Inspired by last week's adventure at the Hill'n'Dale Hundred, I crafted a new challenge for myself. A review of Google maps revealed that my favorite nearby mountain bike trail exists a mere 7.8 miles from my home. Probably 85-90% of that route is on a bike path. Not just any bike path, but the Ohio-to-Erie Trail: a multi-use path that connects the Ohio River with Lake Erie. I will mention that I live as far as 100 yards from that trail. My newly built Surly Ogre, in it's fully rigid state, just begs to travel on a mix of pavement and dirt. As luck would have it, despite days of rain, the mountain bike trails were open to riders, so I set out. I also made a point of testing out a homemade "snack bag"--a small zippered pouch attached to my top-tube and steer-tube, capable of holding snacks and things for easy access. Once I arrived at the Phase 1 mountain bike trail at Alum Creek State Park I opted to ride a loop on the 1.5 mile long "beginner" trail. Halfway back home I realized that I wasn't yet exhausted and how easy the commute was. What a shame that I had only ever driven there with my mountain bike hitched on the rear of the car. Total: ~17.1 miles.
