Chucknbob

I'm planning a camping trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park this summer and I'm going to spend I want to spend at least one day riding the tow path trail.

What I'm trying to figure out is what bike to take. The info I've found say it is crushed limestone. I've got Diamondback mountain bike and an old Puch Force XII road bike. My preference is the Puch, but if it is a rough surface it won't be a good choice. Can someone help me out?

JerrySTL

I ride on the crushed limestone Katy Trail in Missouri quite a bit. I've ridden it on a hybrid, touring bike, and road bike. Both the hybrid and touring bike had somewhat smooth 700x32 tires which I inflated to 70 psi. They worked very well. The road bike has 700x25 tires inflated to 100 psi. It was rough riding and not very sure-footed.

What size tires on the Puch Force XII? It it would take something like a 700x28? In that case it might be OK.

On the flip side, a knobby tire mountain bike is probably overkill. However if you have somewhat smooth tires, it might be the best option.

Tandem Tom

We live about 45 minutes from the Tow Path. 32mm are more than adequate. You mentioned camping. There are not many options along the path. Are you doing the Ohio to Erie route? I rode most of it ,solo, last Fall. Stop in Dayton and then rode up through western Ohio.

nice2Brollin

The Towpath is hardpacked (except when it rains of course) and is paved for some of its length. There are some minor "bumpy" parts but nothing much to speak of. (re. no suspension needed) Riders use all kinds of bike on it, so just use whatever is most confortable for you where you normally ride. No much camping in the park - just one place I think opened recently. The trail is not very long, so it will likely not take you a day to traverse, unless you stop along the way to visit some of the historical features. Good luck, have fun.

3.danoh1

I have ridden the Cuyahoga Canal trail for years. The Cuyahoga Valley is an urban national park. A road bike has no difficulty on the top path trail. The trail goes from Garfield heights to past Akron. I have never covered the whole trail in one day. In addition, it transects the Emerald Necklace trail which goes around Cleveland and that trail is probably over 80 miles long. There are now camping areas in either the national park or the county park.

sonatageek

If the Puch as 28-32 width tires it should be fine. I ride the towpath a lot, and some stretches are a bit rough, so a little extra width helps.

iron lungs

Hi chucknbob, In my opinion, the Cuyahoga Trail is tied with the Little Miami Trail, for riding! I have a Scattante R570, with 700-23 tires. I have NO PROBLEM with riding the trail. There is a ride in/hike in camp campsite below Boston Mills. Free camping. A small town is uptrail about 2 miles from there, for restaurants and suplies..have a great ride. How far are you going?

Stomper

the towpath offers a nice ride. you may ride connecting trails for a 100 mile bike ride as described in this link. FirstMerit Towpath Trail Century Ride

I have used a road bike with 700-25 mm tires on the towpath but prefer wider tires because parts of the crushed limestone trail has grooves (bike made or machine made) that make for a less-than-smooth ride. Also, be prepared to ride segments with significant dust, especially if it hasn't rained for several days prior to your ride. Some people, especially those who have environmental allergies, prefer to ride along the roads near the towpath to avoid the dust during a dry spell. There are a few places along the tow path where you may obtain snacks, such as Szalay's produce market and the snack store in Boston Mills and there are a few restaurants, art stores and a Century Bicycle store in Peninsula, Ohio. Members of the Akron Bicycle Club may be able to provide you with useful information as they ride along the towpath, connecting bike trails and local roads in the area. There is also a train that runs through much of the park and transports bicycles in case you are interested in a shorter ride (5 - 20 miles) one way.