Tag: #BicycleTouring

Our last day of the big adventure began with a chilly start as we rolled away from the hotel in Akron. The weather forecast was predicting rain and wind starting in the middle of the afternoon, so we hoped to arrive before the bad weather arrived. We’ve had seven fantastic weather days, so the idea of finishing all eight days without rain was very appealing. The good news is that the weather held off until after we completed the ride and checked into our hotel! Eight days of riding, not a drop of rain.

Navigating our way out of Akron was easy and smooth. We found ourselves pedaling north on the Ohio and Erie Canal towpath quickly making our way towards Cleveland. We stopped a few times for water and snacks, but otherwise we mostly just rolled on without any side adventures or issues. It was a great day for riding.

The towpath eventually becomes part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We stopped at an information center for a few minutes to learn a bit about this particular canal. It is one of the major canals that helped move goods along before the railroads dominated inter-state commerce. The canal ceased function in 1913 after a major flood rendered it too damaged to consider repair.

As we continued our journey, we found ourselves on the south side of Cleveland. There have been some new bike paths added since I last cycled here in 2019. We took this new route and it led us to the Edgewater park with very little time on city roads. We stopped by one of the Cleveland script signs on the south side of downtown before continuing on.

Edgewater Park is about 3.5 miles west of downtown along the lakefront. We rolled in and dipped our tires in Lake Erie, celebrating the completion of the journey across the state. We finished by getting pictures at the Cleveland script sign that overlooks the beach.

Our last part of the ride was to pedal back downtown to our hotel. We’re staying at the Westin. I nicely asked at check-in and they gave us two lake view rooms on the 16th floor. Nice.

A few days ago we discussed each of us having a food bingo card. Omelettes, pasta, pizza, and so on. Yesterday, JB said that his bingo card had ribs left to fill. So when we arrived at the hotel, I asked the bellhop if there were any good places to get ribs nearby. He offered up “Mabel’s BBQ”. We got cleaned up and wandered over for an early dinner. It did not disappoint! My regular diet resumes first thing tomorrow – I won’t be burning an extra 2,000 calories every day.

After a little walk around, we returned and watched “Breaking Away” as a group. Billy had never seen it. It’s not a top-10 movie, but a fun 1979 movie about a a group of young men in Bloomington Indiana who take part in the Little 500 bike race. It’s not exactly a cycling movie, but it does feature cycling, so that was good enough. Seeing Dennis Quaid as young guy is kinda fun, too.

During the movie, we were treated to a couple of fly-bys from some military aircraft out our winds along the lakefront.

Tomorrow we catch a shuttle home with our gear. It’s been a nice trip but I’m ready to get home. We’re packed up and ready to go.

Our overall stats for this trip: 467.57 miles, no flats, and no mechanical issues whatsoever! Eight days of great weather. Just a couple of saddle sores.

I sometimes get asked why I do trips like this. The truth is that it combines a few things that I enjoy: cycling, quiet time, and seeing parts of our beautiful country that you can’t easily see by car. It’s also great to spend time with friends. Perhaps one intangible reason is the sense of accomplishment of making a big goal and achieving it.

I’m not sure what my next cycling adventure will be. I have a few ideas in mind, but nothing firm yet for 2026. Stay tuned.

Until then, I hope you’ve enjoyed traveling along with us.

Peace,
— Dcn. Matt

We had another chilly start today for a great day of riding. Our AirBnB in Millersburg was perhaps the nicest rental I’ve ever done. The house is an immaculately renovated 1890s house with really comfy beds.

We had a long day ahead, but we all decided to let the temperature rise a little bit above the 50s and closer to 60 before we hit the road. We stopped by a local coffee shop for breakfast and then got underway.

Today’s ride had the most diverse route since we entered Ohio. There were paved bike paths, about 15 miles of rolling farm country roads, and finally the crushed limestone of the Ohio to Erie Canal towpath.

We were treated to some nice wildlife today, including a bunch of young deer in a field on our way out of Millersburg. We also saw some type of herons later in the day.

Our home for the night is a hotel in downtown Akron. As we were approaching the city, we ran across a young lady walking with an e-Bike. She had a flat rear tire. We stopped to help her, but it was tricky because we didn’t have the proper tools to remove the rear tire with its motor and associated cabling. It took us a while, but we were able to get a patch on her tire and sent her on her way to the local bike shop. We didn’t see her later, so we hope she made it without any further issues.

Dinner tonight was at a local “legend”: Luigi’s. This place has been in business since 1949. They have pizza, pasta, and other entrees. I had a large plate of spaghetti and it really hit the spot.

We have been blessed with really fantastic weather this trip. No rain and low temperatures. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for rain in the later afternoon. We’re going to try to get rolling early so that we can hopefully beat the rain.

As the miles passed by today, I started to think that I’m ready to be heading home. This has been just about the right length. I have a lot of things going on between work and home, and it will be good to get back. Of course, getting home to family is the best part, and sleeping in my own bed will be nice, too.

Peace,
— Dcn. Matt

The weather continues to be beautiful on our adventure. It was chilly this morning and I could have worn arm-warmers the whole day if I had wanted to. Because it was so chilly, we decided to push off a little later in the morning after a nice breakfast at the hotel.

We also decided to wander around town a bit by bike before heading out. Our last stop on the way out was another stop by the dog fountain. It’s a really neat piece of art. As a dog lover, I was intrigued by the idea that each of the dogs appears to be crafted after a donor, I think(?).

The rest of the day was uneventful in a good way. We had a shorter day so we didn’t worry about too much. The various trails today are nicely canopied and smooth. A very nice surprise was a brand new trail between Glenmont and Killbuck. In fact it was so new that my GPS didn’t have it in the memory. It bypasses a long length of road on a busy county road.

We arrived to our AirBnB in Millersburg in the mid afternoon. This home is really nice, perhaps the nicest AirBnB I’ve seen. We scrubbed up and got our laundry washed. We then went into town for a nice dinner at a local restaurant.

I don’t have a lot of time for a fresh blog entry today, so I’ll cut short for today. I’m going to get some sleep before a long day tomorrow.

Have a wonderful night and I look forward to blogging more tomorrow.

Peace,
— Dcn. Matt

Today started with a leisurely walk to get breakfast before rolling off. The original plan was only 50 miles, so we decided to sleep in a bit, walk to a breakfast spot a little ways from the hotel, then return to get ready and roll. The weather today was crisp and windy, with fantastic riding temperatures. We also wanted to wait a bit to allow the temps to get above 60.

We left the hotel about 10AM and rolled eastbound using a few blocks of city streets, then the 670 connector bike path, and the Alum Creek trail. About 7-8 miles into the ride, Billy said – “uh oh” (or something akin to that, but less PG rated). He realized that he did not have his cell phone with him. We tried unsuccessfully to use the Samsung tools to locate his phone but did eventually get ahold of the hotel. A few miles later, Billy remembered exactly where he had left it and we called the hotel again. We backtracked from somewhere on the quiet Alum Creek trail all the way back to the hotel in downtown Columbus. The people from the hotel were helpful in getting his phone back to him.

Since we don’t have any G-rated transcript or photos, we decided to recreate the scene for you: 1) Billy says “uh oh”, 2) Billy is very sad and consoled by Zubby, 3) after riding back to the hotel and returning, Billy is gleefully staring at his cell phone.

The rest of the day was much less eventful. We took a series of several bike paths and connectors to get away from Columbus and arrive in the town of Sunbury. We were about 2 hours behind, so a late lunch in Sunbury was the only stop there.

The last time I rode through here was in 2019. Since that time, Sunbury has now added a new bike trail that replaces several miles of road riding. It is a nice addition to the trail network.

We continued along and came to Centerburg, OH. This town claims to be the geographic center of Ohio. There’s a rock in the middle of a park with a plaque to make it official. We got a picture and moved on.

Our destination for today is the town of Mount Vernon. This is the home of Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Kenyon College. I’ve never spent any time in the town itself before today. I really like this little town. We’re going to explore the town a bit more tomorrow. One of the fun things in town is a Dog Fountain. It is a large public fountain where all the water fountains are dogs. It is very well done.

Right before arriving in the town from the west, is the Ariel-Foundation Park. An old PPG glass industrial factory that was cleaned up and turned into a really amazing outdoor park. There’s an old smoke stack that has been repurposed to a viewing tower. You climb up about 250 steps to get to the viewing platform. We climbed up, took a few pictures, and carefully climbed back down.

Our home for the night is the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel. It is very nice inside and economical. Our rooms are comfy and the staff has been fantastic about helping with our bikes and laundry.

After getting cleaned up, we went to a local restaurant for dinner. I had perhaps the best grilled chicken sandwich on the planet. It had pesto, aioli, lettuce, fresh tomatoes, on grilled sourdough bread. It was messy but delicious. I tried not to eat too many of the fries that came with it, but I admit that they were tasty too.

We wandered a bit after dinner and returned to the hotel. Tomorrow is a short day, so we’re going to get a leisurely start, exploring the town and local colleges before heading out.

It’s time for sleep. May the Lord provide you with a restful night.

Peace,
Dcn. Matt

We were blessed with another great day of nice weather and good riding. We had a simple breakfast at the Hearthstone Inn before rolling off about 9AM. We woke up to a foggy view, but by the time we left, the fog was nearly gone.

The trip today was nearly all on rail-trails. There are just a couple of miles of connectors when you reach the towns along the way and the last mile or so in Columbus to get to the hotel. This kind of riding is very different than our normal Kentucky riding or the first two days of this tour. The paths are flat and quiet. No cars to worry about, no hills to climb. I really enjoy these kinds of trails, but I also like the variety of rolling hills to mix up the workout for the legs.

The Prairie Grass Trail took us part of the way, followed by the Camp Chase Trail. Finally the Scioto trail in Columbus led us into the city. Columbus has a great network of trails that can get you all over the city and out into the suburbs. I sure wish my home town of Lexington had the same kind of biking infrastructure.

Our first stop of the day was the little town of South Charleston. It is a small farming community with just a few stores and shops to support the locals. We stopped for some pictures and a snack break before heading on.

About half way through the ride today is the town of London. London is a sizable town with a good trailhead. We stopped there for more water and snacks. Leaving the trailhead, the Ohio to Erie trail gives you two options: one goes through town, the other bypasses the busiest roads. JB and Zubby opted for going through town, we opted for bypassing town. Due to a lack of coordination on my part, we didn’t sync up again for several miles before regrouping on the trail.

As you begin to get to the outskirts of the city, there is a neat park: Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. We stopped for a quick photo and then did the only climbing for the day as the trail goes through the woods within the park.

A few miles later, the suburbs of Columbus emerge as we paralleled the Camp Chase Railroad. I promised the guys some donuts to make up for error outside of London. There’s a place called Amy’s Donuts along the way, so we stopped in and I bought a round of donuts.

I have ridden this section of our trip many times; This is my third cycling trip through here and I often do long day-rides out from where I work in Columbus. When we reached Amy’s, I felt like I was in the home stretch.

We arrived in the city and did a little impromptu navigating because the path I had planned was closed due to a party being held in the riverfront park. I’m sure we could have just walked around the event, but I didn’t think of that at the moment. About 15 minutes later, we arrived at the Hilton and rolled our bikes into the lobby. Lots of soap and hot water just feels like magic after a long day.

Next up, getting to mass and meeting the guys for dinner afterwards. I’m really craving a good sized meal and a beer. I’m sure downtown Columbus won’t disappoint.

I had a request to learn a little more about our mascot airplanes. So here’s the first installment. These nice little toys are modeled on the North American Mustang P-51. I’m not much for airplane factoids, but thanks to Wikipedia, I now know that the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War. There are British and American versions of this airplane and it was the dominant fighter until modern jet engines came along. Our current toys have held up well over the 243 miles of cycling. The propellers catch the wind and spin nicely. At first, we figured they’d fall apart after a few miles, but they’re hanging in strong – just like their real life counterparts. I’m betting they’ll be with us easily to the end of the ride.

With that, I’m off to get to mass at the Cathedral here in Columbus, followed by a generous dinner somewhere.

Peace,
— Dcn. Matt

Today’s ride was another great day in the saddle. The weather was beautiful and we had no issues along the way. We did have clear blue skies for the later part of the day, which is pretty, but also a little more toasty for riding.

We left our BnB south of Loveland just about 8AM. It was a pleasantly cool morning as we packed up our gear and rolled north. Unlike the previous two days’ riding, today was entirely on paved bike trails. We used the Little Miami Trail to head north from Loveland to Xenia, then the Prairie Grass Trail from Xenia to Cedarville. No dogs or cars to worry about.

Last night we all agreed that a good breakfast was in order. I did a little searching and found that Paxton’s in Loveland was open for breakfast on this weekend. We stopped there and had a leisurely breakfast. I opted for a 3-egg omelette with all types of veggies. It was delicious. It was also huge, so it was basically enough to power me through until this afternoon when we arrived in Cedarville.

The four of us are all very familiar with the Little Miami Trail. In the Spring or Fall, if there is a forecasted “epic weather” day, we will sometimes take a day off of work to come up and put in a long day of 100 miles on the trail. The Little Miami Trail follows the Little Miami River from just east of Cincinnati up to Xenia. It is a converted and paved rail line that makes a great place to cycle. There is a beautiful canopy of trees over most of the trail which provides shade and makes for beautiful scenery.

We stopped a few times along the way for water, snacks, or to stretch the legs. Today’s ride was shorter than the last two, but I’m a bit more tired today than after yesterday’s hard 75 mile day. I’m guessing it is the cumulative fatigue catching up with me.

Our home for tonight is the Hearthstone Inn in Cedarville, OH. The Hearthstone is a small family-run hotel that does a fantastic job of catering to the riders who come through town. I highly recommend staying at the Hearthstone if you are cycling through.

Cedarville is a small town with a college, but not a whole lot else. There is a Mexican restaurant across the street, so we went there for dinner. It was good and filling.

Tomorrow’s ride takes me into familiar territory. We’ll head north-east to downtown Columbus. I work for the Pontifical College Josephinum, which is a seminary on the north side of Columbus. I try to get up there several days each month and often cycle the Columbus area. We’ll cycle on a couple of connector trails with only a mile or two of road riding to get us from Cedarville to downtown Columbus.

I think this evening will likely be a quiet evening of hanging out with the guys and an early bed time. Everyone seems a bit quiet, so I think we’re all a bit tired.

Until tomorrow, may the Lord bless you with rest.

Peace,
– Dcn. Matt