Bicycle Touring
Our staff has thousands of miles of personal bicycle touring experience all over the world. We carry a wide selection of touring bikes, racks, panniers, handlebar bags, fenders, and other bicycle touring gear in our stores. Whether you are a first-timer or an experienced touring cyclist, stop in or call us for expert advice on gear, routes, and planning your dream bicycle trip!
We've helped many of the touring cyclists that have stopped in our stores (such as those pictured here) with emergency repairs, supplies, directions, and sometimes, even a place to sleep for the night! To see more photos like these of people who have stopped into our stores during their long-distance bicycle tours, see our Bicycle Touring Photo Gallery page.
Peninsula
Rocky River
Bicycle Touring Routes
You can take a bicycle touring trip using any route you like, but there are many established routes here in Ohio and across the country that many bike-touring enthusiasts have used. Three of the most popular routes pass by one or more of our stores.
Northern Tier
The is published by the Adventure Cycling Association. It starts in Anacortes, Washington and ends in Bar Harbor, Maine. Through Northern Ohio, it uses Lake Road along the shore of Lake Erie for much of the way, just a couple of blocks from our Rocky River store.
Underground Railroad
The was published by the Adventure Cycling Association to memorialize the Underground Railroad, a network of clandestine routes by which African freedom seekers attempted to escape slavery before and during the Civil War. Beginning in Mobile, Alabama and ending in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, the route passes by our Peninsula store on its way through Ohio.
Ohio to Erie Trail
The begins on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati and ends on the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland. It is not a "trail" per se, but a route comprised of a collection of trails and roads for a total of 326 miles across the state. 90% of the route is on dedicated bike trails (as of the end of 2023), with more trails being added every year. The Ohio to Erie Trail route follows the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from Massillon to Cleveland, passing by our Peninsula store on the way.
Bike Touring Resources
- Adventure Cycling Association
- Home page:
- Routes & Maps:
- Bike Overnights:
- Bike Travel Weekend (first weekend each June): www.biketravelweekend.org
- Bike Your Park Day (last Saturday each September): www.bikeyourparkday.org
- U.S. Bicycle Route System
- Options for Camping along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
- Popular routes:
- - Cincinnati to Cleveland
- - Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD
- - Cumberland, MD to Washington, DC
- Ohio-based touring shuttle services:
- (not offering service in 2024)
- Ohio bicycle touring companies
- - Beginning in 2023 offers guided trips on the Ohio to Erie Trail
- offers 5-day and 6-day self-guided trips on the Ohio to Erie Trail
- Long-term parking in Cleveland (while riding the Ohio to Erie Trail)
- , 750 Vincent Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114 (216) 357-2634 - Self-service; open 24 hours
- Two Wheel Travel:
- Warm Showers:
- Couch Surfing:
- 5 Tips: Preparing for and Riding in a Multi-Day Bicycle Tour
- Article from Ohio Sports & Fitness: S24O: Sub 24-Hour Overnight
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