We know it as the TowPath Trail, but did you know that the Ohio & Erie Towpath trail is a segment of a cross state bikeway? It is not continuous as there are some segments missing, and it is about 85% paved.
There is an overview of the trail on the map section of the Ohio Bikeways website. The Ohio Bikeways website describes the trail as follows: the Ohio-to-Erie is a 325-mile cross state bikeway that extends from the Ohio River in Cincinnati, through Columbus and on to Lake Erie at Cleveland.The trail uses a number of different trail segments to complete its extended journey.
The 329.7 mile trail is the subject of a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch. The columnist, Steve Wartenberg rode with Jerry Rempelt, executive director of the O to E Trail Fund. Their ride was from Centerberg to Mt. Vernon Ohio, a 60 mile distance.
Recently Don and I had an opportunity to speak with a cyclist that had started his ride in Gambier Ohio and was riding north to Cleveland by the days end. His stop off the trail in Barberton was due to a needed repair to his bicycle.
Please take pictures and share them with us if you ride any parts of this trail.
One of our favorite short rides is about 7 miles. We head down 2nd Street NW and turn right on to Hudson Run Road. We are on it until we can turn left on to Fairland Road. There is a sign right at the turn onto Hudson Run that it will be closed to through traffic for 2 days effective June 17.
If you too, enjoy that route as a way out of town- take note.
We decided to check out another area of Ohio for bicycling when our Rotary District 6630 Picnic & Awards Ceremony was scheduled to be held at Headwaters Park. Sunday offered 80 degree temperatures and a nice breeze. The ride was a fund raiser to support Rotary’s campaign to end polio. Our ride was 17.5 miles in length- round trip on the Maple Highlands Trail. The trail is primarily a converted rail road bed, meaning it is fairly straight but there were changes in elevation along the way that added some additional fun to the out and back route. Along the route we also enjoyed riding through some covered bridges, and admonishments to pick up after your horse please-the horse signs were along the park road.
The Maple Highlands Trail is in Headwaters Park, part of the Geauga Park system.
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Along the Maple Highlands Trail
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Covered bridges on the trail
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Trail map
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Don & Ruth on the Maple Highlands Trail
As reported in today’s Akron Beacon Journal. Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, wants to build 7.2 miles of mountain bike trails near the now-closed Hardy Road Landfill in North Akron. Allowing mountain biking will be the subject of a public open house sponsored by the park district from 5 to 7 tonight at the Seiberling Nature Realm, 1828 Smith Road, Akron.
Fuji Nevada 29er 4.0
Today is the last day of May and of Bike Month events. It is also the unofficial start of summer! So, we don’t stop riding but we continue looking for fun places to ride, and sights to see.
Today’s forecast of mid 80 degree temperatures has me pondering what bicycle creation we can produce that would be of similar function as the keg bike. The bike built for a keg is on Columbusalive.com. The URL is to their website: http://www.columbusalive.com/content/stories/2013/05/30/for-the-love-of-bikes-a-bike-built-for-a-keg.html
The Larry Bidlingmyer Community Bike Ride is this Saturday, May 11. If you have not yet completed a registration form you can still join us at the Snyder Avenue Towpath Trail entrance. On site registration will be available from 8:30-9:30 am. The rain is supposed to move out by the ride time of 10 AM.
If you have not yet had a chance to ride this year, consider getting your bicycle out on Friday before 5 pm, pump up your tires and be ready to join us Saturday morning for your choice of a 3 or 8.5 mile ride.
