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Bicycle Adventure Announces 25th Annual
Tour for 2013
Julie Van Winkle, Director of The 25th Annual Great Ohio Bicycle
Adventure (GOBA), announced today that the 2013 tour, June 15-22, will
feature a route in western Ohio. The expected 2,500 riders will start
gathering for the tour on Saturday, June 15, at the Champaign County
Fairgrounds in Urbana. They will begin cycling on Sunday, June 16,
covering an average of 50 miles per day, and will overnight in Troy on
Sunday and Monday, Greenville on Tuesday, New Bremen on Wednesday and
Thursday, Sidney on Friday, and will return to Urbana on Saturday, June
22.
Some of the many attractions featured on this tour include the Bicycle
Museum of America, Cedar Bog, Johnny Appleseed Museum, Great Miami
River Trail, plane rides at WACO Airfield, Garst Museum and Annie
Oakley Center, KitchenAid Experience, Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy
Relics, Miami & Erie Canal, Johnston Farm & Indian Agency, Lake
Loramie State Park, and other historic sites, covered bridges, and
nature areas.
The fun-filled week will include the traditional bicycle parade and the
gala opening ceremonies in Urbana, family-oriented entertainment each
night, ice skating, swimming, options for bus excursions, floating in
the Miami River while taking in the band called HOTEL CALIFORNIA, the
original Eagles tribute band, two layover days offering bicycle loops
of 50- or 100-miles to Dayton's Carillon Park or to Wapakoneta's
Armstrong Air & Space Museum, and the ever-popular GOBA Song
Contest.
"Part class reunion, part family gathering, GOBA-2013 will revisit a
part of the state that is always popular with cyclists: the upcoming
tour promises gentle terrain, Ohio history brought to life, magical
views, the serene natural beauty of wildlife reserves, and the desire
to linger in the friendly atmosphere of the host towns along our
route,” Van Winkle stated.
This will be the twenty-fifth year for GOBA. The tour is owned and
organized by Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, a non-profit
organization, for the benefit of bicycle- related projects in Ohio. In
2012, 2,000 people from 39 states, the District of Columbia, Japan,
Switzerland, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, Canada, took part in
the tour. Included in this number were many families: nearly 20%
of the participants are children traveling with their parents, making
GOBA the largest family- oriented bicycle tour in the world.
Over the past twenty-three years GOBA has been instrumental in
generating nearly
$10 million in tourism revenues in the towns along the route, as well
as in providing access to Ohio's rural treasures to people from all
over the country. "Ohio has an amazing wealth of quiet roads that are
perfect for bicycle touring. Besides, GOBA riders find that the lovely
scenery, the warm hospitality of the small towns, the interesting
museums and parks all add up to one great vacation,” Van Winkle stated.
Those interested in receiving registration information and tour details
can request a brochure by calling 614-273-0811 or by visiting the
website at www.goba.com. Brochures will also be available by February
in many Ohio bicycle shops. Advance registration is required with a
deadline of May 15, 2013.
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