Biking Around Ohio

It was a good weekend - Pride in Columbus was fun, the weather was gorgeous and Goodale park was full of activity. Wtih all the activity on Friday and Saturday, I was not sure how much energy I would have for our planned bike ride on Sunday but I was committed to going. I was talking to one of my friends about the biking adventures we have been planning around Ohio and they thought it was ironic that we were driving to go on a bike ride, but we want to be able to check out trails around the state and I am not up for 100-mile rides, yet. So, we set off Sunday to the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, starting in Nelsonville and ending up in Athens. There are four of us who ride and this week we figured out how to fit one bike in the trunk and the other three on the bike rack so we could take one car, instead of two, yea for the environment!

The trail was great - relatively flat along the railbed and partially shaded so the sun was not beating down on us the whole time. Here is what I am learning about myself through these activities though: the things that I enjoy the most are things that are good for me and good for the environment. Getting me off the couch, turning off the computer and the T.V. and riding for 3 hours is fun and the exercise benefits are just a side benefit, not the goal. So, we are planning our next ride, hopefully to happen sooner rather than later, and looking forward to adventures throughout the state - who knew Ohio had such great biking trails? (Actually, I am certain many people knew, I was just not one of them until now!) Next time you have an hour or two, think about what you want to do with your day - spend it doing what you always do, or trying a new adventure that might actually turn out to be something you want to do again?

In case you are in Ohio and interested in the biking trails around the state, check out the link below:

http://www.ohiobikeways.net/