Hiking and Biking

Don’t Count On 911 To Find You When You’re Injured On The Trail

My friend found out the hard way when he was knocked unconscious yesterday.

Photo by Eder Oliveira on Unsplash

The weather in Ohio has been crazy. It’s the middle of November and you can still hop on the bike and take a comfortable spin through the woods and cornfields.

My friend and his wife headed out yesterday on a trail in Summit County (Akron, in other words). We’re lucky to be near a lot of well-maintained, picturesque trails that follow the old Ohio and Erie Canal system throughout Northern Ohio. (Find out more about the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail here and here.)

These trails are usually either hard pavement or crushed limestone, and the ride is sweet. You can take your time and look at deer and flowers, or crunch through drifts of leaves. Informative placards and old canal locks add variety.

Pretty much the only danger I’ve encountered in my 20 years of trail riding is a bug strike straight to the face (always wear your sunglasses, kids), or falling over trying to got on or off my bike. Embarrassing, yes. Deadly, not so much.

But there’s a new menace on the trails — electric bikes.