Review Notes

The Ohio Trail Reviews are pretty straightforward and consist of these parts:

Format

• Critique - A general overview along with info on potential problems or pleasant surprises along the trails. Please note that surface conditions are rated in terms of how smooth the trail is for road or touring bike use. Reviews of unpaved trails (towpath, gravel, dirt, cinders, etc.) will generally recommend a fat-tire ride, though some Ohio towpaths are smooth enough for road bikes as well.
• Trail Specs: - Section at the bottom of each review that provides specifics regarding parking, trail conditions, water stations, places to eat, etc.

What You'll Find

Surf the margin menus on the review pages to find the following:

• Maps - of the trail, trailhead(s), trail networks & more.
• Pics - when available.
• User Comments, updates & reader reviews.
• Current trail weather.
• How to submit comments, updates, pics and other trail-related stuff.
• Trail riding guidelines, safety tips and more.

What's NOT Included

Ohio Bikeways focuses on cycling and as a result does not list all possible uses allowed for each trail. To find out, for example, if cross-country skiing is allowed in winter, contact the trail overseer.

No Ratings?

Reviews are often rated, like the proverbial 4-star review. We intended to adopt such a system here as well, but we soon found that we had to abandon the idea since the majority of Ohio bikeways are fairly new, in good condition and a joy to ride. The rating idea was scratched to avoid being redundant.

Too Much Sugar?

But that's not to suggest the reviews here are sugar-coated. That would defeat the purpose of providing accurate, practical information -- a key objective of this web site. If you suspect that real criticism doesn't exist here, read "A Questionable Use of Ohio Trails."

Why Aren't The Featured Reviews Dated?

An older version of this web site, Cycling Ohio Trails & Bikeways, tried dating reviews and found it problematic at best. So we're trying something different. When an update comes in for a trail, it's posted and dated in the 'comments/updates' section of the review. The info is then plugged into the featured review with no date. The idea is that the main review acts as a template that can be continually updated in small or large chunks. By leaving off a date, we avoid a debate regarding whether an update was significant enough to warrant a date change.

Though reviews contain a lot of useful information, they do not cover everything and should be used in conjunction with other resources. Visit the 'Planning A Trail Trip' page to learn how to use trail resources more effectively.

The Review Objectives

Trails share many similarities, yet each has its own special character and personality (at least we think so). But describing what makes each trail unique, fun or interesting is quite a challenge. You can only use the terms 'pleasant' or 'nice' so many times before the words become meaningless. That's why more time is spent describing the trails in these reviews rather than trying to describe how nice we think a trail is. Things that we find to be interesting or unique along the trails are always mentioned, along with any annoying or troublesome aspects as well. The bottom line here is to provide enough information so that readers can determine whether they want to visit a certain trail and know what to expect when they get there.

What Do You Think?

But we're not just talking about our opinions here. Click on some of the buttons in the left-hand margin menu to send comments, updates, photos or trail reviews of your own!

Put these reviews & maps to good use -- take them along!

Print off the info and maps contained on these pages for the trail(s) you plan to ride. Get a copy of an Ohio State map and you're all set!

Also, check out these Trail Tips before heading out.