Great Lakes - How to get across Cleveland

Does anyone know a good route between the end of the North Coast Inland Trail in Elyria and the Harvard Road trailhead of the Ohio & Erie Towpath trail?

Where are you trying to get to? You have to go north then east then back south to get to the Harvard Rd trail head from Elyria, then I assume you want to continue south on the towpath. You can avoid Cleveland all together and simply go east-ish...depending on your destination, which is why I ask.

My plan is to ride from my home west of Toledo to Columbus. I plan to take the Wabash Cannonball Trail and North Coast Inland Trail east to Elyria, the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail south to Massillon, then basically follow the route of the Ohio to Erie Trail to Columbus. I have the other gaps along the way, where I'll have to take roads, figured out. But I need information for the best way to get from Elyria to somewhere on the northern part of the Towpath Trail.

been thinking about your route and was wondering about your feelings for types of roads,ie. how much traffic are you OK with? One idea might be to leave the inland trail a little earlier than Elyria and cross central lorain county and try and connect with the cleveland metro park trail and take that to the tow path. A possible way would be leave the trail in Oberlin follow parsons road to Grafton Durkee rd north to capel rd to island road to root road to sprague rd and pick up the metro park trail in strongesville

Good lord Chip. Fix your make up. We have a newbie in our presence.

OK. Thanks.
A few more questions.
1. Is the metropark bike trail connected (or at least the connections somehow marked) through Rocky River, Mill Stream and Brecksville reservations?
2. How do I get from Elyria to the metropark trail?

The MUP through the Metroparks will take you west as far as Ridge Rd (Rt3) then you'll ride the parkway itself for another few miles until you reach the O&E Towpath trail head on Riverview Rd. (right across the street from the entrance to the Brecksville Reservation) where you can pick up the O&E towpath and ride down to Massillon, then go west on the Sippo Valley Trial to Dalton, where you'll then have to pick up the roads to continue to Columbus (through some nice Amish country).

Not sure on the route from Elyria (or more likely Oberlin) to the metroparks...maybe Parsons Rd into Grafton and over a bunch of different roads from there into Berea (part of the MS150 route), but Dan or Gary probably know those roads better than I do.

Thanks for all the information.

but Dan or Gary probably know those roads better than I do.

Ill leave it to Dan. The walking talking road map...Lol

Good lord Chip. Fix your make up. We have a newbie in our presence.

a little overdone, don't ya think? tart! :lol::lol:

Topshelf, when is this adventure to take place? As Chip mentioned, and I hadn't even thought about, the MS150 crosses the route that I have in mind and depending on when you wish to go the road markings may even be avaliable to follow. Give me some time and I will work out a plan. You still have to let me know wether you are OK with heavier traffic.

Tell us when Topshelf and we may even ride with you through this leg...

Tell us when Topshelf and we may even ride with you through this leg...

Now there's an idea. I could either ride over or, if Cheri wants to visit her mom in Amherst, have her drop me and my old xcross bike off where ever we're gonna meet up with Topshelf, then not only ride with you all to the metroparks, but I could stay with him all the way down the tow path and over to Dalton, then ride back home from there. I wouldn't want to put my road bike on the towpath or the Sippo trail, but that's what my old Bianchi is for...road and path. ;)

Edit: Considering the fact that he'll need to get on the road to get through Akron and Barberton, and that I live right near Barberton, I could probably take him here to my house and put him up for the night, then guide him from there back to the Towpath off Center Rd and down to Massillon or, if he wants, even bypass the remainder of the towpath and I can take him on a nice road route down to Dalton, which is only about 15 miles from my house by road.

Lake rd.east, to the metro parks Detroit rd. entrance,then south on Valley Parkway,(NOT DURING RUSH HOUR)might be an option.
Nice to see another puck-head fan(from the sound of your screen name) in this cross dressing forum.

I could probably take him here to my house and put him up for the night


As he looks at your picture....:roflmao2: