TOSRV History

1960's   1970's   1980's   1990's   2000's

Remember This?
12^th Annual TOSRV in 1973

The last "mass start" was in 1973.  Concern for rider safety brought a staggered start in 1974 which is still in use today.  It's just as well.  The group photo was getting out of hand with riders spilling off the steps and photographers having to stand closer to High Street each year.

Photo obtained from Jim Morgan.  Text from "The Mighty TOSRV" by Greg and June Siple.

There are many rides, but only one is America's bicycle touring classic - The Tour of the Scioto River Valley, better known by its acronym, TOSRV. Say TOSRV to bicycle riders around the nation, and they'll know you mean this event, which began as a father-and-son outing in 1962 before quickly growing into the nation's largest bicycle touring weekend. In fact, TOSRV singlehandedly raised the profile of the bicycle in American life and was the inspiration for many of the mass-participation cycling events so popular today across the country. TOSRV riders have come from across the country, and have ranged in age from one to 81.

Here at tosrv.org, we've begun collecting some interesting historical tidbits from the TOSRV archives, and for the first time ever, making it available online! So far, we've got posters and patches from many of the past tours, as well as some ride statistics. We've arranged this information by decade for faster browsing. To access the galleries, select a decade from the list at the left or below.

We'd also like to hear from you! If you have stories, information, or a copy of any of the posters or patches that we're missing, please drop us a line at

1960's   1970's   1980's   1990's   2000's

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