Flat Handlebars

[Selkie]

Ohio Ladies -- I have to take a two-week course this spring and am now registered to take it in Charleston, SC in April. This week, the course director emailed me and asked if I'd consider switching to Columbus (actually, London, OH) in May. It would be easier for me to drive to Columbus -- bring my bike w/me on the TDY. I considered driving to S. Ca. and bringing my bike but decided against it. Anyway, can you tell me a little bit about the Columbus area, please? Would it be feasible for me to find good places to ride (paved trails are my preference)? Are there any decent gyms where I could get a 2 wk guest membership? Thanks.

[cyclingnewbie]

Check out these links for info on Central Ohio trails.

www.dot.state.oh.us/bike/Central03.htm (Columbus area)
www.dot.state.oh.us/bike/Southwest03.htm (Dayton, Xenia, Yellow Springs)

www.home.earthlink.net/~bikeohio/
www.statetrails.com/

I'm in Dayton, so I only familiar with that area, but Ohio is a beautiful place to ride the trails!

[Dirt Girl]

I'm in Dayton, so I only familiar with that area, but Ohio is a beautiful place to ride the trails!

I went to school at the Univ. of Dayton and remember riding the river trail a couple of times on an old 10 speed. I was born and raised a Buckeye--Cincinnati is my home town. If there's one thing I miss about living in Ohio, it's the beautiful deciduous trees. Especially in the fall! And the lightening bugs! Thanks for the trip down memory lane...

[cyclingnewbie]

Dirt Girl:

Where are you now? How long have you been away from Ohio? I love the Little Miami trail for biking. It runs all the way from Cincinnati north past Dayton to Yellow Springs, Xenia and beyond. And the trails through and around downtown Dayton have been expanded to include miles and miles now. I don't like to ride in traffic, so I love the fact that I can put in fifty miles on scenic trails without ever getting out on the roads.

[Dirt Girl]

Dirt Girl:

Where are you now? How long have you been away from Ohio? I love the Little Miami trail for biking. It runs all the way from Cincinnati north past Dayton to Yellow Springs, Xenia and beyond. And the trails through and around downtown Dayton have been expanded to include miles and miles now. I don't like to ride in traffic, so I love the fact that I can put in fifty miles on scenic trails without ever getting out on the roads.

I left Ohio in 1987 after graduation, lived in Fort Wayne for 9 years and have been in Spokane, Washington since 1996. My family still lives in Cincinnati, so I visit once in a while. We have a 37-mile trail that follows the river when it can. I'm also hooked on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes in nearby Idaho. I haven't done the entire 72 miles yet, but hope to do so this summer. Much of it follows a lake--see photo. The other photo is a view of the Washington Palouse. This is right over the mountain that borders our neighborhood. We mountain bike up there for the incredible views--the city on one side, the Palouse on the other.

[cyclingnewbie]

Wow! Your pics are gorgeous. The view from the path along the lake is unbelievable! We have great fall color, but Ohio is seriously lacking in lakes. I grew up in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes (and they aren't kidding) and miss them.

[Dirt Girl]

Wow! Your pics are gorgeous. The view from the path along the lake is unbelievable! We have great fall color, but Ohio is seriously lacking in lakes. I grew up in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes (and they aren't kidding) and miss them.

Yup, there are things I miss about the Midwest, but I REALLY like it out here. I love the mountains. And we have our fair share of lakes. Here's the same lake, Lake Coeur d'Alene, from the mountain bike view. The bridge over the water is part of the trail. This is the trail that helped make this die-hard mountain bike gal decide she wants a road bike!