Upcoming Events

Event Organizer: Please consult this page to request an appearance by the Ohio Wheelmen at your event.

Various parades & events

It's expected that regular events from past years will be attended by Wheelmen this year. These events include the Great American Brass Band Festival, the Pemberville Free Fair Parade, the Minster Oktoberfest Parade, and many others.

If your local area has a parade, offer to ride your bicycle and help promote The Wheelmen.

Troy Strawberry Festival

Troy, Ohio

The Wheelmen are a part of the 2013 Strawberry Festival Parade. The Wheelmen are in Section D, Unit #23. We should arrive at our staging location by 9:15 a.m. If you need a parking pass, contact Richard.

Please contact Richard if you plan to ride with us or if you have a question.

Ohio Bicycle Federation
Bicycling Awareness Day

Columbus, Ohio

We need a few Wheelmen for a day of cycling advocacy at the state level with the Ohio Bicycle Federation. A few Wheelmen, a few bikes, and some talking with state-level decision makers.

OBF advocacy information.

Great American Brass Band Festival

Danville, Kentucky

Great American Balloon Race - Entertaining the crowds at the Great American Balloon Race will start about 5:00 p.m. on Friday evening, June 7 at the Stuart Powell Field airport south of Danville. Or use an alternate website by the GABBF. The newspaper magazine AMERICAN PROFILE had a short article about the GABBF in the May 30, 2011 issue.

Great American Brass Band Festival - The Wheelmen will participate in the 11:00 a.m. parade on Saturday. The probable gathering spot for Wheelmen before the parade is the Constitution Square State Park on Main Street. Before the parade, we'll probably meet for breakfast at the Red Rooster restaurant one block east from the park. Immediately after the parade, I expect us to be invited to an 'office party' for a luncheon buffet. After the parade we'll ride around festival sites around town. From 1:30 pm until 2:30, we also staff an exhibit area on College Street (where it is closed for the festival between Walnut and Grant Streets).

Overnight dorm space is available but you need to submit your name early. If you want to participate, send me a note NOW. Even if there is not a dorm room available, you can surely come and participate in all the Wheelmen activities.

A ten-mile, Sunday morning ride will be an option. Last year we found an interesting route out of Danville into the rural countryside along with a dozen local bike riders.

A bunch of photographs are available on a gallery page.
Contact Richard for further information.

Napoleon Strawberry Festival

Napoleon, Ohio

Wheelmen have been requested to provide a display of antique bicycles and have riding demonstrations during the midday festival. (This is not a parade.) Please send me a note if you are able to participate in this festival.

Please contact Richard if you have a question or comment.

Wheelmen Demo for GOBA

Bicycle Museum of America
New Bremen, Ohio

The Wheelmen have been invited to demonstrate antique bicycles during a layover day of the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure. The Bicycle Museum of America will have the large parking lot set up for the demo at 1:00 pm when thousands of cyclists will be enjoying a rest day in New Bremen. This will probably be mainly riding demonstrations of ordinaries and safeties since the museum will be open for 'memorabilia' viewing by the cyclists.

Please contact Jessica at the Museum or the Ohio Wheelmen Captain if you have a question.

46th Annual Meet
of The Wheelmen

Louisville, Kentucky

The Kentucky Wheelmen invite the Wheelmen to attend the Annual Wheelmen Meet in beautiful Louisville, Kentucky. Come and enjoy a meal on a paddlewheel ship in the Ohio River. Visit the many sites that Louisville has to offer.

You can plan on coming a day before the meet to visit Churchill Downs for horse racing at its finest! The university dorms will be available beginning on Thursday, June 20 to give you a "race day" before the Wheelmen Annual Meet starts!

Check the excellent Kentucky Wheelmen website. To register, download the REGISTRATION FORM, fill it out, and send it in!

If you have questions, please contact Alison Torpey, the Annual Meet coordinator, by telephone at 502-584-0849, or by postal mail at 1506 Highland Ave., Louisville, KY 40204.

Classic Auto Show and Cruise-in

Dublin (Columbus-area), Ohio

The Classic Auto Show and Cruise-In features the Friday cruise-in and a formal Classic Auto Show on Saturday.

Friday's Cruise-In now boasts over 1,500 cars that come from more than 20 states to compete for 100 six-foot tall trophies and many prestigious specialty awards. This event continues to grow dramatically each year.

The Arthritis Foundation's Classic Auto Show proudly offers 50 judged classes of automobiles including 27 Show-Within-A-Show groups. Local and regional car clubs present each Show-Within-A-Show group. These judged classes expand and develop yearly. Please contact Stephanie Perry (614-876-8200) with questions about the 31st Classic Auto Show & Cruise-In.

As more details are developed about the Wheelmen participation, we'll post them here. At this time, I imagine a static display of machines, tools, lanterns, etc., as well as riding demonstrations during the day.

Please contact Richard if you have a question.

Mackinac Island Regional Biennial Meet

Mackinac Island, Michigan

A wonderful long weekend of car-free bicycle riding. The area is not horse-free or fudge-free, though. For more information, please contact Randy Oleynik or by phone at (734) 654-2159.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Timken Grand Parade

Canton, Ohio

The Wheelmen have ridden in this parade in the past. Based on our past performances, the parade committee has asked The Wheelmen to ride again. Before I complete the application, I want an indication of who would like to participate. The complication is that this date conflicts with the Mackinac Island Regional Meet that weekend. Please send me a note if you want to be a part of this huge parade.

The parade chairman states the spectator count along the 2.2 mile parade route is typically about 200,000! The festival schedule (caution: still 2012 dates) shows the various activities of the festival. The parade description is here.

You will probably NOT be able to just show up for this huge parade. You will most likely need to know the logistics of getting into town and the starting location. So, please if you think you are going, let the Ohio Captain know well beforehand. When these logistics are known, we'll post them here.

It would be great if we had a CROWD of Wheelmen for this huge parade! We're looking for East Coast Wheelmen as well as those in Ohio and elsewhere unable to get to Mackinac Island for the weekend meet.

Please contact Richard if you would like to participate in this parade or if you have questions.

Second Annual Clustered Spires High Wheel Race

Frederick, Maryland

Official information page for the race.

Here are two great videos that captured the essence of the inaugural event in August 2012.

Video by Michael Hakkarinen.
and
Video by Lance Duvall.

Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village

Dearborn, Michigan

A large gathering of about 800 classic, pre-1932 automobiles takes over the village for the weekend. About 100 Wheelmen machines on display, demonstrated, and ridden around the village. Casual games are played and ice cream is served. Early Sunday morning, an OHWT is ridden through the quiet streets of Dearborn. Come join the fun, it's just a bit north of the state line! Go here for Old Car Festival information. Wheelmen need to pre-register their machines using the new process described below.

We look forward to your participation in the 2013 Old Car Festival here at The Henry Ford. The 63rd annual event will be held on September 7 & 8, 2013. We are excited to announce some new changes to our registration process.

The application and registration for the 2013 Old Car Festival will be significantly different than it has been in previous years. We have developed an online registration process, which will allow you as a participant to go to a specified website to create a registration profile and then register for the 2013 Old Car Festival. We will begin accepting registrations on May 1, 2013 and will until July 29, 2013. Please see the attached information for registration procedures.

OCF Entrant Registration Process

Oktoberfest Parade and OHWT

Minster, Ohio

Oktoberfest Parade at 2:00 pm. This is a huge parade in a small town. We usually have about 20 Wheelmen (young, old, and in-between) riding! Mel's Decorating is our sponsor each year! Many thanks to Mel's for providing sponsorship as well as food and drink! Wheelmen participating in the parade are invited to Mel's Decorating at 106 W. 4th Street in Minster before and/or after the parade for food and drinks and conversation.

We are planning to have an OHWT 10 mile ride in late-morning before the parade. A beautiful route has been found from Minster, through Fort Loramie, through Lake Loramie State Park along Lake Loramie, and back to Minster.

We meet in the parking lot at the corner of N. Cleveland Street and W. 5th Street. This is just around the corner from Mel's Decorating up on 4th Street.

Our line-up spot is usually on Cleveland Street, just north of Fourth Street. The parade organizers request that we arrive between 11:30 and 1:00 and be ready to go by 1:30 pm. Since we are near the front of the parade, we should be starting soon after the parade start time of 2:00 pm.

March 23, 2013 (Saturday)

Ohio Wheelmen Memorabilia Meet

New Bremen, Ohio

Memorabilia Meet, swap meet, and OHWT. Come see memorabilia from the Wheelmen era of pre-1918 cycling. Hosted by the Bicycle Museum of America from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. The 2012 schedule is still available as an example.

Reserve a $10 table with an e-mail to Jessica at the museum. Those with reserved tables get in at 8:30 to setup.

We expect a wide range of collections including cyclometers, lanterns, sheet music, badges, ribbons, tools, and more. In late morning, we have two presentations in the comfortable Lock One Theater across the street from the museum. Lorne Shields (Toronto) will make a presentation about WOMEN AND CYCLING AS ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHY. Carey Williams (Chicago) will make a presentation about VELOCIPEDES IN AMERICA FROM 1865-1869.

Take a video virtual tour of the Bicycle Museum of America.

Depending on the weather that day, we will also ride around town again. So, if the weather looks favorable, bring a bike!

A set of photos from the 2012 Memorabilia Meet are now on The Wheelmen website.
A set of photos from the 2011 Memorabilia Meet are now on-line.
Check the photos from the 2010 Memorabilia Meet.

Some of the activities in 2012 were:

• We had about 60-75 attendees!
• Lou Schultz gave a talk on Bicycle Steins
• William Hentges presented LITTLE WHEELS - a Century of Cycling Toys
• Of course, we had the memorabilia exhibit & swap shop area!
• Attendees also browsed through the wonderful collections of the Bicycle Museum of America!
• Several high wheel riders took a short tour of New Bremen after the meet was finished.

Marion County Rail-Trail Opening

Marion, Ohio

More details will be added here when plans are firmed up by the county park district and historical society.

Memory Lane Classics Swap Meet

Grand Rapids, Ohio

The Memory Lane Classics bike shop hosts this two-day swap meet.

Ann Arbor/Saline Classic Bicycle Show and Swap Meet

Saline, Michigan

Info for this huge Swap Meet.

Calvin's Challenge

Springfield, Ohio

2012 REPORT: Four Wheelmen showed up to race! Steve entered the 6 hour Time Trial and Alison, Carson, and Richard entered the 12 hour Time Trial. Alison won the women's high wheel division with 100 miles. Carson won the men's high wheel division with 104 miles while Richard was a distant second at 103 miles. Carson on the road last year.