My experience on the Pan Ohio Hope Ride

 Four days of bicycling, with all the food you could eat, and friendly people! 

The event started on Wednesday night with a banquet under a tent.  The caterers did a fabulous job.  I bounced around a few tables and introduced myself to several riders and volunteers.  

I ran into Courtney and Michelle several times over the next few days. 

Monica was the only other person tent camping.  We both pitched our tents between the dorms, and shared the "lounge" area to watch TV in the evening.  

This couple was a rider/volunteer team.  He rides, she is a water stop volunteer.  She does ride her bike, but she felt that the distances in this ride were just too long. 

The regional ACS director spoke for a brief time to thank us for our efforts in behalf of the Cancer Society.  

  This year, the American Cancer Society Organizers had to really change things up from previous years, due to COVID precautions.   Since this is my first year to participate, I don't really have any opinion as to whether I like this year's format better or worse than a ride from Cincinnati to Cleveland or vice versa.  I understand that some people preferred not having to pack up their things every day to have them moved to the next site, since this year, each day's ride was a loop. 

There were two groups of volunteers that were very visible throughout the ride.  The water stop volunteers made sure we were hydrated and had enough calories to get us through to the next stop.  The water stops were about every 12-20 miles.  The other very visible group were the SAG (Support and Gear) drivers, who picked up riders with mechanical programs or those who were just "sagging".  This year, almost all of the SAG drivers were amateur radio operators, and several were also EMTs. 

Day 1's ride was 89 miles.  We started in Westerville, at Otterbein College, next to the Campus Center.  (Short aside, I've never been to the Otterbein campus before, but felt an affinity for the college since my junior year of college was completed through the auspices of their Junior Year Abroad program in cooperation with my college, Heidelberg.) We proceeded through Galena and up to Sunbury before heading east. I was pleased to notice that I was able to ride up a little hill at the beginning of the Brick Trail in Galena that had challenged me last year without having to get off and walk up. 

Lunch was at the Velvet Ice Cream Factory in Utica, on the grounds of Ye Olde Mille.  Still lunch was provided by the same caterer as the night  before, as were all the meals for the entire event. I experienced a scary moment when turning left into the grounds.  At the same time, several riders were leaving and proceeding back the same way I was coming from.  So, there were bicycle riders on both sides of the road.  I was turning left, so I was in the middle of my lane.  Around the corner up ahead came a heavy gravel truck at full speed.  He pulled into my lane to avoid the cyclists on his right.  I got out of his way fast.  I survived. 

After lunch, the "Sweep" was right behind me.  The sweep is the person who follows the last rider.  He was part of the SAG team. I put some pressure on myself to hurry up, because I was keeping him from dinner!  But there was a sharp, steep hill that did me in near Alexandria, Ohio.  My pulse was racing and I was panting.  He pulled up and asked if I wanted a ride.  So I agreed.  He ported me to a transfer point where the regular SAG drivers could pick me up so that he could follow the new "last riders".   I took a ride to the next water stop 10 miles away in Johnstown and then rode that last section on my bike, for a total of approximately  79 miles. 

The new "last riders" were a husband and wife team.  She had previously been a volunteer, and this was her first year riding.  At times during the earlier portions of the ride, they were ahead of me and at times, I pulled past them.  But they easily caught up with me and passed me again.  Once I was safely in the SAG van, the sweep started following them.  

I was kind of late arriving at dinner and Monica had already eaten.  She warned me that it was pasta! It was actually pretty good, and I was hungry.  Later that evening I had a leg cramp, and had to jump in the shower again for "hydrotherapy" to relax it. 

Day 2 was pretty much a repeat of Day 1!  I got up, ate breakfast in the Campus Center, and rolled out.  

I made sure to stop on the bridge in Galena to take a photo.  Even though there were some riders behind me, it wasn't long before I saw the sweep following me again.  I spent a lot of the day riding with the couple from the day before.  I rode from Otterbein to Sparta (29 mi), then picked up a ride with a SAG wagon to lunch in Mt Vernon at the Ariel Foundation Park, and from there to Centerburg, and rode the last 24 miles back to campus.  I made sure to drink pickle juice at lunch to help to avoid cramps. 

 

My bike was leaning against the fence at a water stop. 

Plethora of radios in the SAG van. 

Water stop again.  The ride's "mechanic" was on duty.  It had rained a light, refreshing rain earlier, and some fine gravel and other road debris was stuck to my wheel.  When I left this water stop, the sun was back out, but my bike was making strange noises.  I doubled back to the water stop and he agreed that it was the brake shoe picking up "stuff" from the rim.  He adjusted my brakes slightly and the noise went away.  I will need to clean my bike when I get home. 

Day 3.  Another start at the beginning of the day, from the same starting point.  

The "last rider" couple from yesterday had decided not to ride, so I met up with some new companions. They were on the "Mind Brain" team. 

I remembered to take a photo of the Emergency vehicle and the Communications vehicle that the SAG team was using. 

Dayton is one of the largest concentrations of ham radio operators.  I once attended the "Hamvention" in Dayton. 

Water stop from Day 3

 

Lunch stop Day 3 in Waldo, Ohio. 

It was hot and muggy.  I was not the last rider, but close to the back.  People kept dropping off behind me, though, and by the time I got to a water stop, I was again the last rider.  Except for one woman who took a wrong turn and rode a mile or two out of the way.  There was a team taking an extended break at the water stop.  They waited for everyone who wanted to ride on in, but several of us elected to sag back to the campus. 

When I got back to campus, looking at the weather forecast I realized that there were thunderstorms forecast for the area.  I dreaded sleeping in a tent in a thunderstorm, or packing up my tent in a thunderstorm or packing a wet tent and having to put it back up at home to let it dry.  So I decided to come home for the night.  I packed up everthing, showered, and headed to the Campus Center for dinner. 

Dinner in Campus Center.  There was a program at another building to recognize the fundraising efforts.  Dessert and drinks were served.  Several emotional speeches were made about what this ride and the ACS means to the families of cancer patients.  A book was promoted, "The Man in the Arena" by Jim Bond aka "007" for his randomly-assigned number for a clinical trial of a new treatment.  I have ordered a copy of the book.  

Day 4.  I returned to campus well after the riders had started.  I check out with the ACS desk, turning in my dorm key, and took a quick spin on the Alum Creek trail before heading to the "mustering" point before the end of the ride.  I took a victory lap around the track and claimed my medal!