As a cycling destination, Cincinnati is expanding by leaps and bounds.
If there’s one word to describe Cincinnati’s cycling vibe, it’s this: growing. Already a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community, Cincy has around 60 miles of bike lanes and shared-used pathways, including the 70-plus-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail, a crown jewel which follows the bends of the Little Miami River through the southwestern Ohio countryside.
Exciting projects are the works. A connected system of trails dubbed CROWN (Cincinnati Riding or Walking Network), which will link over 50 communities, from Northside to Madisonville, Lunken, and Lower Price Hill. And the 23-mile Ohio River Trail, connecting neighborhoods to lovely riverfront parks. And the Queen City–South Mill Greenway, reaching from the Hamilton Country Fairgrounds to the Ohio River.
Not enough? Local groups like the Cincinnati Off Road Alliance are planning a new MTB skills park in Mount Airy, already home to four miles of fun loops, waterfalls, and drainages. If cross-country is your jam, head for Mitchell Memorial Forest, where an intermediate and an advanced loop both have decent flow (and a few fun rock gardens).
Though gravel is harder to come by, the dirt roads from Lake Erie south to Shawnee State Forest are decent. But you can get a true offroad fix with events like the Cincy3 Cyclocross Festival, one of the oldest ‘cross races weekends in the Midwest. Rumor has it that the Cincinnati Cycle Club has been around since 1880. Join them for the Unity Ride (46 and 63 miles) or the Licking Valley Century, which follows the ridgetops and valleys of Northern Kentucky.