Mike Groeber has never met a cyclist he didn’t like. If you happen to meet Mike and you’re on a bicycle, he’ll show you hospitality that you’ll write home about. He’ll tune-up your bike for you. He’ll feed you. He’ll track down hard to find panniers for you. He’ll give you a map and make sure you know how to get where you are going. And before you saddle up, he’ll hand you an Ohio to Erie sticker too. The Ohio to Erie Trail won’t be the same without Mike Groeber as its leader.
He started serious bike riding in 1968, was elected VP of Springfield Cycling Club in 1971 and has been an official member of the cycling advocacy community ever since. Mike has lots of tales from his many years of racing, club riding, and touring, and about his cycling buddy “FM”, but the story I like best is the one of how he met Connie, his wife. He met her on a full moon ride in Yellow Springs that he and his buddy FM organized for their local cycling club. Romance bloomed in an unlikely place - under the golden arches at the McDonald’s in Xenia, where he and Connie started talking. Since then, they have ridden together on tours in more than 20 states. Mike holds claim to HUNDREDS of bike tours throughout the years.
Mike is likely the most talented professional bike fitter in the state of Ohio. In his fully equipped fitting studio, he has a knack for looking at your posture and adjusting everything ever-so-slightly, right down to where the cleats hit your pedals to give you the perfect fit. His accuracy is sharp, and service is bar-none.
Mike’s recognizable red mobile bike shop trailer has been seen at most every supported ride between Springfield, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and beyond. It’s full of tools or accessories that any cyclist could want or need, and riders flock to it while touring to make a quick purchase of an item they forgot, or to use one of the multiple air pumps, courtesy of Mike and his long-running business, Bicycle Revival.
Mike is stepping down as the chair of the OTET board at the end of 2022 after eight years as a board member and four years as President. It was an honor to work with Mike. He’ll still be cycling the trails so keep an eye out for him and Connie as they track some miles with smiles in the upcoming years.