The Fools Ride 2026

Welcome to

Fools Ride 2026

"Have Fun, Take Chances."

📅 Apr 23–26 📍 Richmond, Ohio 🏆 6th Annual

Days

Routes

80+

Acres

∞

Shenanigans

What's New in 2026

🐒 NEW

Little Bikes Program

🏁 NEW

Little Bike Timekeeping Enduro

MotoSport prizes

🔴 RETURNS

DS Hard: Buzzsaw Loop

🏍️ ON SITE

KTM Demo Bikes

Point View Cycle

About the Fools Ride

The Fools Ride is Appalachian ADV's flagship annual rally — held every April in the Ohio River Valley near Richmond, Ohio. Four days of ADV, Dual Sport, and off-road riding across the stunning Ohio countryside.

Twisty pavement, gravel roads, forgotten dirt lanes, creek crossings, and trails that test your mettle. A family reunion vibe with home cooking from the Base Camp Crew — Kane's actual family. Come as strangers, leave as Fools.

ADV & Dual Sport Gravel + Dirt + Pavement Ohio River Valley Meals Included Nightly Bonfire MotoSport Prizes KTM Demo Bikes Door Prizes Little Bike Enduro Safety Clinic

⭐ Special Events

🏁 Little Bike Timekeeping Enduro

Sat Evening

Presented by MotoSport. Monkey/Grom/pit bikes only. Steady-speed format — go too fast OR too slow and you lose. Sign up at the Registration Desk all weekend.

🎁 Prizes: $250 · $100 · $75 MotoSport Gift Cards

🚑 Biker Down: Now What?!

Sat Evening

Josh Hudson of Roll Model leads this free motorcycle accident response clinic in the Fools Barn. ~1.5 hrs. All riders welcome — this one could save a life.

🍺 American Legion · Birdfish Beer Garden

All donations support veteran causes through the American Legion fundraiser. Bonfire nightly, weather permitting. The social heartbeat of base camp every night.

🎬

BDR Documentary Screening

Thursday evening · Fools Meeting Barn · Latest Backcountry Discovery Routes film

🎙️ Jim & The Fools — Podcast Episode

New to the Fools Ride? Listen to the December 2024 Appalachian ADV Community Podcast episode with Jim McMillion before you arrive — a great intro to what this rally is all about.

🎵 Listen on Spotify →

🙋 Volunteers Needed

Want to help make the Fools Ride happen? Volunteers get special discounts on future Appalachian ADV events and clinics. Email [email protected] to sign up.

🗓️ View 2026 Appalachian ADV Events →

Event Schedule

Thursday · April 23 — Arrival Day

9:00 AM

🏕️ Fools Base Camp Opens

Check-in · Tents, trailers, pop-ups & campers welcome · 80+ acres

10:00 AM

🐒 Little Bike 120 ADV Ride

Trail 125s, Monkeys, Groms, pit bikes · Led by Marsh & The Monkey Boys

Guided Ride

1:00 PM

🏍️ Shorty ADV Group Ride

Guided · All ADV skill levels welcome

Guided Ride

3:00 PM

🔴 DS Hard — Gatekeeper Singletrack

~2 hours · Expert only · Plated DS bikes only

DS Hard

6:30 PM

🍖 Dinner

Pulled Pork · Coleslaw · CrockPot Mac · Cake

7:15 PM

🎬 Montana BDR Documentary

Fools Meeting Barn · All welcome

Special Event

Nightly

🍺 Birdfish Beer Garden

American Legion fundraiser · Open every night until we run out!

10:30 PM

🌙 Quiet Hours Begin

Friday · April 24

6:00 AM

☀️ Quiet Hours End

7:30–8:45 AM

🍳 Breakfast

Mama Wag's Toppings Bar · Ham · Fruit · Coffee

9:00 AM

📢 Daily Riders' Meeting

All riders · Guided & self-guided · Required

9:10–9:40 AM

🏍️ All Groups Form & Launch

ADV · DS Moderate · DS Hard · Little Bikes · Sign up at Registration each morning

Guided Rides

6:30 PM

🍖 Dinner

DiRusso's Sausage with Peppers & Onions · Baked Beans · Roasted Potatoes · Watermelon · Cake

7:30 PM

🎁 Door Prizes

Door Prizes

Dusk

🔥 Bonfire

10:30 PM

🌙 Quiet Hours Begin

Saturday · April 25

6:00 AM

☀️ Quiet Hours End

7:30–8:45 AM

🍳 Breakfast

Cheesy Eggs with Peppers & Onions · Bacon Bits · Fruit · Coffee

9:00 AM

📢 Daily Riders' Meeting

All riders · Required

9:10–9:40 AM

🏍️ All Groups Form & Launch

ADV · DS Moderate · DS Hard · Little Bikes · KTM Demo Bikes on property all day

Guided Rides

5:00 PM

🏁 Little Bike Timekeeping Enduro

Presented by MotoSport · Monkey/Grom/pit bikes · Prizes: $250 / $100 / $75 MotoSport gift cards

Special Event

6:30 PM

🍝 Dinner

Mama Wag's Homemade Sauce · Pasta & DiRusso's Meatballs · Bread & Butter · La Villa Salad · Youngstown Cookie Table

8:00 PM

🚑 Biker Down: Now What?!

Josh Hudson · Roll Model · Free safety clinic · Fools Barn · ~1.5 hrs · All welcome

Safety Clinic

Dusk

🔥 Bonfire

10:30 PM

🌙 Quiet Hours Begin

Sunday · April 26 — Departure

6:00 AM

☀️ Quiet Hours End

7:30–8:45 AM

🍳 Breakfast

Pancakes · Sausage · Fruit · Coffee

9:00 AM

📢 Daily Riders' Meeting

9:10–9:30 AM

🏍️ Groups Form & Launch

Quicky ADV + Nature Church DS Mod · Back at Base Camp by ~1:30 PM

Guided Rides

~1:30 PM

🏁 Ride Groups Return

Break camp · Head home · See you at Fools Ride 2027!

Live Weather · Richmond, OH

Loading current conditions…

Riding Routes

Download GPX files to your GPS, Garmin, or phone app (Gaia, Rever, DMD). Dual Sport files available for 'Ville Ride and Creek Runner.

📍 Download POIs GPX → — gas stations, food, medical facilities, sightseeing stops

Route Types

ADV — Paved + dirt/gravel roads. Optional off-road Challenge Areas available.
DS Moderate — Quad/SxS trails, creek riding, flowy singletrack. ADV bikes welcome-ish. Intermediate–Expert.
DS Hard — Dual sport bikes ONLY. Singletrack, steep climbs, rocks, logs, off-camber. Expert only.
Challenge Areas — Optional short off-road sections on ADV routes. Max ~15 min. No pressure.
Playgrounds — Optional challenges on DS routes: hill climbs, logs, creek crossings, etc.

Road Warrior Loop — All Pavement

165 mi

Twisty two-lane county roads through three Ohio Counties with great Ohio River views. Gas and lunch stops in small towns along the way. Street bikes, ADV bikes, all welcome. Zero off-road — pure pavement fun.

🗺️ On your GPS: Look for the Road Warrior route

Easy ⬇ Download GPX → 🗺️ Ride with group →

⚗️ Early beta — GPS tracking may pause when screen sleeps. Feedback welcome.

Beginner ADV Loops

56–120 mi

Three loops for all skill levels — mix of pavement, gravel, and dirt roads through the Ohio River Valley and farmlands. Optional off-road Challenge Areas available. Gas and food stops throughout.

🗺️ On your GPS: ■ Riverview (dark blue) · ■ Farmlands (green) · ■ Quicky (yellow)

Beginner Friendly ⬇ Download GPX → 🗺️ Ride with group →

⚗️ Early beta — GPS tracking may pause when screen sleeps. Feedback welcome.

Intermediate ADV Loops

101–120 mi

Stepped-up challenge with unmaintained dirt roads and "No Maintenance" lanes that get serious in wet weather. Combo loop uses sections from all other routes — great for one-day riders. Optional Challenge Areas push it further.

🗺️ On your GPS: ■ Intermediate (purple) · ■ Combo (dark grey)

Intermediate ⬇ Download GPX → 🗺️ Ride with group →

⚗️ Early beta — GPS tracking may pause when screen sleeps. Feedback welcome.

Dual Sport Moderate — Fri & Sat

'Ville Ride

63 mi

Unmaintained dirt roads dominate the first half, heavy off-road and playgrounds in the second. Twisty paved connectors throughout. Guided Fri & Sat — sign up at registration each morning.

🗺️ Terrain: Dirt roads · quad/SxS trails · playgrounds · twisty pavement

DS Intermediate–Expert 🧭 Guided Ride Only — No Shared GPX 🗺️ Ride with group →

⚗️ Early beta — GPS tracking may pause when screen sleeps. Feedback welcome.

Creek Runner

65 mi

Off-road action from start to finish — dirt roads, quad/SxS trails, creek riding, and twisty pavement connectors. Plan to get wet. Guided Fri & Sat — sign up at registration each morning.

🗺️ Terrain: Creek crossings · dirt roads · singletrack · twisty pavement · doesn't overlap with 'Ville

DS Intermediate–Expert 🧭 Guided Ride Only — No Shared GPX 🗺️ Ride with group →

⚗️ Early beta — GPS tracking may pause when screen sleeps. Feedback welcome.

Nature Church

50 mi

Sunday's guided ride — great dirt roads with a trail stretch woven in. Relaxed pace, back at camp by 2:00 PM. Shares some terrain with 'Ville and Creek Runner.

🗺️ Terrain: Dirt roads · trail stretch · mixed pavement · Sunday only

DS / ADV · All Levels 🧭 Guided Ride Only — Sunday

⚠️ Guided ride protocol: If you're not completing the planned route, communicate with your Lead or Sweep — don't just leave. Someone will ride back with you. Every rider must be accounted for.

Dual Sport Hard — Fri & Sat (Full Day)

Dual Sport Hard — Buzzsaw Loop

100+ mi

Led by Buzzsaw of the Appalachian ADV Inner Circle. Full-day affairs on Friday and Saturday. Expect 2-track, tight singletrack, steep climbs and descents, rocks, logs, off-camber sections, and tight gaps between trees. You've been warned.

⚠️ Street-legal, plated dual sport bikes only. No ADV bikes. No exceptions.

Expert DS Only · Plated 🧭 Guided Ride Only — No Shared GPX 🗺️ Ride with group →

⚗️ Early beta — GPS tracking may pause when screen sleeps. Feedback welcome.

Little Bikes Loop 🐒

NEW for 2026! Trail 125s, Monkeys, Groms, pit bikes — special loops built for the small bike crowd. Led by Marsh & The Monkey Boys. Maximum chaos, maximum fun.

All Levels New 2026 🐒 No GPX — if you need a map, you're overthinking it 🗺️ Ride with group →

⚗️ Early beta — GPS tracking may pause when screen sleeps. Feedback welcome.

🏍️ Meet Your Ride Leads

ADV Guides

Ed Desimone

ADV Guide

Ed leads Thursday groups and returns as a swing guide Friday and Saturday. Happy riding with everyone from first-time off-road riders to experienced ADV veterans.

🏍️ 2019 Africa Twin

Brad McLean

ADV Guide · AADV Inner Circle

AADV Inner Circle member and a consistent presence on the ADV routes every year. Equally capable on technical dirt roads as he is logging miles on the longer loops.

🏍️ 2013 KTM 500 XC-W · 2023 KTM 890 Adventure R

Brad McFadden

ADV Guide

Founder of Lost at Last Adventure Travel and architect of the GOAT trail. Brad helped build the riding culture in this region — he knows these roads as well as anyone.

🏍️ 2023 KTM 890 Adventure

Little Bike Guides

Brian Marsh

Little Bike Guide · AADV Inner Circle

AADV Inner Circle member with one of the most diverse garages around. If it has two wheels, Brian has probably ridden it — and probably off-road.

🏍️ DRZ · KLR 650 · Husky TX300 · Harley Sportster (and more)

The Monkey Boys — Steve & Sean

Little Bike Guides

Steve and Sean are Ohio's dedicated small bike crew, now heading up the Little Bikes Loop at Fools Ride. Where do small bikes go when they grow up? They become Friends of the Fools.

🏍️ Steve: BMW R12 G/S · Sean: Tenere 700 — but catch them on a Honda Monkey too

Dual Sport Guides

Brian "Buzzsaw" Anderson

DS Hard Guide · AADV Inner Circle

AADV Inner Circle. Brian has been riding these trails longer than most people have been riding motorcycles. He knows every inch of the Buzzsaw Loop — and he has no mercy.

🏍️ DRZ

Matt Kane

DS Moderate Guide · Ice Cream Kartel

Leader of the Ice Cream Kartel — we ride motorcycles and eat ice cream. Grew up riding in West Virginia on a Honda CR250R, picked up a BMW F800GS in 2015, and completed the Colorado BDR in 2019. Has served as Sweep and DS Moderate Lead at multiple Appalachian ADV events.

🏍️ BMW F800GS

Kane Wagner

DS Guide · Founder, Appalachian ADV

Founder of Appalachian ADV — the veteran-owned organization behind the Fools Ride and everything around it. Kane will be leading groups all weekend. More at AppalachianADV.com.

🏍️ Kawasaki KLX 300 · Tenere 700

Thomas Macconnell

DS Guide · Official Event Photographer

Professional photographer and a serious motorcycle rider. Grew up on dirt bikes and made a natural transition into ADV and dual sport — including multiple 24 Hours of Appalachia Rallies and Iron Butt road riding. A regular at Appalachian ADV events and clinics, Thomas leads from the front and shoots from everywhere else.

🏍️ Yamaha T7 · 📷 macconnellphoto.com

Fools Ride Host

Jim McMillion

Fools Ride Host

Jim and his wife Reiko have been among Appalachian ADV's most supportive people from the start — helping grow the Fools Ride into what it is today. On the first Allegheny Tour in 2021, he's scouted the territory, led and swept groups, hosted Level 2 Riding Clinics, and opened his property every year for this event. An excellent rider who knows every nook of Fools Territory. If you see Jim around camp, take a moment to thank him — none of this happens without his generosity.

🏍️ 2025 KTM 450 XCF-W or 2024 KTM 890 Rally

⚡ Back to WiFi Portal

Base Camp · Richmond, Ohio

📍

Location

8791 Co Rd 56, Richmond, OH 43944 · 80+ acres of private land in the Ohio River Valley. Exact coordinates at check-in.

🏕️

Camping

Tents, trailers, pop-ups and campers welcome on 80+ acres. Rustic setup — come prepared. No hookups.

🚿

Facilities

Shower + 110v outlets in the Fools Meeting Barn. Porta-johns throughout the property.

🍺

Birdfish Beer Garden

American Legion Post fundraiser — all donations support veteran causes. Bonfire nightly, weather permitting.

🍽️

Meals — Full Rally Pass

Breakfast: Fri / Sat / Sun · Dinner: Thu / Fri / Sat. Home cooking by the Appalachian ADV Base Camp Crew. Lunch and gas available in nearby towns.

🎣

Fools Pond

Pond on the property — cast a line anytime. Not open for swimming.

🐾

No Pets

Pets not allowed at Base Camp. Please make arrangements before arriving.

🏍️

KTM Demo Bikes

Point View Cycle KTM demo bikes on property throughout the weekend. Pit bike shenanigans too.

⛺

Glamping Available — ADV Bound

Canvas tent packages from ADV Bound LLC — Single $165 / Double $230 (plus OH tax). Includes cot or air mattress, sleeping bag & pillow, chair, lantern, charging bank, boot dryer, & propane shower. Returning 2025 customers get 15% off. Contact Kurt Blankemeyer: (850) 445-4020 · [email protected]

🔄

Fools Swap Meet — The Barn

Motorcycle-centric swap meet in the Barn all weekend. One area for free stuff, one area for gear for sale. Good place to find that part you didn't know you needed.

📐

Camping Tip — Bring Levelers

Nearly 90 acres of rolling hills — a level site is not guaranteed. Strongly recommended for trailers and campers. First-come, first-served. All camping is rustic.

📍 Get Directions to Base Camp →

📢 Daily Riders' Meeting

9:00 AM

Every Morning · All Riders — Required

Group Formations & Launch: 9:10–9:40 AM

All riders — guided and self-guided — attend the Daily Riders' Meeting before heading out. Each Ride Lead briefs their group separately before launch. Sign up at the Registration Desk each morning for your group.

🏍️ Ride Groups — Sign Up Each Morning

ADV Group Rides

Beginner, Intermediate & Combo loops · Paved + dirt/gravel · Optional Challenge Areas · All ADV skill levels welcome

Thu–Sun · Sign up at Registration Desk

DS Moderate — 'Ville Ride & Creek Runner

Dirt roads, quad/SxS trails, creek riding, playgrounds · Intermediate–Expert · Full day

Fri & Sat (full day) · Sunday: Nature Church DS Mod

DS Hard — Buzzsaw Loop / Gatekeeper Singletrack

Singletrack, steep climbs, rocks, logs, off-camber · Street-legal plated DS bikes ONLY · Expert

Thu (~2 hrs) · Fri & Sat (full day) · Sign up at Registration Desk

🐒 Little Bikes Loop

Trail 125s, Monkeys, Groms, pit bikes · Led by Marsh & The Monkey Boys · All levels

Thu–Sat · Sign up at Registration Desk

👥 Lead & Sweep Protocol

Every guided ride has a Lead rider at the front and a Sweep at the back. No rider gets left behind.

If you need to cut your ride short, tell your Lead or Sweep before you leave. Someone will ride back to Base Camp with you. Every rider must be accounted for at the end of each day.

⚡ Challenge Areas & Playgrounds

ADV routes: Optional off-road Challenge Areas along the way. Max ~15 minutes each. Completely optional — no pressure. Riders who skip regroup just ahead.

DS routes: Playgrounds built into the route — hill climbs, log crossings, creek crossings, off-camber. Optional but this is what you came for.

🛣️ Road Warrior Loop (Self-Guided)

165-mile all-pavement loop. Street bikes and ADV bikes welcome. No meeting required — GPX on the Routes tab. Ride at your own pace anytime.