The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

OTET- Cincinnati to Cleveland, Ohio rail trail

June 17th to June 26th

Ride Director: Robyn Saur
Ride Co-Director: Mark Copher
Report by: Chrysa Niewald

Day 0  Our group of 20 riders met in Covington, KY for the start of our OTET - Ohio to Erie Trail ride.

Day 1  Due to the heat, most of our group left around 6:00 am for a 71-mile trek.   We wound our way across the Ohio River and through Cincinnati on trails and streets. We eventually reached the Little Miami River Trail and rode to Xenia. Tomorrow, we head towards Columbus.

Day 2  Today we left Xenia early for a 60-mile ride to Columbus.  Fortunately, there was light cloud cover most of the day, so it kept the heat from feeling quite so bad. We mostly rode on the Chase Camp Trail. Our route took us through mostly rural farmland.

Day 3  It was another hot day and an early start with a 40-mile route to Mount Vernon. The Alum Creek trail was beautiful and crossed the creek multiple times on beautiful bridges. We enjoyed the cool forest canopy. Today’s highlights included Galena, Ariel Foundation Park, and a dog fountain in Mount Vernon our overnight town. 

Day 4  Today's ride was only 40 miles to Millersburg. Half of the route was on the Kokosing GAP trail. We had lots of nice shade and passed through the covered Bridge of Dreams. We reached Amish country, and the well paved trail had a smooth surface.  The second half of the trail was on roads and had a few hills.  Today’s highlights included Amish country, and Killbuck.

Day 5  Today was a 44-mile ride through Amish country to Massillon.  We stayed on a trail for the first 11 miles, then rode on nicely paved back country roads. We passed numerous buggies and Amish cyclists. Many were riding e-bikes. We stopped in Fredericksburg at a coffeehouse.  We reached Massillon early and had time to explore the city where a street fair was underway.

Day 6  The plan for today was to ride all the way to Peninsula (about 44 miles) and then take the train back to Akron.  Rain was in the forecast, so we left early.  We headed out on the Ohio Erie Canal Trail towpath, which is a mix of packed dirt, crushed rock, and pavement. Highlights for today include canal locks, and the train ride to Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Day 7 Our group had a private breakfast at the hotel before the last 47 miles. We enjoyed the plush canopy of the Ohio Erie Towpath.  There was a trail closure, and our detour was an old carriage trail of loose gravel. The urban trail was great, and we crossed numerous bridges as we snaked our way through the city. At mile 41 we arrived at the Cleveland Metropark on Lake Erie. The lake is quite beautiful, and we enjoyed a nice lunch near the beach and a chance to dip our tires.  Our group dinner together tonight was at the Winking Lizard restaurant. Tomorrow is a rest day and time to explore Cleveland.

Day 8 Our final day of the trip is a chance to explore Cleveland. Interesting sites include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Botanical gardens, Christmas Story House, and the filming of Superman 2025 a few blocks from our hotel.  This was a great trip!