TOSRV
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The two-day bicycle Tour of the Scioto River Valley is better known by its acronym, TOSRV. It began as a father-and-son outing in 1962 before quickly growing into the nation’s largest bicycle touring weekend.
The event, annually held on Mother's Day weekend in May, will be the 45th annual tour in 2006 with around 3000 cyclists expected to ride the 210 mile weekend (105 miles Saturday and 105 miles Sunday). The tour starts in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday and the riders spend the night in Portsmouth on the Ohio River and return on Sunday, to Columbus.
TOSRV is organized by Columbus Outdoor Pursuits (COP), an organization with a full range of noncompetitive outdoor activities.
Since the TOSRV route runs along the Scioto River valley, it avoids the large hills of southern Ohio. The first 50 miles south of Columbus include some slight grades, and from mile 50 to mile 65 there are a series of short, steep hills. The remaining miles to Portsmouth are relatively flat for a total of 105 miles (169 kilometers) for the day. The Tour returns to Columbus along the same route.
TOSRV is not for the casual cyclist. To enjoy TOSRV riders should have ridden at least 400 miles during the two months prior to the Tour including at least one 75-mile day. In addition, the riders and their bicycles, and equipment must be in top shape.
In the 1970's and 1980's, there were around 6000 to 7000 riders who participated in TOSRV.
