Great Lakes - Cleveland's best kept cycling secret

For those who enjoy riding the MUPs rather than the roads:

I took a ride up the O&E towpath from Akron this weekend, but instead of stopping at the construction just north of I-480 I decided to see if I could get through and continue up to Harvard Ave. I had not been on the towpath north of I-480 since 2000 or so, when it didn't even make it to Harvard.

I learned that the construction is two 'Pedestrian overpasses' which look like they go over the busy intersections near Rt 17, which most will appreciate. I was able to ride through the construction areas with no problem and was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the towpath from there to Harvard Ave. Nice paved asphalt, parks, bathrooms, and maybe a half dozen other riders/peds total on a Saturday afternoon!

Most west-siders seem to prefer riding the Emerald Necklace MUP, but I encourage you to check out this stretch of the towpath, you will really enjoy it, even if it is just a few miles. Of course you can also do the whole stretch down and back (or up and back like I did) to/from Akron (around 40 miles each way) if you don't mind working through or around the construction areas near 480.

I've ridden the full length a couple times.
While I enjoy the flat course from Cleveland to Crackron I do not enjoy spending an hour or so after the ride cleaning limestone dust out of every part of the bike.
Next Sat. 9/9 is the "11th Night ride on the towpath" starts at 8 pm in Penninsula.

greetings Chip,Powers,
The evening towpath ride on 9/9?Do you folks not recomend not using a road bike with 28c. tires?I heard most of the path is crushed limestone out that way,south of rt.303.Are most riders using mtb on this surface?who sponsers this ride ,and is it open to anyone?

The ride is open to anyone and is sponsored by Century Cycles. 28c tires are fine, it is all very hard packed limestone and paved. Very good idea to have a light. Riders of all skill levels show up and the distance is 15 to 25 miles.

The ride is open to anyone and is sponsored by Century Cycles. 28c tires are fine, it is all very hard packed limestone and paved. Very good idea to have a light. Riders of all skill levels show up and the distance is 15 to 25 miles.


Just to add to that: Lights, front and rear are required, as are helmets. Your road bike is fine, though you might want to take some care in just a couple of places where there are ruts and loose gravel. If you have never rode the towpath, I highly recommend taking a daytime ride before doing a night ride.

Edit: won't see you on 9/9, I'll be sleeping in a motel in Findlay and riding the HHH the next day.

I've ridden the full length a couple times.
While I enjoy the flat course from Cleveland to Crackron I do not enjoy spending an hour or so after the ride cleaning limestone dust out of every part of the bike.
Next Sat. 9/9 is the "11th Night ride on the towpath" starts at 8 pm in Penninsula.
.........
I won't ride that path with my 28c tires because of the crushed limestone. It will take more than an hour to clean up your bike. IF you have a beater bike, ride it. You will be covered from head to toe with the dust and will be breathing in the dust the entire ride. I'll stick to asphalt trails, thank you. The 7 mile section around the East 49th Street enterance is paved with asphalt and a great place to ride.

.........
I won't ride that path with my 28c tires because of the crushed limestone. It will take more than an hour to clean up your bike. IF you have a beater bike, ride it. You will be covered from head to toe with the dust and will be breathing in the dust the entire ride. I'll stick to asphalt trails, thank you. The 7 mile section around the East 49th Street enterance is paved with asphalt and a great place to ride.

Geeze, if cleaning my bike dictated my riding, I wouldn't get a whole lot of riding. :eek:

My riding partner rides the towpath quite a bit, on a brand new road bike with 25c tires and the cleaning takes just a few minutes. We rode from Akron to Massillon the other day and the dust was minimal, due to the recent rain.

What's the big deal about cleaning your bike? I have a 1995 Schwinn hybrid bike. A lot of my riding is on the Wabash Cannonball Trail, which is gravel, dirt, grass, ballast and mud and on the Miami & Erie Towpath which is dirt and roots. I rode from Washington to McKeesport earlier this year on the dirt C&O Towpath and the gravel Great Allegheny Passage (awesome ride). My bike is in great shape only because I clean it every night after I ride. I'd rather clean the bike than pay for damage caused by riding it dirty.

For those who enjoy riding the MUPs rather than the roads:


MUPs


MUPs


Ewwwwwwww:p

The section chip is refering to is North of Independence ana is part of the Cleveland metro parks and is paved, the two bridges he's talking about cost, if I remember correctly about 4 million apeice and are quite impressive.

By the way chip, next time you are rideing this area, when you get to the O&E canal interpetive center ride up to it and take the bike paths that loop around the area of Grant ave. it's pretty cool, goes though all the industrial areas and out into some of the surounding parks.

when i ride down at the mtb course there i like to park near hillside and warm up on the path going up to canalway center. it is nice.

Scott, is that where I gave that old lady a heart attack?

yes it is.:lol:

Just to show how old this thread is, my 'riding partner' is now my wife...and she's graduated from the MUPs to the roads. :D

Just to show how old this thread is, my 'riding partner' is now my wife...and she's graduated from the MUPs to the roads. :D

Very cool, Chipcom! Congrats to you and Mrs Chip!

Just to show how old this thread is, my 'riding partner' is now my wife...and she's graduated from the MUPs to the roads. :D

:thumb: Wow that's cool....Chip I mean this in a nice way, you really married up :D

:thumb: Wow that's cool....Chip I mean this in a nice way, you really married up :D

Due to the present weather it,s good Chip has a wife.