Overnight Trip Report: Dayton/Cincy/State Park Camping
10-24-23, 02:41 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Overnight Trip Report: Dayton/Cincy/State Park Camping
Below you'll find a trip report for a four day/three night trip (one hotel night and two tent camping in state parks).Friday 10/20/2023
TLDR: Day 1 of 4. Bikepacking trip from Dayton to Cincinnati. Rode 87 miles in rain and wind and there weren’t many highlights beyond being done.
About me: Early 40s, ride 3000-4000 miles per year, mostly gravel. (FTP ~260 watts, 170 pounds)
The rig: Lynskey GR300 gravel bike, Rival AXS 2x drivetrain with the 43/30 crankset and 12-speed 10-36 cassette. All in with Panniers, two bottles, a partial frame bag, and two Blackburn Outpost Cargo Cages on the front fork, call it 55-60 pounds depending on fluid and food levels including the bike. In a “run what you brung” situation for gear, this is what I had available. I carry lots of spares and tools plus a U-Lock and cables on a trip like this. I also rode 650bx47 tires for the extra squish and because my 700 wheelset currently wears 32mm Gatorskins which are pretty slow anyway.
I arrived in Dayton right on 10 AM, almost an hour later than I initially planned. I’d hoped to be rolling by 9:30. I parked in the Oregon District Parking Garage at Fifth and Jefferson. The garage is gated and connected to the (closed) former Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Convention Center. Apparently, the Crowne Plaza briefly rebranded as a Radisson and the hotel closed abruptly in October 2022 for “renovations” and it doesn’t look like anything has been done since.
At any rate, I was glad to be coming and going in the daylight. To cut to the chase my car was just fine when I returned on Monday afternoon, and I didn’t see anything concerning inside the parking deck. This section of downtown feels largely deserted and there were only about two dozen cars parked on the first floor of this huge parking deck in the middle of a Monday and Friday workday. Parking was $6 per day. Downtown to the west and north looks better, but clearly Dayton is trying to dig out of a major economic hole.
So, why Dayton? I alternatively investigated parking overnight in Tipp City and riding 101 miles to Cincinnati in one day. Tipp City Parks and Rec gave the me OK to park overnight in Kyle Park provided I contacted the non-emergency sheriff number to report the vehicle was there and not abandoned. The morning of my ride it was raining and it appeared the weather would improve 1) later in the morning and 2) as I travelled further south. So, I opted for Dayton, cutting off about an hour of riding and hoping I’d be behind more of the rain. I could always go for that personal “first century” by adding on more miles at the end. (Narrator: He did not complete 100 miles that day.)
Boy, was I glad ultimately I didn’t start from Tipp City. I finally hit start on my Garmin at 10:52 after getting everything loaded up on the bike. The plan was Mad River Trail to Creekside Trail to Xenia Station, where I would hop on the Little Miami River Trail for 67 miles to Cincinnati. I rode the Xenia to Cincinnati section in 2021 so I knew what to expect there. I had a detour off the Creekside Trail just west of Woodman Drive. I’d opted to continue down the trail at the Burkhardt Road intersection as the detour signs were off to the side of the trail. I was able to skate through an apartment complex and get over to Spinning Road and pop back on the trail just north of US-35. On my return trip I just followed the signs.
I stopped in Xenia just long enough to refill water bottles and mix up more drink powder (Skratch Labs) and headed down the trail. Near South Lebanon, there is a TERRIBLE detour around trail construction. First you must climb a steep hill up Lebanon Road that was rideable (up the sidewalk against traffic due to blind turns) but I only made about 3.5 MPH up the hill in a 30 front/36 rear gear and was huffing and puffing just to do that (granted with about 60 pounds total bike and packs weight). From there you have a stretch on Ohio Route 48 which was not great but could be worse, then a section on US-22. There was about 1.75 miles on Highway 22, and there was little to no shoulder for much of it. School was just getting out and I was slightly buzzed by a school bus.
Upon further review for the return trip, it’s possible to ride through a subdivision called Miami Bluffs (visible path from the subdivision down to the trail) and cut out the worst of it and pop onto Ohio 48 at a Kroger. Highly recommended.
I was in steady rain or mist from 10:40 to 3:00 PM, then again from 4:15-5:45 PM once I was in Cincinnati proper. Once you get past the Bass Island Trailhead, you’re exposed to wind across sod farms, soccer fields, and the airport for much of the remainder of the ride. The was from Mile 75-81 for me. Once you’re past the Lunken Airport and head west into downtown starting at my 81st mile, you’ll parallel the Ohio River. Most of this area is industrial but active and not generally run down for what it is. Several parks are located between the path and the river or are bisected by the trail (signed as Ohio-to-Erie Trail/Ohio Bike Route 1). Once you get into the historic East End, it becomes an interesting mix of high-dollar infill housing and vintage bungalows. The Cincinnati Waterworks is a classic building in the "they don't build municipal projects like that anymore" mold.
Once you get to the famous Montgomery Inn BBQ restaurant at the base of Mount Adams (which blissfully I didn’t ride up, but is home to the Art Museum and interesting neighborhood pubs and shops in its own right and is worth a trip), you’re at the low point of the route around 480 feet above sea level. The 50-foot elevation gain to the hotel district (about 530 feet elevation) was painful!
I arrived at the hotel at 6:07 and sunset was about 6:45. I’d hoped to make it downtown by 5:00 PM.
Very few highlights of the day beyond finishing, feeling properly fueled and hydrated, and not experiencing any chafing.
The desk staff at the Hyatt Regency was totally cool about the bike (I’d called ahead before making the reservation) and had some fun questions besides “why?” although they asked that, too! No hot tub, which was a bummer.
I took the Southshore Shuttle back and forth to Newport for a BBQ dinner at “Beards and Bellies” (passable pork, good sausage, good and interesting slaw, Kroger-grade potato salad) and a show at Southgate Revival House. All in all, a good and long day and I was moving well after getting off the bike and taking a good hot shower.
Day 1 Summary:
87.26 miles
6:05:16 moving time
7:15:00 total ride time
14.3 MPH average (24.5 MPH top speed)
173 watts average/Normalized Power 188
88 RPM average cadence
More to come!
TLDR: Day 1 of 4. Bikepacking trip from Dayton to Cincinnati. Rode 87 miles in rain and wind and there weren’t many highlights beyond being done.
About me: Early 40s, ride 3000-4000 miles per year, mostly gravel. (FTP ~260 watts, 170 pounds)
The rig: Lynskey GR300 gravel bike, Rival AXS 2x drivetrain with the 43/30 crankset and 12-speed 10-36 cassette. All in with Panniers, two bottles, a partial frame bag, and two Blackburn Outpost Cargo Cages on the front fork, call it 55-60 pounds depending on fluid and food levels including the bike. In a “run what you brung” situation for gear, this is what I had available. I carry lots of spares and tools plus a U-Lock and cables on a trip like this. I also rode 650bx47 tires for the extra squish and because my 700 wheelset currently wears 32mm Gatorskins which are pretty slow anyway.
I arrived in Dayton right on 10 AM, almost an hour later than I initially planned. I’d hoped to be rolling by 9:30. I parked in the Oregon District Parking Garage at Fifth and Jefferson. The garage is gated and connected to the (closed) former Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Convention Center. Apparently, the Crowne Plaza briefly rebranded as a Radisson and the hotel closed abruptly in October 2022 for “renovations” and it doesn’t look like anything has been done since.
At any rate, I was glad to be coming and going in the daylight. To cut to the chase my car was just fine when I returned on Monday afternoon, and I didn’t see anything concerning inside the parking deck. This section of downtown feels largely deserted and there were only about two dozen cars parked on the first floor of this huge parking deck in the middle of a Monday and Friday workday. Parking was $6 per day. Downtown to the west and north looks better, but clearly Dayton is trying to dig out of a major economic hole.
So, why Dayton? I alternatively investigated parking overnight in Tipp City and riding 101 miles to Cincinnati in one day. Tipp City Parks and Rec gave the me OK to park overnight in Kyle Park provided I contacted the non-emergency sheriff number to report the vehicle was there and not abandoned. The morning of my ride it was raining and it appeared the weather would improve 1) later in the morning and 2) as I travelled further south. So, I opted for Dayton, cutting off about an hour of riding and hoping I’d be behind more of the rain. I could always go for that personal “first century” by adding on more miles at the end. (Narrator: He did not complete 100 miles that day.)
Boy, was I glad ultimately I didn’t start from Tipp City. I finally hit start on my Garmin at 10:52 after getting everything loaded up on the bike. The plan was Mad River Trail to Creekside Trail to Xenia Station, where I would hop on the Little Miami River Trail for 67 miles to Cincinnati. I rode the Xenia to Cincinnati section in 2021 so I knew what to expect there. I had a detour off the Creekside Trail just west of Woodman Drive. I’d opted to continue down the trail at the Burkhardt Road intersection as the detour signs were off to the side of the trail. I was able to skate through an apartment complex and get over to Spinning Road and pop back on the trail just north of US-35. On my return trip I just followed the signs.
I stopped in Xenia just long enough to refill water bottles and mix up more drink powder (Skratch Labs) and headed down the trail. Near South Lebanon, there is a TERRIBLE detour around trail construction. First you must climb a steep hill up Lebanon Road that was rideable (up the sidewalk against traffic due to blind turns) but I only made about 3.5 MPH up the hill in a 30 front/36 rear gear and was huffing and puffing just to do that (granted with about 60 pounds total bike and packs weight). From there you have a stretch on Ohio Route 48 which was not great but could be worse, then a section on US-22. There was about 1.75 miles on Highway 22, and there was little to no shoulder for much of it. School was just getting out and I was slightly buzzed by a school bus.
Upon further review for the return trip, it’s possible to ride through a subdivision called Miami Bluffs (visible path from the subdivision down to the trail) and cut out the worst of it and pop onto Ohio 48 at a Kroger. Highly recommended.
I was in steady rain or mist from 10:40 to 3:00 PM, then again from 4:15-5:45 PM once I was in Cincinnati proper. Once you get past the Bass Island Trailhead, you’re exposed to wind across sod farms, soccer fields, and the airport for much of the remainder of the ride. The was from Mile 75-81 for me. Once you’re past the Lunken Airport and head west into downtown starting at my 81st mile, you’ll parallel the Ohio River. Most of this area is industrial but active and not generally run down for what it is. Several parks are located between the path and the river or are bisected by the trail (signed as Ohio-to-Erie Trail/Ohio Bike Route 1). Once you get into the historic East End, it becomes an interesting mix of high-dollar infill housing and vintage bungalows. The Cincinnati Waterworks is a classic building in the "they don't build municipal projects like that anymore" mold.
Once you get to the famous Montgomery Inn BBQ restaurant at the base of Mount Adams (which blissfully I didn’t ride up, but is home to the Art Museum and interesting neighborhood pubs and shops in its own right and is worth a trip), you’re at the low point of the route around 480 feet above sea level. The 50-foot elevation gain to the hotel district (about 530 feet elevation) was painful!
I arrived at the hotel at 6:07 and sunset was about 6:45. I’d hoped to make it downtown by 5:00 PM.
Very few highlights of the day beyond finishing, feeling properly fueled and hydrated, and not experiencing any chafing.
The desk staff at the Hyatt Regency was totally cool about the bike (I’d called ahead before making the reservation) and had some fun questions besides “why?” although they asked that, too! No hot tub, which was a bummer.
I took the Southshore Shuttle back and forth to Newport for a BBQ dinner at “Beards and Bellies” (passable pork, good sausage, good and interesting slaw, Kroger-grade potato salad) and a show at Southgate Revival House. All in all, a good and long day and I was moving well after getting off the bike and taking a good hot shower.
Day 1 Summary:
87.26 miles
6:05:16 moving time
7:15:00 total ride time
14.3 MPH average (24.5 MPH top speed)
173 watts average/Normalized Power 188
88 RPM average cadence
More to come!
Likes For okrep23:
