Ohio & Erie Canalway

 

This towpath trail stretches 90 miles starting in Cleveland, Ohio.  I rode a portion of this trail near Cleveland in late March 2026. The surface that I rode was asphalt paved for about 6 miles then crushed stone. Some of the low spots on the crushed stone section were a bit wet and slippery.

I started at Harvard Ave (41.44687, -81.68240). Along the ride I found the visitor center (41.43043, -81.66242) on a short spur that had better parking. The visitor center is up a short but steep hill from the main trail. It is worth a visit with well-done displays and modern restrooms. I turned around at lock 34 (41.28945, -81.56466) where there was also parking.

The first 6 miles were a typical urban trail. The crushed gravel section reminded me of the C&O Canal perhaps because both fall under National Park Service. There were preserved canal locks, a lock house, a mule statue and plenty of interpretive signs along the way. The was not any camping sites along the section I rode. I enjoy seeing wildlife on my rides and spotted 9 deer on this ride. The highlight for me was seeing a glimpse of a wolf on a remote section on my way back to the car.

 

Get additional information here:

National Park Service

Canalway Partners

Cleveland Metroparks  

American Tobacco Trail

 

The American Tobacco Trail is a nice 22 mile trail in Durham, NC. I found it to be an excellent commuter trail. It is paved and generally well signed but it does have several road crossings. Some of the crossings were busy but there were also bridges over major roads. It seemed a bit less inviting for out of town folks to visit due to a lack of trailheads for parking, at least on the portion I rode. I parked on the street and started riding at (35.98374, -78.90887). I rode to Herndon Park (35.87846, -78.93431) where there was parking and restrooms.

For more information see:

City of Durham

Town of Cary

Triangle Trails

Wake County

Martins Bike and Fitness

 Martins Bike & Fitness is a retail store in Ephrata, PA. I purchased a Giant Roam II bike there in 2013. I researched and tried many bikes before settling on the Giant Roam. My local bike shops did not carry the Giant brand. Martins was a high volume dealer that had Giant bikes in stock at at an attractive price point. Since then I purchased another bike for my wife and a carbon frame for me.

I try to utilize my local bike shop whenever possible but I liked the Giant brand. I do stay local for accessories and repairs. Recently I decided it was time for a new helmet. My local shop was closed that day and I remembered Martins was building an addition the last time I had visited a few years ago. I thought I would take the two hour ride to get the helmet and see the expansion.

When I walked into the expanded store I was awe struck. This is one of the the largest bike shops I have ever been in. There are other retailers that sell more bikes but they generally have many locations. Martains is concentrated in a single location. The store has a large staff and everyone I delt with was very knowledgeable. They have a dedicated test track to facilitate trying out your favorite bike before buying. 

The store also contains a museum. Their museum does not have nearly as many antique bikes as Bicycle Heaven but the bikes they do have are professionally displayed on raised platforms with railing and proper lighting. It creates a true museum experience rather than a bike shop filled with old bikes.

The store is located at 1891 Division Highway (Route 322), Ephrata, PA. Find it at: (40.14849, -76.12252)

For more information visit their website.

Bike Shop

Museum