Setting the course for 'Tour Ohio'

Monday, January 21, 2013
Since I had the day off, I decided it was time to begin laying out my ‘Tour Ohio’ cycling course in earnest.  I’d already driven east out of Fairport Harbor and had a good idea how I’d travel along the lake towards Pennsylvania, but I wanted to start making notes about things like potential camping sites, places to get food and water, bicycle shops, bed and breakfasts (for later use of those who might follow the trail and not be thinking about sleeping on the ground), and laundry mats.  When I left the house, the skies were clear, but by the time I’d reached the Chardon area, there was snow on the ground…and the roads. 

I drove to Conneaut and was pleased with the amenities I saw along the way, but a little concerned about a section of State Route 531 from Route 11 that was 55 mph.  It was a beautiful road, running right next to Lake Erie with no houses to block the view, but the shoulder was narrow and cars would be buzzing by.  I’ll have to look at alternative routes, though I’d hate to miss this section.

When I finally reached the eastern most part of the state and began heading south on Middle Road, I was surprised to find it snow-covered and unplowed.  It was a country road that ran south to Pymatuning Lake, my next destination and a place that offered camping at a state campground, but it was impossible to access the condition of the road.  In fact, I was even unsure if it was paved and had some doubts.  I was driving the Honda and since there was a foot of snow on the road, decided I’d better abort for a day with clear roads. 

And then the snow was gone!  I drove along Pymatuning Lake Road into the state park and continued south along the border with Pennsylvania all the way to Warren.  If I’d been riding the bike, it would have been over 120 miles and so was a good first step.  There was about a 30-mile section of the route that would be without water and food, but I could easily plan for that.  I wanted to find more back roads riding, but not so much that it would be a challenge to people who might not be used to covering long distances without access to the basics.  I stopped in Warren and began my journey home, but in reviewing maps later, realized getting around places like Warren and Youngstown on bike friendly roads would be a challenge.  State Route 7 runs from Lake Erie straight south to the Ohio River and then along the river a good portion of the way to Cincinnati but much of the portion I passed was 55 mph with a lot of traffic.  I’m hoping the parts along the Ohio River will not be so heavily traveled, but I have my doubts and will likely be looking for county roads that can get the job done.

This has been a good exercise for me.  By laying out the course, I am making it more real and doing the other things I’ll need to do to achieve my goals with ‘Tour Ohio’.  I need to get it past the idea stage…and this is the first, and most important step.  I’ll be approaching a bike store soon to talk about sponsorship, but need to have the course ironed out first.  Plan the work…work the plan.