Beverly

I didn't want to waste the chance to ride today as the weather forecast for the next 10 days has 8 days of rain but I had other things to do. I ran some errands, stopped at the LBS to finalize the price of the new bike and finally returned home in time to get a short ride through a local park.

I live close to the Englewood Reserve which is one of many parks in the Five Rivers MetroPark system. Many of the parks are built around dams constructed after the flood of 1913 which devastated the city of Dayton and surrounding areas. The dams are maintained by the Miami Conservancy District.

Enough of the history lesson...here's the ride. It was a little chilly but I soon warmed up as there aren't too many level areas in this park. I started from the parking lot and enjoyed a mile of downhill to the bottom of the dam. After crossing the bottom of the dam, past the lake and a short stop at a picnic shelter I was ready for the first climb out of the park. This picture is a little beyond where I stopped. It's only about 4-5% but it hits 10-15% around the curve and up to the horse stables and old Route 40.
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I followed old Route 40 back to another park entrance and enjoyed 10-15% downhills back to the bottom of the dam. Across the bottom of the dam and up the switchback on the other end of the dam. This is the start of the switchback. It meanders up through the woods before turning for the last leg to the top of the dam again.
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I always thought it was very considerate of them to place a bench on this climb
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After climbing to the top of the dam again I headed toward an adjoining park but was met by this after descending through the woods and approaching one of the lakes. Oh well, guess it's time to turn around and climb that dam again.
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The ride from this point was the slow steady climb back to the parking area. That one mile downhill I had at the beginning is now a one mile of 3-6% grades back to the car.

I often use this park early in the season as a way to get back into shape after the winter. The only level area is the ride across the bottom of the dam. It has gentle 3-6% climbs and a couple 10-15% climbs. If I'm really feeling good I ride to the park but I just wasn't up to the 22% climb required to get out of here so I drove today

Kurt Erlenbach

22%? Isn't that about straight up?

cranky old dude

Sounds like you had a GREAT day. Thanks for sharing.

Beverly

It sure looks like it when you're standing at the bottom of that hill I've never been able to ride all the way up it.....but I have walked up it quite a few times

w2brdbkr

I bet in the summer that is a really pretty ride with all the trees.

The Smokester

Glad you were able to sieze the opportunity for a quick ride while the going was good. Hope that new bike has water wings cause it looks like you might need it to continue further down that path.

doctor j

Nice report, Beverly. That's a beautiful place to ride. The route sounds like a good one and not without its challenges. Glad you were able to get this one in before the weather gets uncivilized again.

We were cold (relatively speaking) and wet here today . I stayed in and caught up on domestic chores .

Louis

Good ride. Is that actually GRASS I'm seeing in those pictures?

Yen

Sounds like a great ride to start off spring! I'd like to see what a 22% climb looks like.

Beverly

It looks similar to this one. This is a hill we bypass on the Sunday morning breakfast ride. This hill is a real treat during winter storms before the road crew hits it with salt and cinders.

The road coming out of the park is in terrible condition. It has pot holes and loose gravel making it hard to keep traction.

Catweazle

Those are quite beautiful surrounds to ride through, Beverly, any time of year I'm sure. And the 'kid' in me wants so much to try riding that water covered path! It looks sorta like the best puddle in the whole world, ever!


The hill in that last photo looks to me like it'd take granny gear and about four knee operations to climb!

stapfam

You have it all wrong- You arrange the ride so that you come down hills like that. And you only go through puddles that you can see the bottom of. Never know what you will find at the bottom of a deep puddle- Crocodile Dundee comes to mind. Hate to meet him in the middle of a dark puddle.

BikeWNC

My driveway hits 22% but it's not as long as that hill in the picture.

Beverly

The biggest problem riding down that hill is the railroad tracks at the bottom. They're just on the other side of the bridge....what a dumb place to put railroad tracks

Beverly

I don't think they make a granny gear that would get me up that hill

I thought about riding through the water but decided against it. The edge of the trail has washed away during previous flooding and that's a lake on the other side of the fence. I just knew me and the bike would end up in the lake.....it was a little too early for swimming

Beverly

You don't have grass in northern Ohio

My lawn service just put the first application on my lawn this week. With the fertilizer, all this rain and warmer weather predicted for this week I can see the granddaughters need to get the lawn mower ready

Louis

Maybe it's true about the grass always looking greener...

You could probably use fertilizer collected from the 50+ forum on your yard. Lord knows I contribute my share.