The midwest is FLAT

[Owlie]

There's something about being run over by a mile-high sheet of ice that tends to flatten places. (Of course, then it dumped some of it here...) And even the bike trail's not totally flat! It hurts more going north than south! (Though it's pretty close to flat...) The connecting trail in Lebanon has some hills. I haven't checked it out yet. On my to-do list.

Kathi, that humidity and air pollution was certainly in evidence today! At least, the humidity was. I went on a ride this morning and if I stopped for too long, my glasses fogged up!

[Pax]

Agreed- it may be flat, but dadnabbit- the blasted wind that blows at 15-20 mph every single day (many days much stronger than that) more than makes up for the flatness.


When I ride someplace hilly and tree-lined I always think: is this better or not? I mean, with hills you always get a downhill break, with flats and wind- not so much.

I have a friend here who goes out to CO and does Ride the Rockies and some other ride where they ride up to Ouray, she says riding against wind non-stop makes hill a breeze for her.

[Roadtrip]

Hummm.. I think I'm in the hill over wind club here. The wind just DOSENT stop. You get to the top of the hill. You get to go down the hill. The only reward to riding in the wind is a nice tailwind the pushes you along, but you could slog along and finally get out of the headwind only to have the wind change or swirl and try and take you off your bike by gusting from the side.

My only least favorite is going uphill INTO the wind. OY.

Shannon

[OakLeaf]

There's a park near me where you can stand on top of a hill and see where the glacier stopped. It's more a diagonal across the state, from northeast to southwest.

PS to BSG - Come down here and ride Columbus Fall Challenge one time, then tell us about "a few hills."

[WindingRoad]

As someone who lives in hills but goes back to IN a lot I always feel so beat up riding out in the flats! The wind is relentless! I was thinking of driving to southern IN just to get a break from it.

[Biciclista]

I think BleekerSt's hills are more like jumping jacks or pushups. you get one done and there's another and another. the downhills are so short they don't give you any respite.
now the hills we have out my way are carefully graded so they are not so horrible.
I couldn't bear your wind nor Bleek's hills. Our trade off is we didn't really get spring and we might not get summer! we have to be prepared to ride in the rain.

[Owlie]

I must say, I don't care for riding in rain. And I'll take hills over winds...except when it's like this! I think we skipped May and June and headed straight for July...

[Kathi]

Owlie, I taught in Cincinnati Public Schools for 25 years, only 2 of the 5 schools I worked in had air conditioning. I acclimated to the humidity throughout the spring so it didn't bother me so much when the summer heat and humidity hit. I found the Loveland (Little Miami Bike trail) the most comfortable on hot, humid days. However, humidity and air pollution triggers my asthma.

I too will take hills over wind. On Ride the Rockies I got blown off the road on Rabbit Ears Pass outside of Steamboat Springs. The wind caught my front wheel and I went off the road down into the woods. On the third day I had to pedal DOWNHILL into Rifle. Some of the hottest winds I've ever experienced was blowing uphill.

Cross winds literally kill me, I'm pushed around so much I feel like a drunken sailor, whereas, I'm not bothered so much by head winds.

Biciclista, for reference, Seattle reminds me a lot of Cincinnati. The terrain in the rural areas of Southwestern Ohio is dictated by the rivers and not graded so you can get some short, steep climbs out of the river valleys then rollers after rollers. Often rides start in the river valley which means you climb first to get to the nicer rolling terrain. Once you get farther north, near Dayton, the terrain begins to flatten.

[limewave]

Maybe no hills . . . but the land of the 4 head winds!

The other night I went for a ride and I felt like I was in a tornado. I kept hearing the music from the Wizard of Oz. All I needed was a basket with a little dog in it. lol.

[Bethany1]

Rural Nebraska..wind, hills, cows (DH almost hit one since they have free roam), deer, wild turkeys, and the scariest part are the tractors since they can drive on the highways as well.

I grew up in Columbus, OH so I know the area. Southern Ohio is very beautiful.