Links to good riding
OCBC - The Ohio City Bicycle Co-op, a local bike education center.
League of American Bicyclists - the national cycling advocacy group, and the people who manage the League Cycling Instructor program.
John Forester - the father of modern 'transportation cycling, his mantra is "Cyclists Fare Best When They Act And Are Treated As Drivers Of Vehicles." More simply, SAME ROADS, SAME RIGHTS, SAME RULES. Not just an opinion, it is supported by numerous studies. See his website or his fantastic book Effective Cycling, for more detail than you can shake a stick at.
Cleveland Bikes - where OCBC is the local bike education group, Cleveland Bikes is an advocacy group. They sponsor things like the local Bike To Work activities, work with local planning officials to represent the interests of cyclists, and are a good source of local bike info. They're also behind those white bikes you see around town (the sign graphics are mine).
Fred Oswald another local League Cycling Instructor, has painstakingly assembled a site that rates NE Ohio communities for bike-friendliness. See how your town rates!
The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and a beautiful place to ride (if you're not on narrow tires!). The crushed limestone path takes you along the old towpath route, where you can spot turtles, ducks, herons and other wildlife. Good if you're not comfortable sharing the road with motorized traffic, or want a quiet ride among the wild grasses and mosquitoes.
Ohio Bike Events Calendar – looking for an organized ride to get started? Look no further! This excellent resource spells out the details for tons of great rides in Ohio. If you’re looking for more than a one-day event, may I suggest the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure? I’ve only done one, but will be going back for more. A week-long cycling trip with 2,999 of your best cycling friends? It doesn't get any better!
Bikely.com – this is a site I just recently discovered. It’s a community of people posting their favorite routes, with accompanying Google maps and some turn by turn directions.
And I’ll just take this moment to mention another fun aspect of riding – FOOD. Ask my husband, who always thought me a sort of a light eater. I am, usually. Then he saw me at a snack stop on a ride for the first time and was thoroughly disgusted as I double-fisted my way through cookies and peanut butter sandwiches. Honestly, from the look on his face you’d have thought I was eating live puppies or something. Check here for a rough calculator on how many calories you can burn while riding!