Sandy is Gone-Sun Returns for Weekend Events

Just in time for the weekend....we are all set for the sun to resurface and stick around awhile! Now that Sandy has rumbled out of here, it looks like a great weather weekend is in store.

Which is great news for everyone planning to ride the Red Flannel or run the North Coast Inland Trail Marathon. Two annual events that bring hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts each year. The Red Flannel offers a 37-mile and 67-mile option for riders and is hosted each year by the Lorain Wheelmen Bicycle Club. The ride will begin and end at the Oberlin Community Services Center beginning at 9am. Registration is $20 and includes snack stops, maps and sag service. The ride has become a statewide favorite. Some riders look at it as their last ride of the year while others view it as the start of a new season and a good way to get their cold-weather gear out. Any way you look at it, it’s a blast!

The 7th Annual Inland Trail Marathon/Half Marathon and 5k is a USAT-certified Boston qualifier. The race benefits the Murray Ridge Center. 43 degrees and sunny looks like some pretty good running weather!

If you’re planning to make a weekend of it, there are plenty of events, exhibits, performances and winery activities going on. Not to mention dozens of great restaurants offering up plenty of delicious fuel for your adventure! Click here to plan the rest of your weekend and optimize all the great weather in store. If you are in need of some warm gear when you get here, Swerve Bike Shop and Molnar Outdoor are both close to the starting line of both events.

Spin Through Underground Railroad History with Adventure Cycling Association

The cycling-friendly city of Oberlin has the pleasure of hosting Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling Association, the largest membership cycling organization in North America, for a media event on Saturday, February 25th, 11–12:30 at Swerve Bike Shop (23 S. Main St., Oberlin). Jim will be in Oberlin to promote the organizations new cycling route, the Underground Railroad Detroit Alternate. Cycling enthusiasts are encouraged to attend this free event. Interested cyclists and supporters can RSVP by emailing info@adventurecycling.org.

(the following info provided by our friends at Adventure Cycling Association)

The new 518-mile Detroit Alternate will guide touring cyclists through important communities and landmarks in the Underground Railroad’s history from Oberlin, Ohio, to Owen Sound, Ontario. The original route — a 2,000-mile route between Mobile, Alabama, and Owen Sound — was developed under a partnership between Adventure Cycling and the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh.

Some Lorain County points of interest highlighted in the route:

• Back Roads and Beaches Multisport Route: 100-plus miles of low-traffic, scenic cycling routes through the heart of Underground Railroad history. The route includes options for riders of all levels and ages and BRAB provides information on bike rentals dining, parking, sample itineraries and local history and culture to make the trip enjoyable. Included are the Westwood Cemetery on Morgan St — a NPS Network to Freedom member — and Martin Luther King Jr. Park, where monuments stand to the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue and the Oberlin residents who participated in John Brown's raid

• Oberlin Heritage Center -- Showcases the abolitionist and Underground Railroad history of the community. Guided and self-guided walking and biking tours available. Includes tours of the Monroe House, Jewett House and Little Red Schoolhouse which tell the story of this community from 1833-1930.

• Downtown Oberlin -- A historic district full of beautifully-preserved homes and businesses, many with direct links to the Underground Railroad.

• First Church in Oberlin -- Built in 1842, this church served as the meeting place for the Oberlin Anit-Slavery Society and was the site of the memorial service for John Copeland and Sheilds Green who were hanged for their pariticpatio in John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. Call 440-721-9790 for tour.

• Oberlin College was the first college in the United States to regularly admit African American students (1835) and is also the oldest continuously operating coeducational institution. Learn the history of this college dedicated to equality in education based upon Christian values.

Who is ready to take a spin through history with Adventure Cycling on the UGRR Detroit Alternate?

Be sure to come to Swerve Bike Shop on Feb 25th to support cycling and the history of the Underground Railroad!