Sunday I got back from a round-trip Pgh _DC -Pgh. It was pretty fun. The C&O was wretched in the rain (and after rain), so I took roads through some of Maryland.
I met a guy, Mike Anderson, who is retired and biking from Boonsboro MD to some place in Nebraska on a heavily-loaded 'bent.
Mike is currently holed up in Boston PA with a blown-out high-end Kevlar tire. His plans are to take the Montour trail around Pittsburgh, follow PA bike Route A up to Erie and then some route along Lake Erie. I'm guessing the route is the Adventure Cycling Association Northern Tier route.
http://www.adventurecycling.org/whoweare/index.cfm
Mike asked me to help him find "a way around Cleveland."
I'd judge that he would have been better off to have started from Boonsboro by going south to the BikeCentential Trans-America Route, but he's here now.
Rt A -> Erie -> Northern Tier strikes me as doing two sides of a triangle and hitting a lot more hills than he needs to on a heavy 'bent.
I'm thinking Panhandle trail -> some way across Ohio -> pick up the ACA Underground Railroad route (west of Columbus) -> TransAmerica Route.
or
Panhandle -> through Ohio to west of Cleveland-> Northern Tier.
Other thoughts I have: are there bike trails though Cleveland? Like there might be through Pittsburgh if they ever complete the Southside-GAP connection? If so, it might be OK to just ride through the city.
Mike has a computer and a blog
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=4764&v=K
Any forum for Ohio, Cleveland, or Columbus areas? (there must be)
Any thoughts you guys have?
Thanks
Mick
Ohio has some GREAT bike trails. I think the link he needs to look at is:
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/TransSysDev/ProgramMgt/Projects/bicycle/Pages/NE.aspx
The Cleveland Area MPO (NOACA) has bike suitability maps much like the Bike Pittsburgh maps, but for the five county area. They can be found at: http://www.noaca.org/bikemaps.html
If he can find a way to Akron, he looks golden from there.
Sara, I just read all the info you left in Mike's guestbook - that was AWESOME ! Above and beyond the call of duty!
Mick
Hi guys, here's a way around Cleveland, mostly following an actual tour I did a few years back:
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/295057
I'm totally unaware of AC's bike routes but it probably would be trivial to hook this up to it once you get past the Cuyahoga Valley Metroplex.
i have hte aca Northern Tier maps. If they need to be dug out and posted, just say.
