Biking

Cities around the world are discovering that the elegantly simple and efficient bicycle can be a serious transportation mode — if the right facilities are developed to make biking safe and convenient. 

Biking in Northeast Ohio increased 269 percent from 2000 to 2010. Most of that growth happened in neighborhoods where houses are located close to jobs and the necessities of every day life. Here people are finding it just as convenient to bike. Plus, it's a great way to stay fit!

Getting started is not as hard as you might think. When you are ready, here are some things to consider:

Getting started

Whether you own a bike or need a new one, start by visiting a local bike shop, have a qualified mechanic look it over, tune it up, get it road ready, or fit you for a bike that suits your needs and style. They'll help you answer: What kind of bike should I get?

Training on how to bike safely

Biking can be one of the most satisfying ways to get around and learn about your town. Many Clevelanders old and young are doing it. Here are some helpful tips:

• Tips to start biking as an adult
• What are the rules of the road?
• The Ohio City Bike Co-op, a Cleveland non-profit organization, teaches adults and kids how to fix their own bike and how to safely ride a bike.

Biking to work

You have to get to work, and you'd like to exercise, right? For many Clevelanders, a bike takes care of both at the same time. With the right gear, even cold weather doesn't have to stop you (Minneapolis is considered one of the top biking cities in the country and their winters are far worse than Cleveland's). Again, bike clubs and teams plus shops are a great resource on what's essential for the bike commuter in our climate. The following articles will get you started. 

• How do I bike to work?
• Essential items you’ll need when biking around town
• How do I deal with clothes (and smells) when I bike to work?
• What’s the best way to carry stuff on a bike?
• Tips on biking in cold weather

Bike events and bike advocacy in Cleveland

As biking becomes more popular, elected leaders will take notice. With a little encouragement, we hope they will adopt policies to make biking safer for everyone. 

• Bike Cleveland, an organization focused on making streets safer for biking
• Switching Gears
• Also, check the GreenCityBlueLake calendar for bike events

Bike maps

Click here to find the best routes for biking in:

• Cuyahoga
• Geauga
• Lake
• Lorain
• Medina

University Circle-Cleveland Heights bike map 

Urban bike trails

Cleveland

• Morgana Run
• Rockefeller Park
• Lake to Lakes (Connecting Shaker Lakes to Lake Erie via University Circle)
• Lorain-Carnegie Bridge bike path

Under construction

• Lake Link (connecting the Flats West Bank to the Lakefront)

Under consideration

• Market District trail
• Eastside Greenway
• Circle-Heights Bikeway

Bike Lanes (Cleveland)

• Euclid Avenue (from University Circle to Cleveland State University)
• Fulton Road bridge (near the Zoo)
• Detroit-Superior Bridge
• Abbey Avenue (Connecting Tremont to Ohio City)
• Edgehill Road

Under construction

• Detroit Avenue (from W. 25th Street to Lakewood)
• W. 41st and W. 44th streets in Ohio City
• E. 22nd Street on Cleveland State University campus
• Fleet Avenue in Slavic Village

Under consideration

• Madison Avenue
• W. 65th Street
• Lorain Avenue
• Denison Avenue
• Kinsman Road
• Cedar Road

Location of Share the Road pavement markers (aka “Sharrows”)

Cleveland Heights

• Edgehill Road (between Euclid Heights Boulevard and Overlook)
• North Park Boulevard (between Coventry and Lee roads)
• Euclid Heights

Cleveland

• Franklin Avenue (between W. 65th and W. 28th)
• Lorain-Carnegie Bridge

Akron

• On Exchange Street near Akron Children's Hospital

In-town social rides

• Ohio City Bike Co-op’s Saturday Social Ride
• Cleveland Critical Mass rides
• Blazing Saddle rides
• Bob’s Bike Tours (of downtown Cleveland, Ohio City and Tremont)
• Great Lakes Tour Co.—Bike rentals and guided or non-guided trips in Cleveland, its neighborhoods and the Cuyahoga Valley

Recreational riding

• Northeast Ohio Cycling Connection—Bike clubs and rides in Northeast Ohio

• ›  Biking
• Lake to Lakes Trail