CLEVELAND — Janet and Chris Winston love all the outdoor opportunities that Ohio has to offer.

They’ll get to see a whole lot of it when they bike ride 328 miles from Cleveland to Cincinnati.

What You Need To Know

  • Nearly 300 riders took part in Pan Ohio Hope Ride across Ohio

  • The ride raises funds for the Hope Lodge

  • Cyclists will ride for four days and stay the night in college dorm rooms

The Winstons are riding in the 18th annual Pan Ohio Hope Ride.

The ride is hosted by the American Cancer Society. Its goal is to raise $1 million for the Cleveland Hope Lodge which provides free, temporary housing for people receiving cancer treatment in Cleveland.

“We all have people that have been touched by cancer. My bro passed away a couple years ago. My wife, both her mother and father passed away from cancer,” Chris said.

The Winstons will be the only ones doing the ride on a tandem bicycle and there’s no taking it easy for the one in the back seat.

“I can tell when she’s cheating,” Chris said with a laugh.

“When he pedals, I pedal,” said Janet.

Riding tandem is a true team effort.

“I’m a foot shorter, so I can’t see if there’s a stop sign coming up, so he has to let me know,” Janet said.

Participants will take off from John Carrol University. They’ll make stops at College of Wooster, Otterbein University and Wright State University. They’ll spend the night in dorm rooms that go unused during the summer months.

Chris said people join for the ride but stay for the cause.

“It’s like bicycle summer day camp. All you do for four days: wake up, ride, drink, sleep, repeat for four days,” Chris said.