Miles John of Natural Light Photography
Between the Memorial Tournament and the Dublin Irish Festival, it’s clear that Dublin makes a good host city.
This year, a new event will make Dublin home, and visitors are coming in two by two.
The Midwest Tandem Rally is hosted by a different state each year, and this year, Ohio was chosen, with Dublin as host city for the second time. Participants will come in from all over the country, and some from different parts of the world.
“Of all the tandem rallies, the Midwest Tandem Rally is the largest,” says Pam Kulhanek, director of the rally in Ohio. “The Midwest Tandem Rally draws participants from all over the country.”
Kulhanek says that in 2013, when the rally was hosted by Greene County, it drew participants from 33 states, Canada and Brazil.
The last time the rally was in Dublin was 1997. With good roads for riding, dining options and plenty of hotels, Dublin makes for the perfect spot for the rally’s 41st event.
Each year, the rally becomes a hub for returning participants to catch up with friends met in years’ past.
“Not only do we have tandems, we have teams on triples, quads and a quint,” says Kulhanek.“Best of all, each year, the rally allows you to catch up with friends you have made from previous rallies. It is like a big family reunion.”
The event is a spectacle, even for those who don’t own a tandem bike.
“If single bike owners or local tandem teams would like to join us, they are welcome,” she says. “We would love to introduce them to tandem riding and what the Midwest Tandem Rally is all about.”
Miles John of Natural Light Photography
The great part about the rally is that it’s not a race, but rather a chance for participants to get to enjoy the ride while exploring the outdoors and spending time with friends.
“We offer turn-by-turn cue sheets (directions) on the Friday night ice cream ride. This offers participants an opportunity to ride once they check in at the rally registration and check into the hotel,” Kulhanek says. “We offer fully-supported, multiple ride choices both Saturday and Sunday. The rides are offered short, medium and long miles, and participants choose which route they wish.”
Kulhanek also suggests that those who are not participating to come out and watch the tandems take off on Saturday and Sunday at the Columbus Marriott Northwest.
“It is something to see, having 300-plus tandems lining up and heading out together,” Kulhanek says. “Bring the kids if you are interested in tandem riding. This is a great time to see the variety of tandems and configurations available.”
Even when participants are not riding, there will be many activities planned to keep the weekend full of fun and excitement.
“We offer seminars on Saturday night, a banquet on Sunday night at the Makoy Banquet Center and, throughout the weekend, when not riding, we have vendors from around the country offering everything from the latest in bike safety, the latest fashions in bike clothing and accessories, to jewelry, and of course, tandem bicycles for those of us looking to purchase another one,” Kulhanek says.
The Midwest Tandem Bike Rally takes place Sept. 1-4, and includes various registration options, including a tandem team of two adults, a team of an adult and a child, a triple team of three adults, and a custom team.
Jake Nerone is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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