When I was in my early twenties, I played in Cincinnati, Ohio, for a week or two. I also spent a few days in Columbus, Ohio, in the '90s. Other than that, I've never spent any time in the state of Ohio. I can tell you that riding the backroads of this beautiful state for the past two days has been an absolute joy. Lush, green, and bucolic, it's no wonder people pick this place to raise their families, farm, and start businesses.
As I rode with Sean (of the British National Cycling Team- Masters Division), he mentioned - during one particularly beautiful stretch of our route - that it looked like the rides he and his mates do back in the English countryside.
I rode the last 25 miles with Mark. We rode at a good pace, not too fast and not too slow. Mark is a solid rider, only a few years younger than I. He insists that he doesn't hold back too much when we ride together, but I know he is lying. Case in point. Late this afternoon, with about 7 miles to go, as we both were climbing up a pretty steep hill, Mark was about 20 yards ahead of me when seemingly out of nowhere, Andy, and Sean ( two of the Brits) came charging up the hill in hot pursuit of Mark. I watched them battle it out as I muscled my way up the hill and I started laughing. I'm not sure what the outcome was, but it was entertaining, to say the least. Can you say testosterone?
If you are not an avid bike rider, I'm sure that much of this sounds trivial and incredibly dull. I tell people every day, "You know, you really, really have to love riding your bike to make this trip."
And I believe it's genuinely that simple. For most of us, our first bicycles were our ticket to freedom and exploration beyond our own neighborhoods, before we were old enough to drive. That same spirit of exploration is alive and well on this trip some 50 years later. And the beat goes on.
Tomorrow we are off to Youngstown, Ohio.
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