I slept in Monday morning until I could hear the frost on my tent dripping from the sun melting it. I hit the road intending to be on the bus in Grove City by sunset.
I had a couple donuts from Jolly Pirate while I waited for the bus and called my brother who would be getting out of work at the same time my bus rolled through downtown. Turns out, he was going to a Donald Trump rally with his girlfriend, so I joined them. After the rally, I went home.
In summary, I rode 314 miles in 7 days, an average of about 45 very flat and very straight miles per day. I visited 6 different people. Big thanks to those who lent me a couch to sleep on!
163 miles to ClevelandA trail and a rail153 miles to Cleveland
I could probably have made it home by this evening if I had pedaled all day today. Instead I had breakfast with my friend from grade school and finally met his girlfriend of 4 years, then read a book the rest of the day until the sun got low.
Now I’m toasty warm in the Hotel del REI despite sub-freezing temps outside. 45 miles to go!
Welcome back to Ohio, Rachel and Tony! Saturday morning, rode across town through Beavercreek to my cousin’s new apartment complex to help them move in. With about ten people helping out, they were ready for a party by kickoff. We all watched the Buckeyes lose, then hung out for the night.
Moving complete, we kicked back and watched the game.
Friday morning, hit the trail north from Mason to Beavercreek.
I intended this trip to be more leisurely than my first, but some quick addition could have revealed that would not be the case. It has gone to plan so far, and 225 miles in 4 days is not leisurely. I have 3 books to read and don’t have to be back until… I don’t know, Thursday? I’ll take it easy on the way home.
The southwest Ohio trail network is centered in Xenia Station, hence the 0.0 mile marker there. It truly is a great network that connects almost continuously with dedicated bicycle trails from Cincinnati to Cleveland.
I arrived at Ahmed and Emily’s home in Beavercreek on Friday afternoon and enjoyed lunch, Young’s Dairy, and chicken for dinner. I met their two kids, Alistair and Bazile for the first time also.
This is my first post on the road. It’s actually pretty easy to do from my phone. I’m here with Kevin Furay at his lovely townhome and we are both being antisocial on the internet.
This morning, I woke up, broke camp, and started riding southwest from Cedarville.
The path is straight and flat just like the railroad it replaced. The coolest part today was the construction on the new I-71 bridge over the Little Miami River. There was drainage water falling from the road like rain on the path from 100 feet above. I also saw a large buck on the path, but he disappeared into a field before I rode close.
A new bridge is being built while traffic continues to use the old bridge.
I’m on the road again, this time touring southwest Ohio on the bike path from Columbus to Cincinnati. I got a late start, rode the COTA bus from home to Grove City in order to pick up the bike path in Galloway. I stopped in Galloway for dinner before really even riding and didn’t hit the trail until after dark.
From 2000-2345 Tuesday night, I rode from Galloway to just short of Cedarville.
When I started out, I was worried that I would have some trouble on an unfamiliar trail at night, but with a warm tailwind and enough of a moon for light, it was my new favorite ride since returning to Ohio. Of note, toward the end of the ride, I ran over an animal about the size of a possum. It ran right in front of me in the dark. I could hardly see it and it scurried off into the grass quickly afterward.
After biking to Cleveland and back, my bike miles since returning to Ohio are up to 1043 and that compares to 1134 in the truck. So I’ve closed the gap to under 100 miles, but the truck miles still are in the lead.
Today was a big day. I put a deposit down on a TEFL certification course in Rio de Janeiro for February!
Quiz question of the week: A person from Michigan says he is going to the “UP,” what does he mean? What state does the “UP” border?
402 total miles on the bicycle for the whole trip.
The gear I packed weighed a total of ~30 pounds. 15 pounds of that was in my backpack on my back and 15 pounds in my bag on my bike rack. The only thing I brought that I wish I hadn’t was a “long john” shirt that I donated to a Goodwill along the way.
This is a picture of all the gear I brought with me. The only thing not included in the picture is the jeans and shirt that I wore around town.
I did not bike the entire way. I used public transportation in some places. Used the bus to travel to the east side of Columbus the first day. Used the bus system for most of my travel around Canton / Massilon. Took the Amtrak from Cleveland to Sandusky, and rode the bus from Delaware to Columbus.
The tow path trail is indeed continuous from Dover to Cleveland. I was impressed.
The only major gaps in dedicated bike trails along the entire distance from Columbus to Cleveland is from Columbus to Centerburg and then between Millersburg and Dover. Otherwise, dedicated bike paths cover the entire distance. Google Maps has them accurately mapped out with green lines.
Of the 200 miles between Columbus and Cleveland, less than 50 are not covered by bike trails. The other 150 miles are on dedicated trails where no cars are allowed!
The wind indeed shifted as it was forecast to do. This was the worst day of riding of the trip. Tired, with a headwind and more traffic that any other of the days. Fortunately, it ended with a home-cooked bowl of soup!
