Dear Desperate Ground,
I found your proposal and reasoning interesting and at the
same time somewhat unfounded in changing the route. Since you asked for feedback
I would like to give you my viewpoints.

Your suggestion to alter the route in the designated section you refer to as
the unpleasant section of road between Chillicothe and I-270 is not a bad
suggestion, but given the alternatives, I would opt for the way the route is
presently and the way it always has been. Here's why:

1. Several years ago on TOSRV, we detoured onto some of the roads you
suggested through Commercial Point because sections of 104 were closed due to
construction. That was the worst detour I have ever endured. The roads were in
very
bad shape and pitted from years of salt and sand from the winter months. Riding
on them was intolerable. Plus, they were wide open to wind and weather with
little or no trees and other wind breaks to make the cycling more tolerable.

Some of these same roads are on Snoopy (or Spot as it is now called) so if
you want more variety in your cycling, ride this popular training ride. These
roads are OK for a few hundred scattered over the miles. They are not conducive
to the thousands that attend TOSRV.

2. I prefer the more direct route on TOSRV, that being 104. It has fluidity
and consistency which I think is more important on a 200 mile weekend than a
detour off the main route. I am not alone in this viewpoint. For many years the
route veered off 104 to maneuver into the first foodstop in Circleville on
Saturday. I went there once on my first TOSRV in '72. What a mistake! You talk
about congestion and traffic! I never went back there on subsequent TOSRV's and
bypassed the stop by staying on 104 all the way into Chillicothe. Over the
years, thousands did the same thing. The Circleville stop was eventually
eliminated. I think on the way back to Columbus, thousands would do the same
thing if
the route took the roads you are suggesting.

NOTE: Fast paced traffic on the way back in the area you are concerned with
doesn't bother me near as much as clogged slow moving traffic on narrow roads.
If anything, maybe police escort could be stepped up in this area.

3. Let's talk about tradition for a minute. The route is what it is because
of the founders, Charlie and Greg Siple. For years now TOSRV as followed nearly
the same course that they took in 1962. I think it should stay that way.
Tradition and History mean more to me as a rider that a few miles of not so nice
riding. To be perfectly honest, I have never been on any ride or tour in my 35
years of cycling that didn't have some not so favorite areas. They simply are
unavoidable in order to get from Point A to Point B and back again. If you
look at the entire rout, the end justifies the means.

CONCLUSION: After starting and completing 26 TOSRV's, I think the route
should stay the way it is. The only change that I can think of that would
benefit
the TOSRV is the food stop between Columbus and Chillicothe. The Dairy Farm
where it is now isn't making it.

I am curious about a few things. In your letter to the Tour Director, you
mentioned that some of your friends quit riding TOSRV because of the section of
road in question. I find it hard to believe that dedicated cyclists would quit
riding TOSRV because of a few miles of roadway. I think the real reason most
riders quit TOSRV is because of weather. It takes strong intestinal fortitude
to endure the early season tours which are required in order to make TOSRV more
doable. I suspect your friends are finding an easy way out and not being
entirely truthful with you.

Also, many people get bored easily with the same tour and move on to others
or quit cycling to try other things. Many people I know, especially the ones
who introduced me to TOSRV years ago, no longer ride or have opted for different
rides for a multitude of reasons.

You mention this section of road only on the way back to Columbus. What about
on the way down on Saturday? Why is 104 tolerable to you and your friends on
Saturday but not on Sunday?

Again, its a good suggestion but not a feasible one in my opinion. I could be
wrong but if you did a poll of TOSRV riders, I think the majority would
support my view.

Happy TOSRVING to you and yours in years to come.

Sincerely,

Chris

Pataskala, Ohio








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