Cycling can be great for fun or exercise. Whether for recreation or fitness, summer is a great time to get involved.
Valley bicycle shops offer a wide range of equipment – nearly something for everyone. Whether for fitness or recreation, there are many types of bicycles available.
For those who don’t own a bike, or just want to try out cycling, bikes are available to rent at Trailside Bicycle Company to use on the Mill Creek MetroParks Bikeway.
Co-owner Curtis Masters said that Trailside offer bikes that are specifically made for comfort while out on the trail.
Masters said that the bikes are easy to adjust to fit all sizes. They even offer tandem bikes, child carriers and adult tricycles. Bikes can be rented for $9 an hour or $25 for the day.
Michael Billock, an employee at Frankford Bicycle in Girard, said that for recreational riding, people buy hybrids or fitness bikes. Such bikes can range in price from $350 to $1,000.
For fitness riders or people who are looking for a fast bike, Billock said that customers buy road bikes or gravel bikes which could cost anywhere from $600 to $1,000.
“Gravel bikes are a new category that we have and are doing really well with. It’s a combination of a road bike and a mountain bike. So it’s kind of a go anywhere and do anything,” he said.
Augie Thumm, owner of Thumm’s Family-Owned Bike and Clock Shop in Warren, said that hybrids are currently a favorite with customers.
“Hybrid bikes have really been the most popular based on my demographics of customers. With all the bike paths, it’s the type of bike that puts one in the most comfortable ride posture,” Thumm said.
He added that most area people are riding for recreation.
“Ninety nine percent of the people that come in here have either young families where they want a nice comfortable bike to ride with their family on the greenway or in their neighborhood,” he said. “Or couples that want to come in and do something together where they can get a bike that fits them perfectly and a bike that they know they can get fixed and something that’s in a category that’s going to make it a useful machine to them.”
When purchasing a bike, Thumm said to avoid discount-chain stores.
“So many people make the terrible mistake of going to a mass merchant and buying something that I refer to as a bicycle-like object,” he said. “Because basically that’s what they sell. They’re not selling bikes that come in a choice of frames size.”
Thumm said this is important because at bike shops, you can purchase bicycles based on your own particular needs or what would be right for your body.
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There are plenty of local trails for riding. A popular one is the MetroParks Bikeway.
Masters said that it’s the nicest trail he has ever been on and it’s always maintained by the park. “I think it’s fantastic,” he said.
Randy Gipson, a Minerva resident and MetroParks Bikeway user, is a frequent visitor to the trail.
“It’s flat, it’s nice, its got some sun, its got a few hills and, yeah, I like it. Not too many people,” he said. “And if there is, they understand there’s that courtesy that you use and don’t wreck and don’t hit nobody.”
The MetroParks Bikeway runs 11 miles from Western Reserve Road in Canfield to the Mahoning County Trumbull County line in Austintown. There are trailheads located at Kirk Road, Mahoning Avenue and at the MetroParks Farm.
The MetroParks Bikeway is also a part of the Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway which will be completed in 2020. There is currently 75 miles of trail completed. When finished, it will be 110 miles and connect Lake Erie to the Ohio River.
Trailheads can be accessed in various locations across Mahoning and Trumbull Counties and other areas in Northeast Ohio.
Besides trails, there are other ways to get involved locally with cycling in events that focus on the activity.
To find cycling events or even clubs to join, Billock recommends a mobile application called Strava.
“It’s kinda like Facebook for cycling. You ride and you get kudos and thumbs up and people comment on your ride and your map and how many feet you climbed and how fast you went and all that,” he said.
Billock said that Frankford Bicycle offers group rides on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The rides usually follow the same path and is about 40 miles long.
A calendar featuring bicycle events going on in Ohio as well as an Ohio bike trail map can be found in bike shops such as Frankford Bicycle.
There’s something for everyone in the biking scene in the area, an area that has a cycling culture that Billock describes as very strong.
From bike shops, to trails, to cycling- focused events, summer is a great time to hop on a bike with friends and family.
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