2025
Ohio: 5-Star Bike Paths (April 26 - May 2, 2025) $2049 per person/double occupancy (single occupancy +$550)
Please note: Currently Sold out
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Join us for a bike vacation in the heart of Ohio, featuring 5 distinct bike routes all ending in the city of Xenia, "The City of Hospitality," which serves as the hub and destination to each day's ride.
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Since all the routes primarily are on former railroad beds each days route is basically flat.
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Each day have a choice of a long or short route, each ending at the hotel in Xenia.
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On the short routes all the paths are paved.
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On the long routes al routes are paved with a couple exceptions: on the Sunday Columbus route there is a 0.33-mile connector through the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, which is crushed, packed limestone and the Tuesday route from Bellefontaine to Urbana is on hard pack crushed limestone for 16 miles.
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Since the routes are former railroads there are relatively few intersections, so just enjoy cycling and the sights from behind your handlebars.
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We stay in the same hotel for the entire trip, so only unpack one time.
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Come join us!
Day 1, Saturday
Welcome Dinner
Begin your bicycling vacation on Saturday in Xenia, Ohio the central hub to all 5 rail trails that we will enjoy bicycling for the week. Xenia, Ohio is known as the “City of Hospitality” because the Greek word Xenia means hospitality. The city was incorporated in the same year that Ohio became a state. The city boasts of Xenia college that was founded in 1850 and historically liked to say they have all the "modern big-city conveniences" with electricity arriving in 1881; running water in 1886; and the telephone in 1879; and the library in 1899. More recently many scary movies have been filmed in Xenia, including The Nightmare on Elm Street, The Silence of the Lambs, and Scream 2. Enjoy the city in the day and in the late afternoon, meet at the hotel at 4:00 pm for the Welcome meeting, followed by dinner with friends - new and old - to start your bicycling vacation!
Dinner:
Troni Brothers Italian Restaurant
Xenia, Ohio
Entrée Choices include:
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Lobster Ravioli – Lobster Ravioli with Artichoke Hearts and Roasted Red Pepper in our Pink Sauce. Includes Rolls and a Side Salad.
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Chicken, Veal or Eggplant Parmigiana Dinner – Includes choice of pasta, rolls and a side salad.
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Trio Delight Specialty – Breaded Chicken, Meat Lasagna and Stuffed shell with homemade marinara sauce. Includes Rolls and a Side Salad.
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Spaghetti and Meatballs – Featuring Troni Brother's homemade marinara and homemade meatballs. Includes Rolls and a Side Salad.
Lodging:
Hampton Inn Xenia Dayton
Xenia, Ohio
(Stay at the same hotel for the entire bicycle tour. Just unpack one time!)
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Internet
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Business Center
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HD TVs
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Fitness Center
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Coin Laundry
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Indoor Pool
Day 2, Sunday
Ohio-Erie/Camp Chase Trail: Riding from London or Columbus Riverfront Genoa Park to Xenia
Our bicycling vacation begins on the Camp Chase Trail from Columbus Riverfront Genoa Park after a van ride from Xenia. Camp Chase trail is on the former railroad bed of the Camp Chase Railroad and also designated as part of the Ohio to Erie Trail. The railroad was originally built to support Camp Chase, a training camp for Union forces. One of the highlights of the bicycle trail is how the landscape seamlessly and quickly changes from urban Columbus to the surrounding rural areas. Columbus is most famous as a young and hip city that is attributed to its innovative arts focus along with its amazing tech industry all while neighboring The Ohio State University, one of the largest college campuses in the U.S. The city has claimed numerous awards, including one of the 10 best public markets and the 3rd best beer scene. We will also cycle through (of if you choose, you can start your ride in) the city of London. London is a mix of modern and charming and is known for its well maintained Madison Lake State Park, which is just south of our bike path, when we take the bridge over Deer Creek.
Breakfast provided by the hotel each morning.
Bicycling Route: 0 miles, staying at the hotel; or 31 miles, riding from London to Xenia; or 58 miles, riding from Columbus Riverfront Genoa Park to Xenia, 58 miles. [The route is on a paved rail trail and is basically flat. On the Columbus route there is a 0.33-mile connector through the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, which is crushed, packed limestone]
Dinner:
Los Mariachis
Xenia, Ohio
Entrée Choices include:
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Fajita Taco Salad – A crispy, fried flour shell filled with beans and your choice of grilled chicken or steak. Cooked with onion, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Topped with lettuce, cheese, and sour cream.
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Ribeye Steak – 10oz ribeye steak served with rice, beans and your choice of grilled onion, mushrooms, or sauce.
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Fajitas – Strips of steak or chicken cooked with tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. Served with rice, beans, pico de gallo and sour cream.
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Tacos from the grill – Three soft corn tortillas stuffed with your choice of filling. Served with beans, pico and salsa. – Chicken – Chorizo – Carnitas – Steak – Pastor – Barbacoa
Day 3, Monday
Ohio-Erie Trail: Riding from Loveland Miami River View Park or Cincinnati Clear Creek Park to Xenia
This morning we will again ride on the Ohio-Erie Trail, but today we head North from Cincinnati after a van ride from the hotel. This section of the trail is one of the most biked areas of the trail with its close proximity and easy access to the greater Cincinnati area. Cincinnati is of course famous for its two professional sports teams the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals football team both housed in downtown stadiums a walk apart and overlooking the Ohio River and the State of Kentucky. Cincinnati is also known for their restaurants, including Skyline Chili and hotdogs, Greaters ice Cream and bakery and LaRosa's pizza. In fact, at the end of our ride today, many people may choose to eat at Skyline Chili in Xenia, which is located directly across from our hotel.
Breakfast provided by the hotel each morning
Bicycling Route: 0 miles, staying at the hotel; 44 miles, riding from Loveland Miami River View Park; or 57 miles, riding from Cincinnati Clear Creek Park to Xenia [The route is on a paved rail trail and is basically flat]
Dinner:
On your own
Day 4, Tuesday
Simon Kenton Trail/Little Miami Scenic Trail: Riding from Urbana Coffee Depot or Bellefontaine Trailhead to Xenia
After breakfast start bicycling at the start of the Simon Kenton Trail at the Bellefontaine Trailhead after a van ride from the hotel. The Simon Kenton Trail which is noted for its many trees along the path. Some people may choose to stop at (or begin their ride from) The Depot Coffeehouse, which is housed in a remnant from the past in the old train depot. The city of Bellefontaine is famous for having the highest elevation in the state at 1549 feet and for having the only remaining Dutch style theater in the U.S. One of the famous attractions in Urbana is the continuing restoration of the WWII B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber. In addition, the trail features views of active farms and rural homes and vast fields and pastures. Some people enjoy a stop at the Cedar Bog Nature Preserve just south of Urbana with more than forty endangered, threatened, and rare plants and animals featured in a protected area of about 450 acres of land left behind by the retreating glaciers from 12,000-18,000 years ago.
Breakfast provided by the hotel each morning
Bicycling Route: 0 miles, staying at the hotel; 37 miles, riding from Urbana to Xenia; or 54 miles, riding from Bellefontaine to Xenia [The Urbana to Xenia route is on a paved rail trail. The route from Bellefontaine to Urbana is on hard pack crushed limestone for 16 miles. The entire route is basically flat.]
Dinner:
On your own
Day 5, Wednesday
Free Day. Or Xenia/Jameston Connector Trail: Riding from Octa to Xenia AND South Great Miami River Trail & Creekside Trail: Riding from Trenton Trailhead to Xenia
Today enjoy a free day to visit the area on your own or enjoy the optional bike ride. We start the ride today from Octa today and ride back to the hotel in Xenia. We will then meet back at the hotel and take the vans to Trenton for our second bike ride through Dayton and back to Xenia. Of course, you have the choice of taking just the first ride or just the second ride or take both! The village of Octa village is a small, picturesque town located on the banks of the Big River and has an old-fashioned, small-town feel. As we all know, Dayton is the birthplace of Aviation and the hometown of the Wright Brothers, aviation pioneers credited with inventing and building the first practical airplane. Dayton is also well known for its myriad of bike paths the intersect the city and all meeting by the river.
Breakfast provided by the hotel each morning.
Bicycling Route: 0 miles, staying at the hotel; or 21 miles, riding from Octa Baseball Field Park to Xenia; or 44 miles, riding from Trenton Trailhead through Dayton to Xenia; or 65 miles (metric century) riding one route and then subsequently riding the other route. [The routes are on paved rail trails and are basically flat]
Dinner:
On your own
Day 6, Thursday
North Great Miami River Trail & Creekside Trails: Riding from Tipp City Kyle Park or Piqua Road Side Park to Xenia
On our final ride we ride the northern part of the Great Miami River Trail after taking vans to the Piqua trailhead; thus riding the entire trail after completing the southern part on the prior day. The trail has previously been named the Best Bike Trail in Ohio. The Trail is the backbone of one of the nation's largest paved trail networks. Piqua was named after the Shawnee Indians, who lived in the Great Miami River area. The city was first named Washington, but the name was unpopular with the settlers, so the state legislature was petitioned to restore the Indian name of Piqua. We also get to ride over the newly completed multi-million-dollar bike bridge that only finished construction in 2023 and made significant improvements over the original bicycling route.
Breakfast provided by the hotel each morning.
Bicycling Route: 0 miles, staying at the hotel; or 33 miles, riding from Tipp City Kyle Park; or 53 miles, riding from Piqua Road Side Park to Xenia. [The route is on a paved rail trail and is basically flat]
Dinner:
On your own
Dinner:
Nick's Restaurant
- The most popular, most awarded and busiest restaurant in Xenia, since 1949 -
Xenia, Ohio
Dinner choices include:
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Nick's Famous Walleye – Always a favorite! Try it pan-fried, blackened, or deep fried. Served on a bed of rice pilaf.
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New York Strip – 12 oz USDA choice steak, char-broiled to perfection and served on a bed of crispy onion straws.
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Pork Chops – 8 oz chop glazed with awesome sauce. 1 or 2 chops offered.
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Black and Bleu Spinach Salad – Nick's famous spinach salad topped with a blackened USDA choice flat iron steak and melted bleu cheese crumbles, served with a dinner roll.
Day 7, Friday
Bicycle one last time on your own before departing for home.
Breakfast provided by hotel each morning
Please note all trip information is based on previous trips and/or contracted lodging and restaurants and is subject to change based on availability or specific trip needs.
Riding difficulty:
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Riders who are comfortable riding at least 10 miles per hour should have an enjoyable trip. The primary routes are all on paved rail trails. Please see the daily routes descriptions for additional information. Of course, if a rider is tired or does not feel like riding, the SAG vehicle will transport the rider. All riders may ride at their own pace, slow or fast or anything in-between. To provide the optimum SAG support, the vans will drop-off the riders for the longest routes first.
Arriving by Automobile:
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Drive to the starting hotel: Hampton Inn Xenia Dayton, 194 S. Progress Drive, Xenia, OH 45385
Arriving by Plane:
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Fly into the Dayton, Ohio (DAY) and rent a car or take an Uber/Lyft for the 30 minute drive to the hotel. Some people may choose to into the Columbus John Glenn International Airport (CMH) and rent a car for the 1 hour 10 minute drive to the hotel; or the Cincinnati International Airport (CVG) and rent a car for the 1 hour 12 minute drive to the hotel.
Deposit:
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$200 to reserve your spot and the remainder due 45 days before the trip start.
What is Included:
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Hotel lodging
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Ride Packets with Cue Sheets (directions)
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Garmin/GPS routes to download
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Google Maps routes for your iPhone or Android Phone
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Fully sagged including van transportation and rider assistance.
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Breakfast each morning
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Happy Hours (BYOB) on selected evenings
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Dinner with the group three evenings (see above)
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Great riding, scenery, fun and enjoyment!
Bicycles:
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Most participants bring their own bicycles
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To ship your bike, we would suggest using shipbikes.com or bikeflight.com for shipping. To ship your bike to the hotel: Hampton Inn Xenia Dayton, 194 S. Progress Drive, Xenia, OH 45385
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If you fly, many major airlines including now waive the oversize fee for bicycles (sporting equipment) and just the standard luggage fee applies. Please contact your airline for all the details.
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Bike Rental: Bikes are available for rent in the Xenia area, including K&G Bike Center Xenia, including e-bike rentals. We suggest conducting a Google search in Xenia or in nearby Dayton, Cincinnati, or Columbus to find the best place to accommodate your needs.
Weather in the Xenia area at the time of trip:
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Average Historical High: 70° (In 2024 the average high for the time of the trip was 80°)
Vacation Bicycling, LLC
1860 Barnett Shoals Rd, Ste 103-514
Athens, GA 30605
Athens, GA 30605