September 4, 2022
Finding adventure in the Buckeye State
My fourth bicycle tour across the Ohio to Erie Trail
I woke praying that there would be no raindrops on my hotel room window. A gray Monday morning greeted me when I pulled open the drapes. No rain! The last two days saw me pedaling a soggy path to Columbus. The remnants of Hurricane Florence’s northward path dogged me from Cincinnati to Xenia and into Columbus on my 2018 Moffitt Memorial Ride.
Alum Creek had overflowed its banks covering the Alum Creek Trail. I and the other riders would be shuttled from downtown Columbus to Westerville. My tour pals Carrie and Matt joined me in Jody Dzuranin’s car, our shuttle to Westerville. I often say that the most memorable moments of a tour are when you overcome obstacles and encounter the unexpected on the bike.
Little did I know the impact this hurricane and chance meeting with Jody would have on my involvement with the Ohio to Erie Trail. I had celebrated my retirement two years earlier with this ride. Carrie and Matt invited me for a 2018 reunion ride. I was all in. I fell in love with touring Ohio by bike. I was falling in love with this trail. Jody’s enthusiasm sealed the deal. I wanted to be part of the Ohio to Erie Trail.
Fast forward to today. I am the treasurer of the Heart of Ohio Trail, one of the trails in the Ohio to Erie trail network. I joined the Ohio to Erie Trail board after the 2018 ride. I became the leader of the trail’s marketing team. I joined the Moffitt Memorial Ride volunteer team in 2021 and am returning this year to lend a hand. I am all into promoting it as one of the premier long-distance trails in the United States.
About the Ohio to Erie Trail
The trail is a network of 23 trails that connect to form a nearly complete path of 326 miles from the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati to the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland. 90% of this path is on rail trails, multipurpose trails, and a canal towpath with the remainder largely on quiet country roads. It joins other iconic trials including the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, Great Allegheny Passage, Erie Canal Trail, and Katy Trail as a popular destination for touring cyclists seeking a long-distance relatively traffic-free ride.
What makes this ride unique?
Ohio is often referred to as a crossroads of America. The geography changes as you cycle across the state. The shady Little Miami River Valley leads to the flat open prairie of Western Ohio. Central Ohio rolling farmlands welcome you to Ohio’s Amish country. You ride through history following the Ohio and Erie Canal. The beauty of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park leads to the industrial heart along the Cuyahoga River at the Lake Erie shore. The trail passes through Ohio’s urban centers of Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron, and Cleveland. Small villages and towns greet you just about every 10 miles. I know of no other trial that offers this variety of geography, scenery, and people in a ride.
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Join me on this journey
I hope that you will follow my cross-Ohio adventure in this travel journal. It will be my fourth ride on the Ohio to Erie Trail. I have my favorites and hints that I will share. I always look to discover something unseen and unknown to me on past rides. As a volunteer and cyclist, I will share how the 46 Moffitt Memorial Ride cyclists see the trail and my home state.
Quote of the Day
The most memorable times when touring by bike are the times when you overcome an obstacle or encounter the unexpected. -Tom Bilcze
Today's Trivia
Here’s a little bike touring trivia courtesy of the Guinness World Records. Jenny Graham cycled unsupported around the world in 124 days. Mark Beaumont cycled supported around the world in 78 days, 14 hours, and 40 minutes. Lloyd Collier and Louis Snellgrove tandem cycled unsupported around the world in 281 days. Ed Pratt unicycled unsupported around the world in 3 years, 135 days.
Follow the Tour
No need to jump on a train or canal boat as I pedal the tracks of steam locomotives and canal boats across the Buckeye State. You can just check me out on social media at Cycle Blaze and Instagram with hashtags #OH2Erie and #Moffitt22.
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