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Journalism - Sports Article Example Copyright 2000 Susanne M. Alexander Over the Back Fence Bicycling in Springtime By Susanne M. Alexander "Misty morning, wheels turning, hearts meeting, twining, summer bliss, never ending," penned poetic Steve Woosley after meeting his wife Sandy in 1989 at the first Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA), which started out from Yellow Springs that year. He proved romance can happen anywhere, even in motion on a bicycle. "We kept running into each other even with 1200 people," says Sandy, 49. "We rode together for awhile. I took off, but we just kept meeting up over the next day or so. And the rest, as they say, is history." By October, they were making definite wedding plans to coincide with the second GOBA, which luckily started in Oberlin that year. "We rode from the church [in Elyria] on a tandem," Sandy says. "Some people have a stretch limo; we had a stretch bicycle! My family put tin cans and a 'Just Married' sign on the back. Every year, that's our anniversary ride." Bicycling has enjoyed a significant comeback in Ohio over the last 15 years. The Woosley's, residents of Elyria, are members of the Elyria-based Silver Wheels Cycling Club, which had 20 members when it began in 1998 and now boasts 173, most over age 50. President Ed Stewart says while it's common to hear members talk about their annual riding totals in the thousands of miles, as a club they are noncompetitive and casual recreational riders. It may depend on your definition of recreational, however. Steve, now 58 and retired, rode 2,555 miles in 2000, and Sandy, who works as a teacher at North Ridgeville Middle School, speaks casually about how easy it was to cycle across Massachusetts, because the state is so small! So, what's the attraction? Sandy cites independence and the satisfaction of getting form one place to another under her own power while getting exercise in the process (The tandem riding only lasted for the first honeymoon!). Steve talks about the exercise mellowing people out, making it fun and easy to be around other riders. They both appreciate the up close view of nature that you miss from the car. "You get more of a feel for the land and the terrain, climbing hills, the feel of the wind in your face or helping you along from the back," says Sandy. "It's a more intimate way to travel, more personal with nature." "We like southern Lorain County, and Huron and Erie counties, where there's a lot of good, not heavily traveled roads, a lot of good scenery and small towns with ma and pop restaurants we like to stop and eat at," says Steve. Ed, who regularly gets away from his club president duties on his bike, agrees with him. "Southern Lorain County is just gorgeous," he says. "There are one-lane roads where you think you are in rural England they are so absolutely pastoral." Another popular spot is Kelleys Island, which has paved roads and trails that can easily be covered in less than a day. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy effort that converts old railroad beds into bike trails has also created many new trails in Northern Ohio. Many of the trails lengthen each year with new asphalt. The Bridgeway trail runs along the Black River and through cliffs and forests in the Black River Reservation, part of the Lorain County Metro Parks. The Woosley's enjoy the North Coast Inland Trail, a 14-mile asphalt trail from Elyria to Kipton. Medina, Huron, Sandusky, Ottawa and Holmes counties all have trails underway or completed. Ed says when he started Silver Wheels, there was a lot of teasing about "old folks acting like children again." The Woosley's agree that they feel like kids again with the freedom of being on their bikes. Anyone looking at how fit they are and how much they laugh together, might be forgiven at mistaking them for being younger than they are. Ed as well, at 58 and still running Stewart Advertising in Elyria, credits cycling with keeping him young and alive since heart by-pass surgery in 1991. He is proud that the club, which runs from March to December, held over 305 organized rides and meetings last year. Organized rides cover a wide range of ability and territory. The club categorizes them as 1-Star, very casual on designated trails and only about 10-15 miles long; 2-Star, on trails and roads 10-40 miles long; and 3-Star, a faster fitness level type of ride primarily on roads and stretching up to 100 miles. They also organize touring trips, both 1-day or overnight, where they drive to a spot in or outside Ohio and ride from there. Steve is a Ride Leader, responsible for making up many of the cycling routes the club members follow in Lorain County. Beyond the actual trips members take, however, Ed sees bicycling education as a primary function of the club. He is one of only 700 instructors certified through the League of American Bicyclists. Education includes safety instruction for bicyclists and for motorists, with whom they often share road space. He sees cycling education as a precursor for driver's education for teens, because they learn the rules of the road at a young age. He also trains the members in how to avoid accidents. Sandy says one of the key safety rules she's glad she has followed is wearing a helmet. Her bike slipped off the road in Florida in April 2000 and she hit her head, resulting in a mild concussion. Without the protection, the injury would have been much more severe. Rachel McNeely, owner of Bicycle Bill's Fitness Center in Vermilion, also stresses the importance of helmets. "It's always number one to protect your noggin," she says emphatically. "Accidents can happen in your own neighborhood." Helmet fit is also important, she says, as the helmet won't protect you if it is "rockin' and rollin'" on your head. Other equipment can make a bike ride a more pleasant experience as well, Rachel says. Gloves protect your hands, tight cycling clothes and padded underwear protect against chafing, and a comfortable, shock-absorbing seat allows for longer rides without pain. Cycling has also become a family experience, and many parents add on baby seats, trailers, or a tagalong, which turns a single bike into a tandem. Both singles and families find that compartments or "saddlebags" allow cyclists to carry critical items like a bike repair kit, identification, energy food, water bottles and cellular phone. For GOBA, with its now 3,000 bicyclists, it's definitely riding light, however, as semi-trailers are hired to haul everyone's gear from place to place. While all the gear may sound complicated, riding in the springtime is really about the simple beauty of the season. "You don't see spring from a car like you do from a bike, every little flower like the trilliums opening up," says Sandy. "In a car, you just go zooming by a wooded area and you miss all that. You see it so much more up close and personal." Steve's words then blend with hers as they both talk about enjoying the sounds of the spring birds. He concludes, "Spring touches all your senses, the smell of things greening up, it's part of the experience." Sidebar: Feeling adventurous? Off-road cycling on a mountain bike can be enticing to those not wanting to be too sure where they will end up. Adam Vincent, originally from the Toledo area, is now editor of "Bicycle Retailer & Industry News" and author of "Mountain Bike America - Ohio." Steep hilly trails and gravel roads entice him the most for their sheer physical challenge. Although Adam says Northern Ohio has fewer riding challenges than Southern Ohio does, he still recommends scenic Findley State Park for beginners interested in getting the feel of riding in dirt and Kelleys Island with its trails and scenic glacial grooves. He definitely advises wearing the full "bike kit" for off-road riding, stressing the importance of safety, knowing your bike well before starting out, and being in shape physically. "Lots of the places I've been, you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere," Adam says with excitement. Sidebar: Silver Wheels Cycling Club, Ed Stewart, 440-322-3222 Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Ohio Field Office, 65 E. Wilson Bridge Road, Suite 203, Worthington, OH 43085, Phone: 614-841-1075 [an error occurred while processing this directive] |