The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

OTET - Cincinnati to Cleveland, Ohio

May 27th to June 5th

Ride Director: Robyn Saur
Ride Co-Director: Mark Copher
Report by: Richard Weisman

Submitted by: Rich Weisman and Mike Folsom

Twenty-one cyclists assembled in Newport, Kentucky, on May 27, 2025, for BAC’s trip from Cincinnati to Cleveland on the Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET). About 90% of the ride was on paved surfaces (mainly rail trails), with the remaining 10% on crushed limestone or other hard-packed surfaces. The route went through four cities, rural areas, farmlands, nature preserves, and a national park. The trip began with us crossing the Ohio River on the Purple People Bridge and dipping our rear tires in the Ohio River. We rode along the riverfront on the Ohio River Trail in downtown Cincinnati. We saw the statue of Cincinnatus (the Roman whom the city is named after) and Lucky the flying pig. Our journey north on the Miami River Trail took us by Lunken Airport, on to Xenia, and then to Columbus, Ohio’s state capital. These were our longer days of riding, composed of flat, smooth trails. The route took us through some picturesque towns like Loveland and South Charleston. On our way to Xenia we stopped for a delicious lunch at a local café in Waynesville. We stopped for coffee at a combination bicycle-coffee shop in London.

Our travels leaving Columbus had us donning our rain gear for a wet day in the saddle. We found a local diner in Galena for a mid-morning break to warm ourselves over breakfast and dry out. Later, we passed by the high point on the Heart of Ohio Trail (elevation: 1,285 feet) and some of us stopped by Ariel Foundation Park, an old glass factory repurposed into an outdoor green space, and climbed the observation tower. We stayed in Mt. Vernon near where there is a dog-inspired fountain of no less than twelve dog statues of differing breeds spewing water into the fountain! Unique and a sight for dog lovers. Our travels to Millersburg took us through Amish country, where we rode near many people traveling by horse and buggy. We rode through the Stone Arch in Howard, stopped for a mid-morning coffee in Danville, and traversed the Bridge of Dreams, a wonderful, covered bridge. We estimated crossing more than 150 bridges from Columbus to Cleveland.

Our travels continued to Massillon which considers itself as the birthplace of American Football. It also has an excellent bicycle shop that serves some tasty ice cream. The next day, we rode through Akron and the Cuyahoga Falls National Park on our way to a train depot in Peninsula. However, due to a mix-up with timetables, we were not able to ride a train from Peninsula back to Akron, so we got the opportunity for some additional bike riding through a beautiful wildlife viewing area. In Cleveland, we stopped in Edgewater Park, where we dipped our front tires in Lake Erie. Many of us took advantage of our free day in Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The museum has many interesting exhibits covering the history of Rock and Roll and features the music of Saturday Night Live while we were there. After breakfast on our last day in Cleveland, the tour ended with several folks enjoying a van ride back to the starting point in Newport.

Our riders included two tandems composed of husband-and-wife teams, a 79-year-old stained glass artist, and five riders from Ohio. The rider(s) who came the furthest were the doctor and lawyer from Seattle, and the nearest was a recent transplant from Virginia. Lastly, we enjoyed the leadership of Robyn and Mark, who made our journey seem effortless.