IGotABike

So I suppose its pretty obvious that we ride our bikes a lot. Sometimes it becomes a challenge to figure out where to ride.
We have a few standard routes that we use. We have a 6 mile loop for those days when we don’t really have time to ride but need some exercise and fresh air. We have devised ways to extend this route to 8, 12 or 16 miles depending circumstances. This time of year available daylight, wind and temperature become an issue.
A few days ago the the temps were predicted to be in the 60s and even though it would be windy we decided to set aside our “normal” work and get out there for a nice long ride.
Recently we were out exploring in the area around the Cleveland Velodrome and stumbled on a bike path that we had never seen before and is not on the NOACA map of Cuyahoga County. I looked it up on Google Earth and created a route for us that was brand new. We rode to neighborhoods that we had never been to, not even in a car. It was neat to break new ground and not be that far from home.
We live near Lake Erie and often ride south through different neighborhoods and work our way into the Cuyahoga Valley to get on the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail to return north. We have always done this on the west side of the valley. This time we went south down the east side of the valley and found some great sights and great bike trails. Basically we followed Broadway, SR 14 from downtown Cleveland to Garfield Heights.
We used the Morgana Run Trail through Slavic Village and the trail through the Garfield Park Reservation. Eventually we ended up on the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath near the suspension bridges along Canal Road. The wind was strong out of the south so now we had the wind at our backs–very rare. This was good because we were wearing out and there was no time for lunch as the rain clouds were moving our way. We made a quick stop at The Westside Market just as it started to drizzle. The last 4 miles of the way home we had a crossing wind that was gusting enough to make it a challenge to stay upright. We looked at each other and laughed out loud. We are making a effort to be tough and try to ride through the change of weather.
With this 25 mile ride we broke our record for number of miles in a bicycle season and we are not done yet. We have now accumulated over 2000 miles in 2013 and looking forward to many more rides before we have to switch to cross country skiing.

Morgana Run Trail through Slavic Village is a rail trail completed in 2007. Approximately 2 miles long it begins in the north at E. 49th Street between Pershing and Fleet Ave and at Jones Road and Broadway in the south.

The bike trail through Garfield Park Reservation on the south east side of Cleveland was exploding with fall colors.

Heading home on the towpath with a tail wind through the Ohio and Erie Canal Reservation. The wind was sustained at S 22 with gusts at 32 mph making us feel pretty hardcore. We did not see many other cyclists that day???

New sections of the Camp Chase Trail were recently paved near the Battelle Darby Creek Metroparks. This new pavement is part of a larger plan to create a bike trail west of Columbus that eliminates the current route on US 40  Broad Street. The new route will utilize the existing Scioto River Trail and will incorporate a new bridge over Interstate 270.
These additions will be cheered by many as the old route was challenging even for the most experienced and hardened urban riders.
There is a new group, Friends of the Camp Chase Trail, that has formed in support of the effort. They have a Facebook page. Their first meeting was in October and the next one is November 14 at 6:30 pm. Information is also available at Consider Biking and The Friends of Madison County Parks and Trails website.
There are great photos of bridge construction on the Bike Commuting Columbus Facebook page. There is a map and more information in The Columbus Dispatch.
Big thanks to an IGotABike buddy, Danny Holt, for sending us the photos of the new Camp Chase Trail construction.

Here is Carol in May 2013 riding The Ohio To Erie Trail along Alkire Road checking out the new bike trail in the works.

Danny took a photo from almost the exact same spot in October 2013 showing the beautiful new Camp Chase trail pavement along Alkire Road.

Camp Chase Trail along Alkire Rd looking west, October 15, 2013

Filling the edge of the Camp Chase Trail blacktop with soil, October 15, 2013

The Camp Chase Trail from Indian Ridge entrance looking north to the railroad track, October 27, 2013.

The Camp Chase trail looking east from Kropp Road, October 27, 2013.

The IGotABike Ohio to Erie Trail Guide has been chosen as the winner of the RUBY Award by The Ohio Travel Association in the category “Mobile Applications” for companies with budgets under $300,000. The other winner in the Mobile Applications category was Great Wolf Lodge in the over $750,000 level.

The Ohio Travel Association is a nonprofit trade association representing travel and tourism related businesses. Its mission is to create a vibrant Ohio through a strong, equipped, and more profitable tourism industry.

With the annual RUBY Awards, the Ohio Travel Association honors those who have found the most innovative ways to market their destination or services. In the sixteenth year of the RUBY Awards, the Ohio Travel Association recognizes and rewards outstanding artistry in the diverse field of travel and tourism marketing and advertising.
Entries were judged in 16 categories based on relevance (objective), focus (strategy), differentiation, action (execution), breakthrough (result).

The winners were announced at The Ohio Travel Association Conference on Tourism, October 16-18, 2013 at the Cincinnati Marriott North, West Chester, Ohio. Other RUBY Award winners included The Ohio Historical Society, COSI, Experience Columbus, Columbus Zoo, Positively Cleveland, and many Convention and Visitor Bureaus. Guy and I attended the Ruby Award ceremony and were very impressed by the tourism professionals.

Thanks to all who have contributed to the IGotABike success and encourage us to keep riding and writing.

Now which way do we go?

We spent the past 5 days bicycle touring and camping in North East Ohio. We used roads and trail, including the wonderful Western Reserve Greenway, Bike and Hike Trail and Hike and Bike Trail. We camped at Mosquito Lake State Park and West Branch State Park. We will be publishing a blog about it soon, with another cool trail guide to follow. Around 200 miles total. Hint: we had fun!

Our friends over at the Cleveland Velodrome are holding a cool event on Sat Oct 4 at 3 o’clock.

Teams of bicyclists will race to pull a motor vehicle. Guy and I love the idea and love the Velodrome but we don’t to pull. We plan to attend and see if we can recruit a team to pull for IGotABike.com.

Shoot us an e-mail if you are interested or look for us at the event.

See photos and videos from a day at the Velodrome this summer–here.

Here is the video from the Velodrome Gang outside the Ohio City Bike Co-op getting ready for the big pull…

Thanks to all who sent in these unsolicited remarks and testimonials full of praise and accolades for The IGotABike Ohio To Erie Trail Guide. We really appreciate the support and encouragement!

Andy: I can say you have done a fantastic job!
Jason: Thanks for doing the research!
Bob: We recently rode the trail south to north and really enjoyed the trip. Your guide was very helpful both in preparing for the trip and during the ride.
John: Thank you for all your hard work putting this together.
David: Great guide! Really well done!
Mary: The trail guide worked great for my Ohio to Erie ride!
Jim: Thanks for the great service and the great tool.
Jody: Thanks for your guidance
Susie: You two are amazing! We are getting excited about our trip!
Walt: Thanks for all the work you’ve put into the guide!
Tom: Get the guide!
Doug: your guide gave me the confidence to make the Ohio-Erie Trail my first bicycle tour. I traveled solo from Lake Erie to the Ohio River from July 26 to August 1 and had a blast! I appreciate your efforts to promote this trail to all Ohioans.
John: Thanks for the update. Did the ride from north to south August 5 to 10th.
Wayne: Thanks! It’s surprising how quickly people are learning about your trail guide. Thanks also for the many neat remarks and helpful information on your blog.
Teresa: Thanks for the guide. It is awesome.