In the October 5th issue of RoadBikeRider, there was an article about the TOSRV which stated that it is the oldest Double Century in the country having been run for 62 years. However, the Los Angeles Grand Tour Double Century has been run every year since 1959, which we discovered after the article was published. We have edited it to correct the error.
By Stan Purdum
It’s called TOSRV (pronounced Tah-serve) and it stands for Tour of the Scioto River Valley. It’s been occurring annually for 62 years (missing only one official year during the pandemic which was completed unofficially by two riders to keep the streak) and as such, it remains the one of the longest-running back to back century rides in the nation. And it has been an inspiration for annual tour rides in other states.
I was one of the riders this year, my first participation in the event. More about that in a moment.
What became TOSRV started as a father-son ride in 1962, when Charles Siple, 44, invited his 16-year-old son Greg to join him for a weekend ride from Columbus, in the center of Ohio, to Portsmouth, along the bottom edge of the state, right on the banks of the Ohio River, with Kentucky on the opposite shore. After overnighting in Portsmouth, the pair pedaled back. The whole thing was a 210-mile round trip — two century rides back-to-back — along the Scioto River. The next year, when Greg decided to repeat the ride, he got three friends to join him.
By the following year, the ride had become an event, sponsored by the local American Youth Hostels chapter. That chapter eventually became Columbus Outdoor Pursuits (COP) and still hosts TOSRV, in conjunction with the Portsmouth-based activity outfit Connex. The 1970 version of TOSRV drew 1,000 riders, and in the 1990s the ride peaked at 6,000 participants. While century rides aren’t unusual today, in the 1960s, when 10-speed bikes were starting to become common, it was a revelation to many that people could actually travel 100 miles in a day on bicycles. And events like TOSRV helped to bring bicycling into the mainstream of American life.
Later, Greg, along with his wife June and their friends Dan and Lys Burden, developed a mass ride across America for the U.S. Bicentennial. They called that ride Bikecentennial, and from that, they built the organization that became Adventure Cycling, the premier bicycle touring organization in America.
For most of its existence, TOSRV has run on Mother’s Day weekend, which being in the spring, often meant riders were treated to cold, rain and wind. But after the skipped year because of Covid, and the additional time needed to organize for the following year thanks to lingering Covid restrictions, COP moved the event to September, which is usually a more stable weather time.
Another change in recent years is that the ride now starts in Canal Winchester instead of Columbus. Canal Winchester offers less congestion and less expensive overnight lodging for out-of-towners who travel to the starting point the day before.
Certainly, better weather was the case this year when I rode. Taking place on the last weekend of September, TOSRV ran in perfect weather on the Saturday, presenting pleasant exposure to southern Ohio. The second day was only slightly less perfect, being overcast, but with no rain. What had been a slight tailwind on the ride south was a mild headwind on the return north.
For the night in between, I slept on the floor of the Portsmouth High School gym. Other options included tenting on the grounds outside the school or staying in one of the town’s commercial lodgings. Whatever we chose, the event truck delivered our gear to designated locations in Portsmouth.
Portsmouth is an attractive river town, but located where the Scioto River flows into the mighty Ohio River, the town has had several disastrous floods since it was established in 1803. The 1937 flood was especially disastrous, and in 1943 a flood wall approximately 20 feet high by 2,000 feet long was constructed between the main portion of the riverfront and Front Street in downtown Portsmouth. The wall has been effective but was an eyesore until someone had the idea of painting murals on them. There are now more than 55 murals depicting the 2,000-year history of the Ohio River Valley, and one of them illustrates TOSRV.
The event offers several different distance options, depending on where you start. I was not up for two century rides back-to-back, but I chose the “half-TOSRV,” starting at Chillicothe, which is about the midpoint of the full ride, and thus I ended up doing two 50-mile days.
The ride is mostly on low-traffic roads, and much of the way is flat — a surprise in what is a hilly part of Ohio. The leg below Chillicothe does have quite a few rollers, so they were part of my trek.
My ride ended up being somewhat of a solo experience. None of my cycling friends were able to join me for the excursion and, as there were only 350 attendees at the event this year, I was sometimes the only rider within my sight, whether looking ahead or behind. Many of those who passed me were either in pacelines or pedaling faster than I wished to go. That was no problem for me; I enjoy some solitary time. Nonetheless, when I stopped once to take a breather, two separate passing riders inquired if I was all right and whether I needed any help, so the larger camaraderie of the cycling community was still in effect.
I wondered what, if anything, the smaller attendance figures at this and recent TOSRVs mean for the future runnings of the event, especially when many of the riders are older adults. But when I recalled that gravel bikes rather than 10-speeds are now the big thing in the cycling world and how many competing road-ride events there now are — from charity rides to multi-day tours in several states — many of which drew their initial inspiration from TOSRV, 350 still seemed a decent number to me.
And then there was the young father and his 4-year-old son participating in the event. I had noticed them at the overnight location and had a chance to talk to them briefly the next day after completing my ride. They too had chosen the half-TOSRV and had finished about when I did. The dad had pedaled a cargo bike with his son safely ensconced in the cargo area. When I asked how his son had done on the ride, the father said he had done well and that this was the second year in a row they had participated together. The previous year, when the boy was 3, the dad had come prepared to pull out of the event if his son was intolerant of the experience, but in fact, the boy had loved it.
I didn’t think to get their names, but in them, I saw the spirit of Charles and Greg Siple.
Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.
Our group rode this several times starting in the early 80’s. It was a challenge, enjoyable and quite the experience. Depending on your overnight location you could have 210+ mile weekend. The start at the downtown location was unique. Police escorts at intersection etc. Plus the huge number of riders. It was actually difficult to get registered.
Great memories.
For a few years in the late 70’s my cycling friends traveled from Chicago to participate in the TOSRV which served as the next phase of my lifetime of cycling. We rode in cutoffs and t-shirts but the event brought hundreds of cyclists together for the ride. Portsmith was a great host town with dinner, breakfast and awards. I rode a Fuji Finest. Great times. 40 something years later, just back from cycling the Italian Alps.
Joe D / Chicago
From 2000-2008 I rode this with a group out of Cincinnati. We left Cincy on Friday and rode to Grove City. We then did TOSRV finishing in Grove City Sunday night and riding back to Cincy on Monday. We called this the Mighty 400. We had our own baggage handler since we had to deal with the Friday and Sunday night stays. It was really fun since there were 2 days riding with a small group of up to 2 dozen riders then 2 days with the large TOSRV group. I’m not sure how many TOSRV participants there were back then but I remember you were never really out of sight of other cyclists.
TOSRV is not the oldest Double Century. The Los Angeles Wheelmen began running it’s Double Century in 1959 and has run it every year since including 2020 (although it was a self supported event that year due to the pandemic). We are proud to be the oldest Double Century and would appreciate a correction being made in a subsequent issue of RoadBikeRider.com In subsequent years we also began offering a triple century and then a quadruple century (all to be completed within 24 hours). We also believe these are the oldest of these type events as well.
Rod Doty, VP, Los Angele3s Wheelmen
Your note serves as the correction. Thanks.
Correction issued in the article. See above.
Stan
TOSRV ISN’’T a “double century” it is a touring event with full tour, 1/2, and one day options. That is the difference. TOSRV is presented as the oldest touring classic. You have the double and quad century distinction.
A reader of this article just connected me with the father and son I met on the ride. The are Mason Morgan (the dad) and Dino (the son). They are from Westerville, Ohio, where Mason is the owner and lead mechanic of Westerville Bike Shop.. In our email exchange, Mason wrote: “I love TOSRV and want for my children to also have that same love for it. To be mentioned alongside Charles and Greg is an honor. No matter the fate of TOSRV in an official capacity, you’ll see Dino and I riding out there in late September until Dino can pass that experience to his children.”
I started riding TOSRV in the early 90’s and rode it perhaps 15 or 20 times. During that time the ridership dropped from 6000 to around 3000. The great thing about the early rides was that there was always someone on the road and you could surf the pacelines. The weather could be miserable but made for great stories over the years.
You are incorrect in saying that only the pandemic year(2020) was missed. Joe Kirk and Mark Gibson rode tosrv that year as recorded by Columbus Outdoor pursuits.
Tell me more. Was it just the two of you?
Below is a copy/paste from a article that was written by Greg Siple, TOSRV Co-founder
When COVID seemed to force the cancellation of the 2020 TOSRV
it appeared that the 58-year run of TOSRV, [the oldest annual continuously run bicycle tourng event in America] would be broken.
But Mark Gibson and joe Kirk
decided that that shouldn’t happen and stepped up to ride the 2020 Tour on their own. On Saturday;
September 12, 2020, they left the Ohio Statehouse and set out for Portsmouth. Mark is a long time TOSRV rider. He started at age 14 in 1969, and over the decades has ridden 40 times; in 1974 he volunteered at the Brook Yates food stop, when a minor surgery kept him off the saddle. Joe is a relative newcomer, riding the first time in 2016, but no less enthusiastic with
5 Tours to his credit.
They rode unsupported,
carrying a few essentials in fanny packs. They hit all the food stop towns, and relied on convenience stores and the Chillicothe Subway to keep them going. In Portsmouth they overnighted at the Holiday Inn and feasted on a spaghetti dinner ordered from Giovannis, a nod the the All
Saints church spaghetti dinner”,
Mark points out.
He continues, “Saturday was a nice warm day with a soft 12-14mph breeze from the south with gusts to 20mph. It was a steady rain shower when we woke Sunday as predicted, but the predicted tail wind for the day was faise. A TOSRV headwind both ways! Rain included-perfect TOSRV weather.
We planned on the rain and it was tolerable as the temp started at 68°
in the early going and made it to 76° try the time it stopped mining.
Had off-and-on showers after Waverly. The down hills of 335 and Higby were taken with extreme cau-lion because we were in the middle of a heavy downpour. Imagine going down Schoolhouse Hill slower than you climbed it the day before.
The rain let up by Three Locks Rd.
Leaving Chillicothe the sky opened again with large pelting drops – the heaviest downpour of the day.
Mostly a sunny day from then on and we shed the rain gear. The wind picked up around Circleville so we had 6-8 mph head wind to dry us.” Mark even made a patch to memorialize their unique ride and is making plans for the 60th Tour this year.
Joe Kirk & Mark Gibson at the Statehouse.
‘It is as if Mark and Joe were reinactors of
1962. When Dad and I set out for Portsmouth we had no support of any kind and like them we were traveling very light. We had some small bags slung over our shoulders and relied on restaurant food along the way. In Portsmouth we stayed in the old Hurth Hotel.
It was a hot steamy summer – no rain, but 25 miles of river fog each morning.
– Greg Siple, TOSRV Co-Founder
Joe,
Good to know. And glad you two were able to do this. The source I was using didn’t have this info, so I’m happy we can include it here.
Stan
I wonder who your source is because the copied-and-pasted statement Joe Kirk sent you is from a Document titled TOSRV 59 Final Report and definitely part of archives of Columbus Outdoor Pursuits. I would include an image of the document if it were possible. The National Bike Museum has record of Joe and I keeping TOSRV alive in 2020. Your article deserves a correction.
Correction now included in the article. See above.
Stan
One more irk. You failed to mention the ride was moved to Canal Winchester—not for less expensive lodging, but because the Siples lived in Canal Winchester when Charles and Greg first rode — from home.