This was my first mountain bike ride in 6-8 weeks, and it shows. I rode from Grover Center to Sells Park via the Bike Path and Avon. Once I hit singletrack I rode Rockhouse to Basswood, to Athens Trail, back to the trailhead. The hills killed me, but hopefully next time they’ll be easier.
Tag Archives: Sells Park
My rides lately
It’s been hard to get rides in lately, as it seems the schedule continues to get a bit more hectic as the weather gets warmer. I’m trying to find time to ride when I can, and right now the time is during my lunch break. This week and last I rode my mountain bike out to Sells Park; two days last week and two days this week. Due to time constraints of my lunch hour, I can only get about a mile into the trails before its time to turn around. I usually just stick to the Rockhouse Trail, as I can ride all of it without walking anything. I’ve yet to make it up the hill to get on top of the Athens Trail without walking, so I reserve that section of the Athens Trail System for when I have more time. With the two miles out and back on Rockhouse, and the 5.5 miles there and back, it turns into a decent lunchtime ride. Here’s the route to get there:
Since I’m so pressed for time, it’s almost like a time trial getting to and from the trail, and I usually face a massive headwind coming back to work. I can usually get there and back, get a shower, and be back at my desk in an hour. Sometimes I get held up at the red light crossing East State Street, and if that happens, I sometimes have to adjust my time on the trail. It may seem crazy to ride 5.5. miles round trip for 2 miles of singletrack, but the brief amount of time I get on the trail is very much worth it. It’s a good amount of riding to wet the appetite for more riding, while also getting a decent workout for the lungs and legs. I’m hoping to be able to work in some longer trail and road rides once things settle down a bit. It’s tough to be patient, but I have to remind myself that it’s only the middle of April. The riding season has only just begun. However, many of my riding buddies have been able to log a few more miles than I have, so I am a bit concerned about keeping up with them on the road. Maybe my gym workouts and lunchtime time trial/trail rides will be enough to keep me from being blown off the back. Time will tell.
Let’s do lunch sometime
Mother Nature’s treat. I’m fortunate that it’s a 2.7 mile ride to the trails from my car. Here’s where I sometimes take my lunch.
I actually rode with somebody
With my schedule, it’s hard to find a time to ride with folks. Today was different, as my buddy Mac and I took a quick trip out to Sells Park from Grover during the lunch break. I was running a bit late from a meeting, so we didn’t get started right when we wanted. Nevertheless, we hauled it down the bike path and up Avon to Sells, and spent a little time rolling up and down the Rockhouse Trail. Despite last night’s rain, Rockhouse was perfectly dry, and even the boggy sections have almost totally dried up. We only made it about 1.5 miles down the trail, as we had to be back at work, so we didn’t get a good look at the entire section of trail. Sections closer to the intersections of the White Ash and White Oak trails may still be damp. We totaled 7.75 miles in a little less than 40 minutes. Mac led the entire time on the trails, and I found it to be an interesting learning experience to watch the lines of another rider. We’re definitely looking forward to going again soon.
Lunchtime ride to Sells Park
Quick trip to Sells and back
Another pretty day, another ride. I was very fortunate to get out for about 30 minutes on the mountain bike on my lunch break. I rode from Grover Center parking lot at Ohio University, through campus, then out the bike path and through the Near East Side to Sells Park. The trails were still pretty damp, so I just did a quick loop around the pond and left. I was only there for less than 10 minutes, but it felt great to have a little dirt under the knobbies. It’s supposed to rain some more this week, so it may be quite some time before the trails are dry enough to ride.
Total distance was 6.2 miles in just under 30 minutes of riding.