Special Report: GOBA 2022 Day 2 Sidney to Versaille, Ohio and Back.
Sunday, June 19, 2022, Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure
Day 2. Sunday morning. It was cold! No, I was cold! Well, down to the low 50s with wet dew all over the hammock rain fly I had on my tent to provide more shade during the day and on my bike seat. I dressed in layers, just like the book on cold weather subscribes. and a light windbreaker. Took my meds with water I saved from the night before. Got on the bike and headed to the registration barn to see what the line for breakfast was like. Long. And. Slow. I wanted to get on the road to get in some miles and to warm up. The only thing I desperately needed was a cup of coffee to wake me up. Not to wait in line. Welcome to GOBA: Hurry up and wait. But overall this was a mild irritation. When you are with a friend or groups of friends the time goes by quickly but if you are alone then you make friends in line. It helps to pass the time. But I want to ride! I am not fond of crowds this early, especially before my first cup of coffee.
The clothes I had on were doing their job and I was getting overheated. Back to the tent I go to take off a layer or 2.
Days like this are special. You don’t have to pack your stuff and break down the tent and carry or get someone to carry your stuff to the tractor-trailer truck, an early breakaway.
On these layover days, there is the option to find other activities not related to biking. But I felt great and my body yearned for the open road.
Back to the breakfast line. Wow, the line went down and I walked in to get my elixir of the gods, that first cup of liquid gold, coffee. A cup of coffee and cliff bar, macadamia nut flavor and I am good to go!
The roads out of Sidney, well, all the roads were chosen with a cyclist in mind. Smooth, flat as possible, and traffic-free as much as you can expect in a city setting. The GOBA Route Meister Dwaine Wheeler has been doing this for many years and knows his craft. The roads are marked with a large letter ‘A’ with the apex pointing in the direction of travel. For turns, 3 marks prior to and after a turn will keep you on track. When you leave with a group some riders will be faster and some slower. It’s not hard to find the route if you keep an eye on the front riders. When you ride too slow you lose that advantage and have to rely on the road signs. Or if you ride too fast in front of the pack you better have a good vision to see the road marks.
Time to meet Max, the Wonder Dog! My constant adventure companion. Best pet to have I hear. Never barks or sheds his fur. Already housebroken and never begs for food.
And master chick magnet.
A walk past the discounted GOBA shirt table produced a spectacular find. A 2018 GOBA Jersey for $20.00 and I couldn’t say no to it. First, it was a GOBA I had done and secondly, the zipper was a full zipper to wear the jersey like a jacket. Never seen a bike jersey with this feature. It had the usual back pockets and the elastic waistband.
The first stop was in Fort Laramie at Casey’s General Store after 14 miles. Sold snacks and hot items. GOBA placed portable toilets and a water station.
I heard my name called out and it was a Facebook friend Terry Butler who was riding alone.
At lunch, we arrived at Versaille High School where they offered pulled chicken or pulled pork sandwiches. I had 2 of the chicken sandwiches.
I caught up with the Silver Wheels Cycling Group made up of members from northern Ohio. Do not let the name ‘silver’ fool you, they have members that hover around 350 of all ages. We go back a number of years and they have been trying to recruit me for over 6 years. Sue Snyder will tell you how I photobombed the group picture in Newark on the 2018 GOBA. Join? One of these years I just might.
The heat was rising and the winds increasing made going west a bear of a ride.
The final stop was Houston Congressional Christian Church. It’s written as the Texas city of Houston but pronounced House-ton. The church offered a variety of fruit and snacking goodies and was charging a donation. Pay what you what to pay and many GOBA participants are very generous. I opted for a cup of coffee and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread.
Arrived back at our campsite in good shape. Dinner was at the registration building and for $10.00 you either a pulled chicken or pulled pork sandwich, a spoonful of beans, and a scoop of potato salad with a bottle of water. Yea, that is what I thought. I had the pork sandwich. Left me wanting more but that was all that was available to the campers on site unless they traveled to town and one of the restaurants there. It’s easy biking into town but there is a substantial hill to climb up whether you are walking or biking. It’s time to pack away the loose clothing and article of camping laying around in the tent.
Tomorrow we will be in another town, Wapakoneta.
Who made your helmet mirror? Was that a guy that used to make those under an umbrella in Gobaville? I loved his mirrors. Sadly mine the mirror went bad from riding in the rain too much. I miss that guy. He was an interesting fellow.