This article needs to be updated.(July 2011) |
The two-day bicycle Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV) began as a father-and-son outing in 1962 before quickly growing into the nation's largest bicycle touring weekend. It is non-competitive and has been traditionally held annually on Mother's Day weekend with the exception of its early years and 2017.
About 3000 cyclists participate in the annual Mother's Day weekend tour, covering 210 miles during the weekend (105 miles Saturday and 105 miles Sunday). The tour leaves from Columbus, Ohio on Saturday morning, the riders spend the night in Portsmouth on the Ohio River, and return on Sunday to Columbus.
TOSRV is organized by Outdoor Pursuits. [1]
Since the TOSRV route runs along the Scioto River valley, it avoids the large hills of southern Ohio. The first 50 miles south of Columbus include some slight grades, and from mile 50 to mile 65 there are a series of short, steep hills. The remaining miles to Portsmouth are relatively flat for a total of 105 miles (169 kilometers) for the day. [1] The Tour returns to Columbus along the same route.
A separate group has started the TOSRV RESURRECTION.
The tour was started in 1962 by Charles and Greg Siple, a father and son, having 2,672 riders in 2010. The most riders the tour ever hosted was in 1989 with 6,650 riders. A staggered start was necessary beginning in 1973 when the tour reached 2,500 cyclists. Charlie Pace was named director of the tour in 1967 and retired after the 50th anniversary ride in 2011. [2] The tour is now considered an important part of the culture in Portsmouth, having a mural that depicts the tour. [3]
2017 TOSRV 56
TOSRV56 May 20-21, 2017 #TheMobsRule
The Mob won. The traditional date of Mother's Day Weekend (50 of 55 years on Mother's Day) has been switched to May 20-21. One week later.
One more week to train for the baddest ride in the nation.
TOSRV56 is not your Mother's TOSRV
Opening Party: January 28 at Wild Goose Creative, 2491 Summit St, Columbus On-site registration
Come out to see 55 years of TOSRV in the many vintage pieces that will be exhibited. Drink, dance, and be TOSRV.
Public Registration: Opens January 29, 2017
Sag services are provided for registered riders. Every two miles there is a support team vehicle on the side of the road in case of emergencies such as serious bicycle damage, or injury all day until 9:00 at night when the tour ends.
In front of the state building Saturday morning there is a truck to put baggage, sleeping bags and any other materials riders don't want to carry with them on the ride to Portsmouth. Food is provided at the three stops, Circleville, Chillicothe, and Waverly spaced about 25 miles apart. [4]
The half TOSRV is a smaller track in which cyclists ride from Chillicothe to Portsmouth on Saturday and return to Chillicothe on Sunday. [2]
In 2008, William Crowley, was killed on Route 23 during the tour. According to State Highway Patrol he was struck from behind by a sport-utility vehicle. The director of the tour said that this is not the designated route, but that some cyclists chose to take it to save some time. However Route 23 is not as safe as Route 104, the designated route. This was the first fatality of the tour in its almost 50-year history. After the incident TOSRV cautioned riders from riding outside the designated route. [5] All participants are required to wear a helmet. [4] The radio stations in central Ohio and along the tour in Circleville, Chillicothe, Waverly, and Portsmouth all broadcast messages letting drivers know to be alert and courteous of bikers during the weekend. [6]
The cyclists share the road with drivers for the day. Most of the route is on two-lane country roads. The route is marked with spray paint on the road and with signs at crucial turns. [4]
The 2010 tour included an extra 8 miles each way due to a detour since a bridge was closed for repairs. The detour was between the Chillicothe and Waverly stops, which is the longest and hilliest part of the ride. [2]
Founded by the Siple Family
19xx - 19xx
19xx - 19xx
19xx - 19xx Charlie Pace
19xx -
19xx - 2011 Charlie Pace
2012 - Frank Seebode
2013 - Rick Hoechstetter
2014 - Bill Gordon
2017 - Lisa Daris
19xx - 19xx
19xx - 19xx
19xx - 2011 Rick Hoechstetter
2012 -
2013 -> Rick Hoechstetter
Scioto County is a county along the Ohio River in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. At the 2020 census, the population was 74,008. Its county seat is Portsmouth. The county was founded on March 24, 1804, from Adams County and is named for a Native American word referring to deer or deer-hunting. Scioto County comprises the Portsmouth, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is at the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio rivers.
Ashville is a village in Pickaway County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,621 at the 2020 census. Ashville is located 17 miles south of Columbus and 8 miles north of Circleville.
Waverly is a village in, and the county seat of, Pike County, Ohio, United States, located about 14 miles (23 km) south of Chillicothe. The population was 4,165 at the 2020 census. The town was formed in 1829, as the construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal along the west bank of the Scioto River brought new growth to the area. In 1861, the county seat was moved here from Piketon.
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Scioto River 45 miles (72 km) south of Columbus, Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio. It is the only city in Ross County and is the center of the Chillicothe micropolitan area. The population was 22,059 at the 2020 census. Chillicothe is a designated Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Portsmouth is a city in and the county seat of Scioto County, Ohio, United States. Located in southern Ohio 41 miles (66 km) south of Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky and just east of the mouth of the Scioto River. The population was 18,252 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Portsmouth micropolitan area.
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The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles (372 km) in length. It rises in Hardin County just north of Roundhead, Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, flows south into Appalachian Ohio, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth. Early settlers and Native Americans used the river for shipping, but it is too small for modern commercial craft. The primary economic importance for the river now is for recreation and drinking water. It is the longest river that is entirely within Ohio.
RAGBRAI, short for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is a non-competitive bicycle tour across the U.S. state of Iowa from the western to eastern border. First held in 1973, RAGBRAI is the largest bike-touring event in the world.
State Route 104 is a north–south highway in Southern Ohio. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 23 (US 23) in Portsmouth, Ohio and its northern terminus is at US 33 in Columbus. The route passes through or close to the towns of Portsmouth, Waverly, Chillicothe, Grove City, and Columbus. From Waverly to Chillicothe, it overlaps US 23.
Minford is a census-designated place located on the border of Harrison and Madison townships in northeastern Scioto County, Ohio, United States, about 14 miles (23 km) northeast of the county seat of Portsmouth. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 641.
Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport is on State Route 335 in Minford, Ohio, 12 miles northeast of Portsmouth, in Scioto County, Ohio. It is owned by the Scioto County Airport Authority. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation facility.
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Bikecentennial '76 was an event consisting of a series of bicycle tours on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail across the United States in the summer of 1976 in commemoration of the bicentennial of America's Declaration of Independence. The route crossed ten states, 22 national forests, two national parks, and 112 counties between Astoria, Oregon, and Yorktown, Virginia, a distance of about 4,250 miles (6,840 km). The route was chosen to take cyclists through small towns on mostly rural, low-traffic roads.
U.S. Route 23 (US 23) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida, to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the state of Ohio, it is a major north–south state highway that runs from the Kentucky border at Portsmouth to the Michigan border at Sylvania.
The Portsmouth Earthworks are a large prehistoric mound complex constructed by the Native American Adena and Ohio Hopewell cultures of eastern North America. The site was one of the largest earthwork ceremonial centers constructed by the Hopewell and is located at the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio Rivers, in present-day Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) is the administrative department of the Ohio state government responsible for juvenile corrections. It has its headquarters in Columbus.
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