TROY — With health orders expected to lift in early June, preparations are in place to bring a scaled-down version of the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA) to Troy.
The Western Ohio Bicycle Adventure (WOBA) is a smaller, one-time event replacing GOBA that will host 500 participants and highlight the local communities in Sidney, Wapakoneta, Versailles and Troy beginning June 19 and ending June 26. According to Miami County Visitor’s and Convention Bureau Leiann Stewart, the Troy portion of WOBA will include a variety of tours at WACO, Moeller Brew Barn, Miami Valley Veterans Museum, Overfield Tavern and the Museum of Troy History. Ice skating will be available at Hobart Arena and cyclists can also swim at the Troy Aquatic center. Additionally, concerts will be held Wednesday, June 23 through Friday, June 25 for residents and riders to attend and enjoy while they are in Troy.
“It’s always positive when we can bring new people and added exposure to Troy and Miami County. It benefits our local shops and restaurants and our museums and attractions, which contributes to the growth and economic impact in our community. Troy has had a track record of providing GOBA riders with a fantastic experience while they are here, which is why they keep coming back, and we hope to continue this tradition in years to come,” Stewart said.
Troy was originally a destination for the 2020 GOBA, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to GOBA director Jeff Pierron, the decision to hold a smaller-scale version of GOBA was made in February, when it was unclear what the outlook was going to be for June and whether or not a normal GOBA event would be possible.
“What we decided to do is to go ahead and move GOBA to 2022 and stay in the same four towns that had been planned for 2020 — Sidney, Wapakoneta, Versailles and Troy — but since we had so much of the groundwork already in place in those communities, (we decided) to go ahead and offer an alternative event: WOBA,” Pierron said. “It’s just something where our riders would have the chance to do a cycling event, and also for the towns, it’s kind of a good economic shot in the arm for the communities. Right now, a lot of communities are needing all the help they can get. Even though WOBA is smaller, it’s still going to be helpful in that way.”
Pierron added that when GOBA was canceled in 2020, the communities that were slated to participate were asked if they would be interested in being involved in what would become the smaller-scale WOBA this year; the response was overwhelmingly positive, and GOBA is expected to return to the Troy community in 2022 as a more full-scale event for cyclists.
“Western Ohio has been a really popular location for GOBA over the years because it’s not too hilly and it’s not too flat — there’s just wonderful towns and scenery, and the towns have really done a great job in the past of hosting us. We’re excited to be able to have an event, even though it’s a smaller event, and hopefully, it gives everybody a chance to get geared up for next year,” Pierron.
For more information or to register for the 2021 Western Ohio Bicycle Adventure, visit https://goba.com/.
