I feel a need to RANT....
 

So, my wife will be 60 in a month and I am screaming towards that age right behind her. I hadn't ridden since 1974, and for her, probably since early teenage years. We decide it's past time we get in shape and buy a couple bikes. I posted my Raleigh earlier and her NOS '80s Legnano mixte is posted below.

We live in an older community that has narrow residential side streets and busy a arterial. Within a mile there is a big cemetery with flats, rises, and steep short hills probably up to 8 miles all told. We've been going over there to practice for longer rides.

Yesterday we ride in and after a short distance a guy drives up and say it's closed to cycling. He was VERY nice about kicking us out and told us to finish our ride. Apparently there were two funerals recently and people rode by yukking it up. #@%&ing ignorant MORONS always ruin it for the responsible ones.
Oh yea, he also said people were bringing dogs off leashes during funerals too. UNBELIEVABLE! Just P@%&es me off.

I was hoping not to have to buy a car rack until spring now but it's on it's way. We're going to some trails around Lunken airport....thanks for reading, I feel better now.

I am constantly amazed at the number of people who seem to be able to function without a brain. Common sense is becoming extinct.

Too bad.

Nice bike!

You got it. I also have no tolerance for for unbehaved kids, which I'm hoping these probably were and not adults. My Grandfather spanked me when I was way out of line and so did my Dad and I came out the better for it....we were always loved and never abused.

When I went to Mike Walden's training camp back around 1991, he said that a good place to practice your cornerring was at the local cemetery. Lots of flat paths, lots of grass in case you crash or miss the turn. But ya gotta practice when there's nobody else around! I would think most riders would avoid the cemetery completely while they're doing a funeral, for crying out loud!

L.

That is just crazy those people did that.
Sort of like yaking it up about the football game in the back row during church services.
Some times quiet is the order of business, and a funeral is one of those.

Sorry, I don't even consider the cemetary a place to ride. I've always considered them to be off limits except to those visiting grave sites. In most cases, they are private property.

Although I agree that the sheer ignorance of some people is appalling, I share Maxx's attitude about cemeteries. There's a reason they are somber places.

Too bad that many cyclists don't realize that what they do has an effect of how non-cyclists view all of us. A few weeks ago, I was driving down a narrow country road. There was a cyclist changing a flat tire on the road, not on the side of the ride, but IN the road, towards the right hand side. Less than 50 feet away was a driveway he could have used, which would have been safer for him, and less obstructive to traffic. And people around this area are, in general, very friendlly. Doubt the homeowner would have minded at all.

When I was younger, I used to ride in a 'memorial park', it was a nicee place to just cruise around and think(which in those days was rare). Sometimes, I would find a bench and just sit for a while and enjoy the quite. If there was a funeral, I'd avoid it, that's just simple respect.

Don't you have to hold your breath when you're riding in the cemetary?

I have a couple of suggestions for you on where to ride. If you want a flat area to ride in, try Armleder park - it's on the other side of the Beechmont Levee from Lunken airport, and it's really flat. My favorite place for riding, though, is the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail. You can buy a Hamilton County Park District sticker ($5/year, and today is the first day of 2009 stickers, so you'd get 15 months out of it!) and park at Avoca Trailhead, the golf course in Newtown or Bass Island (also in Newtown). My wife and I generally ride on the trail two or three times a week.
- Bob

We have a very historical cemetery in our area. I've visited it a few times and they even have tours around the grounds. One of the tours through the cemetery is a bike ride sponsored by the National Park rangers. Visitors to any cemetery should be respectful and stay a proper distance from a funeral service. http://www.woodlandcemetery.org/

In my town the trail used by walkers and bikers goes through a cemetery. People never go through it while a funeral service is in progress.

I often ride through a cemetery in my hometown to visit graves of friends and relatives....I'm sure they don't mind I'm dressed in cycling clothes. After all many of my friends never see me in anything else:)

A sign at the extrance advising people to restrict use of the grounds during funerals would have been appropriate before shutting down use to all cyclers. It could have included a reminder that you're in a cemetary and to conduct yourself accordingly.

Is the place now closed to all "non-funeral" activities? I used to go birding a fair amount at a local cemetary and I wouldn't hesitate to ride my bike through it today. Some people actually use bikes for transportation, too. What would you do if you rode up to visit a gravesite?

Bikes are allowed at Gettysburg Battlefield Park, and I've ridden there a couple of times, but I don't feel comfortable cruising around there just for the hillwork... Show a little respect.

I too wouldn't consider a cemetery a place to ride. If you want someplace quiet and deserted, try a local "business park" "office park" area on a weekend. I've used that and it's very good.

"...So I asked the groundskeeper at the cemetery 'How's business?' He said, 'It's been pretty dead around here.' ..."

rimshot, rimshot, cymbal.

. . . and people are just dying to get in!

When I was stationed at the Pentagon, I made it a point to commute each day through Arlington Cemetery, and say “Thank you for your service”. When done with respect, there is nothing wrong with riding through a cemetery.

When I ran at lunch time, I would run by the Viet Nam Memorial. Sadly, the WWII Memorial was not there at the time, to give respect to my Dad and those that served with him.

Are you allowed to visit family gravesites with your bikes, or are cars mandetory?

I'm sorry to hear that you've lost a great riding area. I often ride through
our local cemeteries, heck I even teach my kids how to drive in them. One
can use a cemetery for rides while still being respectful of the residents
and mourners. Many cities in the East used cemeteries as Sunday afternoon park
and picnic areas back during the Victorian period.

Common sense? I didn't take that class. bk

Thanks Bob,
Lunken is where I was thinking of going next and Little Miami after that if the weather holds. We were riding in Highland Cemetery in Ft. Mitchell....oh well. Thx all for all the comments.
Art

Beautiful Legnano!

northern KY (kenhilly ) is unfortunely not very flat.
besides Lunken and loveland trail
-the 8 mile loop at Miami whitewater is another one to work up to.
- I have riden in the Spring Grove Cemetery a number of times since its more of a
historic cemetery than an operational cemetery funerals are few and far between

- taking the anderson ferry to oh crossing US 50 and a steep up for a block (walkable)
brings you to Hillside street? road? (go west young man) you end up in "downtown" Sayler park and
past some beautiful old mansions
- I also thought some of the roads on edge of CVG airport were lightly traveled havent ridden out
there for a while

==================
my suggestion is get involved with cincinnati cycle club there are some weekly (in season) beginner rides
lead (for whar seems like forever) by seniors that will make you feel young
place a message in their forum http://www.cincinnaticycleclub.org/
and my guess you find many more riding suggestions

In general, since a cemetery is private property I wouldn't necessarily expect to be able to ride there unless I was a property owner. However, the cemetery where I own property isn't really great for cycling. :)

I think that if I were managing a cemetery, I would like to have cyclists in the area if they were quiet and respectful. I always hear of vandals etc, and I think that cyclists around would tend to discourage that sort of thing.

"...So I ask the groundskeeper "How many people are buried in this cemetary?' and he says 'All of them I'm afraid.'..."

I'll be playing here all week...try the veal.

In Cincinnati, Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum has marked routes for walkers and runners. Bikes are allowed, too. It has a great collection of mature trees of many species, and interesting architecture and monuments. I'll be leading a bike club ride to there to see the fall color in a few weeks.

There are a lot of short, steep climbs there, but you can easily avoid the steepest ones by taking an alternate route.

True, some people feel cemetaries are strictly places for the dead and the mourning, but others feel it is a place for living also.

Cemetaries are a great place to ride. It's quiet, slow and a great way to get a flavor of the history of the area. They are good for walking, jogging and other easy fitness activities away from the hustle and bustle of traffic and noise.

Either way, enjoy you bike.

I would tend to agree with that, with no disrepect for the residents or people who disagree.

Spring Grove has been mentioned to me before and it sounds geographically similar to Highland. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. colorado dale....sounds like good tips. If we're lucky we should have quite a few more weeks of decent weather.

I've nothing to add or argue with in the above posts so I won't, except to suggest that the utter inability of some people to consider others is astounding.

On this bit - you'll find the car rack the most liberating thing you've done. It allows you to tailor the ride to YOU and your needs.

My girlfriend is, thanks to a heavy fall a few years back, freaked out by riding on anything that isn't straight, quiet and flat, so we drive out into the country to our favourite bike track and go for a quiet ride there.

I live in the hills around Adelaide and being able to drive the commuter down to the plains makes commuting every day practical and sensible whereas riding back up into the hills at the end of a day is attractive only to a fanatic (there's a reason I have a 26 tooth granny ring).

While my little girl loves travelling on her tag-along, we can't go too far from home thanks to the hills but we've a wide variety of good bike trails within a half hour drive.

Similarly, I've a wide range of good rides available to me that would be unavailable if I had to ride to the start of them.

Hurry that car rack along and be liberated.

Richard