before you're thirsty!
Drink before you're thirsty!
Drink before you're thirsty!
We can't emphasize this enough. This basic guideline applies no matter the weather. Some people will tell you they don't perspire while they bicycle, but take a look at the white stains on their clothes at the end of the day --- salt! While you bicycle, you create a 10 to 20 mile-per-hour wind across your skin. You may be sweating like a faucet, but this wind dries it almost immediately. This fools some people into believing they aren't sweating, and therefore they don't drink. So what happens to them? The worst is heat exhaustion followed by heat stroke. More often, though these riders stagger on, wondering why they feel terrible, and why the biking seems so hard. If they would just stop and drink a quart of water they would be amazed at how much better they feel.
Food
One mistake most everyone makes on their first week-long bicycle tour is under-eating, or eating at the wrong times. On a week-long bicycle tour you will burn up an extra 10,000 or more calories. If you don't eat breakfast, or you skip lunch, eventually your body will run out of easily consumed fuel, and will have to start burning fat reserves. This sounds wonderful, but it isn't. When your body shifts to burning fat, riders suffer what is known as "the bonk". This isn't just fatigue, which is normal. This is like falling into an emotional chasm. People get depressed, anxious, break down in tears, and are suddenly convinced that life is awful. A few fig bars, though and their entire personality can take an amazing change. It is common for those that bonk to be crying, unable to even lift an arm, and an hour later, after a meal be leading a pace line at 20 miles per hour. Start your eating routine several days before the tour starts so that your body may adjust.
How Ready Are You For A Week-Long Bike Tour?
Just for fun, here is a short quiz to help predict how you may feel on a week-long bike tour. Circle the number that best completes the sentence for you during last season, and please note that we don't profess to any scientific studies on this quiz at all!
1. Years of bicycling experience
1 Less than 1
2 1
3 2 or more
2. Miles ridden last year
1 fewer than 350
2 350 to 1000
3 1000 or more
3. Climbing experience (rides with 1000+ feet of climbing)
1 never
2 at least once a month
3 more than once a month
4. Training rides over 40 miles
1 never
2 at least once a month
3 more than once a month
5. 50 mile rides last year
1 none
2 1 to 5
3 6 or more
6. Your best time for a 50 mile ride
1 have never ridden 50 miles
2 6 hours or more
3 under 6 hours
7. Bad weather rides?
1 never
2 1 to 4
3 5 or more
8. Number of back to back rides of 50 miles or more
1 none
2 2 to 4
3 5 or more
9. Number of back to back rides of 50 miles or
more in headwinds and/or hills
1 none
2 2 to 3
3 4 or more
10. Response to a challenge
1 Easily discouraged
2 Unhappy, but persistent
3 Love it
Now add up the circled numbers for your total score: If your score is:
Over 30: You're a fantastic rider, but you can't add. Try again.
25 - 30 You may be ready to ride a week-long tour
20 - 25 You may be ready to ride the shorter days on a week-long Tour. Keep Training
15 - 20 You may be ready to start your training for week-long tour (hope you allowed 6 to 9 weeks for training)
12/23/2008
KNOX COUNTY BICYCLE CHALLENGE SEPTEMBER 28, 2008 By Gary Schmidt, Ride Leader
It was another beautiful sunny day this year for the Knox County Bicycle Challenge! We had about 175 riders this year, which is a decent turnout. 80 degree temperatures were a bit high for late September, but I didn’t hear anyone complaining about it. Not many people were interested in our traditional bean soup at the lunch stop in Nellie however.
One of my favorite parts of the Knox County ride is actually in Holmes County- the northern loop on the century route that goes to Glenmont. The roads are hilly and a bit rough, but the scenery is spectacular. This is the real “Amish” part of KCBC, and you are very likely to see horse and buggy in this area. This year we saw an Amish kid on a bike getting a pull from his horses! Another guy had a goat come out to the road and run with him for awhile. I love the panoramic views you can get after you climb out of the Glenmont valley, especially on the descent into Greer on Route 514. The minimal tree cover on these muscled hills gives the rider views that are hard to match in Ohio!
Thanks once again to Meg Literral and her friends for providing the bluegrass music at the lunch stop! And many thanks to the volunteers who help make KCBC possible: My son Cameron helped me mark the route and registration; Brad Black and Mike Miller helped with snack stops and sag; Tom Heffner, Tom Paplaczyk and my Beijing friends Jinjian and Shenzhen helped serve up lunch. All these volunteers helped make KCBC a smooth operation. Thanks for your help guys, you keep us going! Please consider volunteering to help a ride leader next year in support of COP.
10/01/2008
Bike Helmets for Youths By Ann Gerckens
Columbus children younger than 18 have a year to get used to bicycle helmets.
Legislation approved in July will require all persons under the age of 18 to wear a helmet while riding a bike in Columbus. Enforcement of the rule will be delayed until next summer. Fines are capped at $25 and police will be allowed to issue warnings instead of tickets.
Councilwoman Charleta B. Tavares insisted the new helmet law won't add to police duties. Like jaywalking laws and others, she said, it will be weighed by police as they go about their jobs.
At least 20 other cities in Ohio have adopted helmet laws, Tavares said.
Nationally, 10,700 children are hospitalized annually from bike-related accidents.
The Columbus Health Department has a Bike Safety program is designed to educate and provide bike helmets to people at a low cost. Open to anyone who lives in Franklin County, the cost for a helmet is $10.00
All services are provided at the Columbus Health Department, 240 Parsons Ave., Columbus, Ohio. 43215 The Health Department is open 8:00 AM _ 4:30 PM _ Monday through Friday.
Call the information hotline at 614-645-7748 to get information about their injury prevention programming.
09/01/2008
GOBA 2008 June 14-21 Report By Julie Van Winkle, GOBA Director
Our 20th year of GOBA was one for the memory books. It seemed like all the planning and hard work gelled to a splendid mixture that made for a happy week and a last-night gathering that made you want to stay. We celebrated our 20th year with the theme "Take the Last Train to GOBAville," to pay homage to the history of trains in Ohio and the many rail-trails. In keeping with the theme, on Sat., June 14, the opening parade and costume contest through the streets of Wellington featured the "GOBA Express" (with engine, coal & passenger cars & a li'l red caboose), "The Little GOBA Engine that could," "Thomas the Train," and the Bees of the "Bee Line" Railroad. The parade brought excitement to Wellington, as it was an attempt to break the Guinness World Record of 1,901 bicycles in the Largest Bicycle Parade category. Although our attempt was unsuccessful, spirits were high. Everybody enjoyed getting into the act, including 275 local folks who bicycled in the parade. On Father's Day (Sunday) we cycled off to enjoy overnights in Galion, Mount Vernon (2 nights), Coshocton (2 nights), and Orrville, before returning to Wellington.
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