Good Local Rides
Here are some good local day rides we recommend. Degree of difficulty is determined by length in miles rather than by elevation gain - this area is very short on hills. Rides range from easy to slightly challenging - if you're an advanced biker you certainly don't need any help from us! We'll be adding to this list regularly. If you have rides you think are worth sharing, please let us know - we'll test them and include them if they look like something this audience would enjoy.
Swanton North Fork Loop 28 Miles This ride starts and ends in Oak Openings Metropark on the north fork of the Wabash Cannonball Bike Trail. You'll ride mostly on smooth back roads with low traffic through pleasant rural fields plus about nine miles on the north fork of the bike trail. You'll have a short stretch on Maumee city streets, but won't have much traffic unless you hit rush hour. North Fork Lose Whitehouse Loop 14.5 Miles Here's a short, pleasant route for beginners. Portions of your ride will be on parts of both the north and south forks of the Wabash Cannonball Bike Trail, while the Weckerly and Lose Road sections are winding and mildly hilly roads through open fields and along a wooded stream. There's an ice cream stop in Whitehouse. Secor Berkey Oak Openings Loop 46 Miles This ride is primarily flat and straight, through open country, although there is a stretch on the north fork of the Wabash Cannonball Bike Trail and a loop through Secor Metropark. You'll pass through Berkey, Metamora and Swanton. If you keep your eyes open, you'll find several opportunities for ice cream along the way. Slippery Elm Trail 13 miles The Rail to Trail Slippery Elm Trail runs 13 miles from Bowling Green through Rudolph to North Baltimore. An asphalt paved multi-use path, it's a good first ride for beginners - flat, away from traffic, with a good ice cream stop. It's a bit dull for more experienced riders, passing parallel to Route 25 through famland and fields. Sylvania/Metamora Loop 32 miles Start in Sylvania and take a quick pass on the Quarry Ridge bike path through Fossil Park and Brint Park before heading west on Brint to Metamora for a pleasant lunch break at Metamora Municipal Park. It will be mostly open farmland with pleasant small towns and working farms. Return on Frankfurt and Centennial. |
Wabash Cannonball Loop 23.5 Miles This trip covers almost the entire Wabash Cannonball Bike Trail, plus about five miles on pleasant, low-traffic rural back roads. It's all pretty smooth going. You'll have an ice cream stop and an opportunity to log on a few extra miles if you want to ride the great hike/bike trails through Oak Openings Metropark. See the Oak Openings map for trail details. Maumee Waterville Whitehouse North Fork Loop 29 Miles This ride takes you out the towpath to Side Cut Park and along the Maumee on River Road to Waterville. Then it's on to Whitehouse, where you can find ice cream (the berms are a little narrow on this stretch, and the traffic is quick but light). You'll ride through woods and the Oak Openings Metropark, returning on the north fork of the Wabash Cannonball Bike Trail. University Bike Trail 14 Miles Starting at Wildwood Metropark, you'll ride west to King Road, then east to the University of Toledo, then back to the park. To extend your ride in the park, take the brown route (multi-use path) through the park. And don't forget to explore the beautiful UT campus - it's probably been years since you've seen it, and it's changed quite a bit. North Coast Inland Trail (Elmore to Clyde Section) 19 miles This paved Rail to Trail path from Elmore through Lindsey and Fremont to Clyde is newly completed, and the area residents are quite proud of it. On the ride, you'll get an interesting mix of industrial development, farmland and quaint small town flavor. It makes a good round trip with a lunch break in Fremont. The stretch from Clyde to Loraine is passable but rough - use a mountain bike. |
Maumee Grand Rapids Loop |
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© 2010 | 2011 Bob Beach |
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