It’s a beautiful day to go for a bike ride. You finish your pre-ride check list: tires pumped up, wheels spin freely and brakes engage on the rim, and nothing looks like it’s about to fall off. You remember to bring refreshment so you reach for:
- Your bicycle water bottle;
- The half drunk bottle of ____, (fill in your favorite brand) water;
- A can of ice tea.
Your answer should have been 1. your bicycle water bottle. Bicycle water bottles are designed to be inserted into water bottle cages. If you place a large size water bottle next to a smaller size bottle you will notice both have an indentation in the bottle. This design allows the bottle to fit snug when inserted fully in the cage. Beverage bottles and cans are not designed to be placed in a water bottle cage. They may appear to fit when placed in the cage, however they can and do pop out when you least expect it or desire it.
All of the water bottles we stock are BPA, DEHA & DEHP free. They are FDA Food Contact Safe.
We also offer BioGreen™ bottles. A BioGreen™ bottle is also biodegradable! Products made of BioGreen Plastic biodegrade in a landfill, dump or backyard compost pile. Unlike corn based plastic, products made of BioGreen Plastic are recyclable and are not affected by heat or light. They degrade into biogas and a biomass that actually adds nutrients to the soil. Make a puncture less likely — and quicker to fix if it does happen.
The TowPath Companion is a traveler’s guide to the Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail. It is published by the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition.
At a cost of $14.95, both a map and a guide it is a bargain. It contains a short history of each traveled area along the TowPath trail. It features a detail of each section traveled. At the back of the guide there is a map of the entire trail, maps of the north and south with mileage indicated between trailheads, and a distance plotter map (the distance from a trailhead to various others along the Tow Path).
Metro Parks, Serving Summit County has a page on their website discussing the wildlife to be found on the TowPath Trail. The page also includes great information regarding the history of the area.
As reported in the Akron Beacon Journal on August 22, 2010. Akron is getting $173,186 in state funds to connect the Ohio & Eric Canal Towpath Trail and the Northside Station. The money will be used to acquire 2.9 acres and build an 1,100-foot asphalt-paved trail between the rail station for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the Beech Street Trail-head just north of downtown Akron.
The route would cross Howard Street using the bridge abutments next to the rail trestle used by the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, said Akron Spokesman Ralph Coletta. Design work for the nearly $1.2 million project is to get underway late this year. Much of the route is an old rail line owned by the ODOT.
Support the Trail with a Towpath Tag!
Did you know: the Towpath Trail is patrolled by park rangers and volunteer Trailblazers. They are available to share information and assist with emergencies. This service costs about $100,000 annually.
The Towpath Trail lies in a flood plain between the canal and the Cuyahoga River. Erosion damage from the river and large storms make more expensive repairs occasionally necessary.
The Towpath Trail is popular, receiving over 2 million visits each year.
Towpath Tags cost just $5 each, and proceeds contribute to trail maintenance.
You may purchase tags in person at the Nature Realm visitors center, daily from noon to 5 p.m., and at the administrative offices, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also purchase the tags by double clicking the image of the towpath tag. It will open a new window to the website of the Cuyahoga National Park Association.
Do you drive a car? Do you ride a bicycle on the road? Do you have friends or employees that are cyclists? The state of Ohio offers a special license plate for cyclists and friends of cycling. This license plate can be a unique gift idea for a friend, an employee or yourself!
On Wednesday, December 22, 2004, Governor Bob Taft signed the Share the Road license plate into law as part of House Bill 406. This law culminates five years of efforts by the Ohio Bicycle Federation to create an auto license plate which will publicize the importance of motorists sharing Ohio’s roads with bicyclists.
Get your SHARE THE ROAD plates before it is too late..310 license plates have been sold in 2012 through February 25th.
Goal: To sell 1000 plates each calendar year. Why this goal? Because the State of Ohio will cease issuing the license plates unless 1,000 are sold each calendar year, January 1 through December 31. Thus, to insure future availability, the Ohio Bicycle Federation has set this annual goal. The funds generated by the sale of this plates are used for publication of the valuable bicycling safety pamphlet, Ohio Bicycling Street Smarts. So it’s important for all of us to buy or renew the special plates, and encourage others to do likewise.
As it is a special plate there is an additional cost over the standard renewal fee, however please consider supporting bicyclist/motorist education by purchasing this license plate. The Ohio Bicycle Federation reports for the years 2005 through 2010 there were a total of 10,496 Share the Road plates sold. There was a record 2413 plates sold in 2011!
For more information, please visit: https://www.oplates.com/ or www.ohiobike.org
Or pedal to your local deputy registrar.
Or call 1-800-589-8247.
