GOBA 2005

GOBA states that its mission is to organize a yearly one-week bicycle vacation, in order to inspire independence and nurture personal growth; to learn about Ohio, it's people, geography, and history; to provide inter-generational recreation; to enhance the image of bicycling in Ohio; and to raise funds for bicycle-related projects in Ohio.


All pictures in this article are by Ron Schroeder, from the GOBA 2003 Scrapbook/2004 Calendar.

Around 3,000 cyclists from all across the country (as well as outside the U.S.) participate in GOBA's bicycle vacation each year and they ride about 50-mile every day through some of Ohio's most scenic areas. Nearly 20 percent of the participants are children traveling with their parents, which makes GOBA the largest family-oriented bicycle tour in the world. GOBA is very much a tour, not a race; most riders finding plenty of time during the day for sightseeing, enjoying food along the way and just snoozing!

Each year the GOBA route features a different part of Ohio, traveling through peaceful countryside and stopping at exciting tourist destinations.


Highlights of the 2005 route include two double-overnight towns. As in 2004, there will be five days of cycling 45-55 miles from town to town and two days of optional loops. A fun-filled tour that includes the magic vistas of Lake Erie and terrain from flat to rolling, which is said to be much flatter than 2004. Accommodation is primitive tent camping at a mixture of fairgrounds and schools. The estimated mileage for the week is a minimum of 240 and a maximum of 400.

There are two unofficial online groups dedicated to GOBA, one at SmartGroups and another at Yahoo! Groups. Use these groups to share stories about GOBA or get an answer to any questions about the event.



You can read a small article about GOBA 2005 in the local Port Clinton News Herald.