Few readers of our Signal Akron newsletters have been more persistent in asking us to post information than Dan Johnson, the director of the Akron Bicycle Club.

Johnson saw our story about the South Street Ministries Bike Shop, along with our list of its rides, and thought our readers would like to know about his nearly 60-year-old group.

Original members of the club had to own a bike with at least three gears. Today, the non-profit has more than 350 active members and features three signature rides as well as several weekly rides.

On May 21, the club will host its Ride of Silence through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which honors cyclists killed or injured while riding, including club members Matt Billings and Jim Lambert.

The annual rides include the Absolutely Beautiful Country Ride on July 13, which starts at the Winery at Wolf Creek in Norton. Aug. 23 and 24, the Roscoe Ramble takes riders through Amish country for a two-day ride to Coshocton and back. Overnight accommodations are provided.

Cyclists from the Akron Bicycle Club make their way up a hill during the Roscoe Ramble on Aug. 25, 2024
Cyclists from the Akron Bicycle Club make their way up a hill during the Roscoe Ramble on Aug. 25, 2024. The two-day ride goes from Canal Fulton to Coshocton and back. This year’s will take place August 23 and 24. (Photo by Bob Whittington / Courtesy of Susan Richards and Akron Bicycle Club)

Find out more about ABC, including its ride calendar, at akronbike.org. (Note: there is a $30 membership fee.) 

For Ohio rides, like the TOSRV: Tour of the Scioto River Valley and GOBA: Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure, check out the calendar here.

Other Akron-area bike rides and information:

Eddy’s Bike Shop list of trails 

Eddy’s free sponsored rides 

Blimp City Bike & Hike: Includes night rides on the Towpath Trail. 

Dirty River Bicycle Works

Signal background

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.