Bike Me to the Moon / Western Ohio

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

Aviation in America has had an incredibly close link to two-wheeled transportation (bicycles and motorcycles). Nowhere is this link more evident than in Western Ohio. You might think that Western Ohio is just corn fields and small towns, but I found, after leading a ride here for a group of tandem friends, that it has a wealth of interesting history and great riding. The six days of touring will include possible stops at Fort Recovery, Grand Lake, Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum, the Erie - Ohio Canal, the Bicycle Museum of America, the Air Force Museum of America and the Wright Brothers Bicycle Shop / Aviation Museum. We will have the opportunity to see all of this in six days of riding on mostly low traffic and flat roads.

OVERVIEW:  This tour is a mixture of fixed and point to point format. It will start and end in Dayton, Ohio. We will stay in Dayton for the first two nights, then Greenville for the next, Celina for two nights and one night in Sidney. We will stay in  Dayton one last night, have a group dinner and finish the tour.

RIDE RATING:  I have rated this tour at 1B. The average distance per day is 41 miles.  The average elevation climb is about 715 ft. 

The itinerary is:

Day 0 meet in DaytonMileageElevation

Day 1 Dayton touring                           36.3 miles600 feet

Day 2 Dayton to Greenville45.1 miles975 feet

Day 3 Greenville to Celina45.9 miles675 feet

Day 4 Wapakoneta Loop46.5 miles730 feet

Day 5 Celina to Sidney36.4 miles600 feet

Day 6 Sidney to Dayton 37.9 miles700 feet

WEATHER:  The average high temperature for Dayton in May is around 71 Degrees (F). This season is the most comfortable for riding, avoiding the high heat and humidity of full summer. There is always a chance of rain so being prepared with rain gear is recommended.

LODGING & MEALS:  Lodging will be in a Holiday Inn Express (includes continental breakfasts) or other similar lodging.  All tour rides will include suggestion for lunch locations.  Celina, Dayton, Sidney and Greenville have restaurants available with in walking distance.  

LOGISTICS:  For those who drive to Dayton, we can park cars at the Holiday Inn Express for the week. For those flying into the area, the Dayton Airport is close to our first lodging location. Taxis, My Taxi and Uber are available from and to the Airport and the Holiday Inn Express. The estimated cost for a one way ride on Uber-xl is about $21. 

There will be several days where we will be touring museums. It is suggested that all riders bring a lock to help prevent any theft.

COST & ADMINISTRATION:  Included in this tour will be Cue Sheets and GPX files for all rides, some maps, 7 nights of lodging, 2 group dinners, drinks and food for 7 happy hours, transportation for luggage from location to location and entrance to all planned museums.  The solo supplement is $428, paid directly to leader by check and due by 3/15/2018.   First payment is $600, paid on-line by credit card to BAC and due at time of signup.  Second payment is $500, paid on-line by credit card and due 1/15/2018.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY:  It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own. However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until March 15th to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC fee and payment processing fee) or pay the single supplement and stay on the ride. If a single pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary. The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride.

CANCELLATION POLICY:  The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY:  Remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP:  To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description. When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Waitlist to the Pending List. At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration fee and the initial tour deposit of $600 USD by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List

To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.