North to south or south to north, hot or cold, headwind or tailwind, I don't care. I just love to ride.

Guy and I have been getting a lot of e-mail asking us which way is better for riding the Ohio to Erie trail. Of course we suggest both is best! Ride it round trip like we did!

Guy and I both felt that the northbound route of the Ohio to Erie Trail was profoundly easier than going southbound. We often joke about going south is downhill but in this case it seemed the south to north route was more in our favor. However, our opinions may have been skewed by a few factors. . .

–It was early in the season and we were stiff and rusty especially after a no-snow winter (we cross country ski to stay fit in winter)
–trepidation
–freaky hot and humid weather (over 90 degrees in mid May)
–the pressure to arrive as planned for 3 newspaper interviews along the way

on the northbound return we were
–more in shape and road toughened
–well rested after staying at my sister’s and at the KOA
—no appointments, schedules, or agendas
–much better weather though windy

I had significant fear about pedaling up Rt  62 between Brinkhaven and Killbuck but really it was not too bad. The day we did it was hot and we took our time. We tackled it at 2:00 in the afternoon hoping for a break in big truck traffic. It was much worse in my head. I also was concerned about getting into Dalton from Fredericksburg but that also turned out to be not that big of a deal. Again it was unseasonably hot but we kept a steady pace and kept eating high protein snacks at every break.

BTW The highest point on the Ohio and Erie TOWPATH Trail is just south of Akron and is 976 feet.

By far the toughest section is the southbound route on Rt 6 just south of Killbuck.
Also southbound is the section of Rt 62 between Brinkhaven and Danville that has significant hills. Last year we used the Mohican Valley Trail but if I were to do it again I would skip the trail and stay on Rt 62 and tackle the climbs.

So, for now, we prefer south to north. Perhaps we will ride it again this year and see if our opinion changes. . .
We just love to ride. I hope we get to go.