I am reminded on my youth in Ohio by the notes of Ohio-trekker. When I was about 15 I took up bicycle camping. No fancy camping gear, just a worn out plastic kitchen table cloth for a ground sheet and same old cotton blankets pinned together for a sleeping bag, and a small aluminum frying pan. The bike was an old pre balloon tire bike with tubeless tubular tires that were just full of rubber band puncture patches. I had to carry tools to daily take the Morrow brakes apart to wipe the oil off of the worn out moons so that the peddles would engage the wheel. My favorite camping trip was from my home in East Akron to the Mohican State Park on the Clear Fork of the Mohican River. That was about forty five miles as I recall. I carried make shift bait casting tackle and on one of these trips I caught a 19” small mouthed bass. The picnic table had roofs above them. I remember the exciting evening of sleeping on one of these tables during a violent summer thunder storm. The wind blew so hard that I still ended up getting a little wet. Being youthful, I slept through most of the storm. After one overnight there I would always ride on down through Jelloway to an uncles farm on the other side of Amity. I was always welcomed there as some kind of a hero for having ridden my bike to their farm, all the way from Akron a distance of eighty or more miles. I remember how my cousin enjoyed riding my bike and we would go down those dirt roads, he on my bike and I on his saddle horse. On one of the trips I went on to Fredericktown to look at some possible Indian mounds. To get back to the park I headed through Butler. At one point the road had been buried in about two inches of loose gravel. It was like peddling up a very steep hill. I ran out of time and energy. It was getting dark so I climbed the road bank and lay my sleeping bag next to the fence in tall grass. In the morning I was awakened by a strange sound. I rolled over and looked up into the faces of some cows that had come over to examine me as they chewed their cuds. I will never forget the thrill of the first time I took off on one of these trips. I was riding down a broad red brick road through Barbertown just as the sun was rising. That image and the sense of freedom I felt lives with me to this day. I lost my left leg below the knee and badly injured my right knee in an auto accident in 1981. I am 82 and my muscles have atrophied. I can barely get on the bike and need a down grade to get rolling without falling. Yet when I do get on the bike today and roll down the first hill at about 20 mph I get that old feeling of freedom and feel like I could ride all the way across the United States. In truth it is a very good day for me if I can make it to 20 miles or two hours of riding. However my years have been filled with good riding giving me a treasure of memories. Many of these are in Ohio.
ChiliDog
11-28-03, 10:47 PM
I enjoyed your story! Thanks for sharing with us.... :D
Buzzbomb
12-05-03, 09:26 AM
This is a good read, thanks for posting it.
Prosody
12-05-03, 01:22 PM
Thanks for the story.
Louis
12-06-03, 08:32 PM
Great story. You're talking about my part of the world here. I live just west of Barberton and have ridden through the areas you describe.
Oh, and welcome to the forums.
Ebbtide
12-31-03, 07:36 PM
My neck of the woods, too.
My wife and I were talking tonight about how exciting it will be to go bike-camping (making plans for 04'). I'll take this as a sign, thanks!
ehenz
Jean Beetham Smith
12-31-03, 07:49 PM
How does it feel to be a role model? You are a great role model, and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for joining BF and contributing such great information.
lovemyswift
01-01-04, 04:55 PM
Ehenz,
Why do you consider Cleveland Ohio's bicycling capitol? Isn't Xenia and Loveland fighting for that title?
Kathi
kerk
01-02-04, 08:55 AM
As long as we all keep fighting for the title, the biking will continue to get better and better! Hopefully the bike trails will connect Cincinnati and Cleveland someday.
lovemyswift
01-02-04, 05:06 PM
They're getting closer, unfortunately, the state seems to have money for trails but not for maintaining the trails. Have you noticed how bad the trail is getting in spots south of Loveland and just before Milford?
Maybe a small user's fee could be collected and used for maintence.
Kathi
kerk
01-02-04, 06:59 PM
Yeah, it's needing some attention. A fee would be very tough to collect though. You would have to pay someone to collect and there goes the money. I don't know what the answer is.
ngateguy
01-02-04, 07:45 PM
That story brough back fond memeories of my 10 years I lived in Cleveland as a teenager. MY friend, Frank and I pedaled hundreds of miles through the west side of Cleveland in High school later branching out to the East side (Chagrin Falls, Solon area) In high school I lived off of W 25th st(Pearl) also known as Hwy 42. We found out that we could ride all the way to Louisville on the same road. We spent our junior year planning and riding toward toward our dream of riding all the way down to Lousville. But as summer neared drivers liscense, girls and jobs got in the way so we never made it. And here I am 30 years later still riding bike. And I hope that I can be like Robert and still be pedaling at 82. What a great story and inspertation to us all Thanks!
Yeah, it's needing some attention. A fee would be very tough to collect though. You would have to pay someone to collect and there goes the money. I don't know what the answer is.
Check your local biking clubs ours does basic trail mantaince even going out and marking any hazards (Tree roots, pot holes etc.) they even put mile posts on the Burke Gillam trail. Here in Washington we are working on a trail system from Seattle to Spokane . Then it would connect with the trail system already that crosses the Idaho Panhandle into Montana.
Another way to help is the Rails to Trails Conservancy (http://www.railtrails.org/)
lovemyswift
01-03-04, 06:46 PM
The Little Miami Bike Trail is paved and there are "Rough Pavement" signs warning riders. The problem as explained to me is that the trail is maintained by the State Parks Division and they have no money in the budget for maintance. If the trail were maintained by the Road Department then there would be plenty of money. Plus, the trail runs though numerous counties and townships and politicians aren't always supportive of the trail. Many of the local businessmen don't know who maintains or supports the trail.
The trail in the Cincinnati area is the oldest part of the trail and for awhile broken pavement was replaced. But nothing has been done recently.
There is an advocacy group that is focusing on finishing the last section that will eventually connect to downtown Cincinnati. Perhaps when that is finished they will direct their attention to maintanence.
This is a beautiful trail that someday will connect Cincinnati with Cleveland. Many times of the year I have the trail to myself, especially in the summer. It's tree lined and often nice and cool on a hot, humid day.
I have used this trail since the original 13 miles were built in the early 80's. I would gladly pay a small yearly fee to help maintain it.
Kathi
Ebbtide
01-05-04, 12:31 PM
Ehenz,
Why do you consider Cleveland Ohio's bicycling capitol? Isn't Xenia and Loveland fighting for that title?
Kathi
Haven't you heard?
Cleveland has been Ohio's Cycling Capital for years. Not sure what Xenia and Loveland are fighting over.
Okay, I'll be honest...I made it up not knowing there was one. But until there is a declared winner, I'll keep it in my location line :)
schwinnbikelove
01-11-04, 10:03 PM
Hey guys, don't forget about connecting Toledo over and up here. There have got to be a few of us here that would use it!