Columbus has a great network of bicycle trails within the city and extending far into the countryside. Over the 10-15 years I’ve lived in Columbus, I’ve had the opportunity to explore most of these at one time or another and will share some of my favorite aspects here.
The Olentangy Trail connects OSU Campus to several neighborhoods. 
As the OSU hospital campus has expanded, it has somewhat started to merge with the bicycle trail along the Olentangy river. Now, if you live in Harrison West, Grandview, Clintonville, or Worthington, you can hop on the trail anywhere along its length and be transported traffic-free to the office. I’ve ridden the trail at nearly all hours of the day and night (thanks to home call as a GI fellow/faculty) and in nearly all weather conditions (see nighttime snow photo). Thanks to this trail and some investments in all-weather gear, I only have to drive to campus a few times per year.
The Olentangy Trail connects Columbus to Cincinnati and to Cleveland: Ohio Bike Route 1.
There are a few more caveats with this one – the major being that Cincinnati is 110 miles away and Cleveland is 180-ish miles away. I’ve ridden Columbus-Cincinnati-Columbus in one day (220 miles) and can report that it is nearly 100% traffic-free trails the whole way (depending on where you stop in Cincinnati). I haven’t made it all the way to Cleveland yet, but I have ridden Columbus-Akron (140 miles) and can report that it is about 70% trails. There are plans to make bike paths for the remaining portion, but I’m not sure how feasible that really is since it traverses pretty hilly Amish country and I imagine people like their family farms just the way they are.
Since I’ve ridden from Cincinnati to Akron, I can tell you the best parts of Ohio Bike Route 1.
Favorite ride: I recommend starting in Galena, Ohio or Centerburg, Ohio and riding to the Bridge of Dreams in Brinkhaven, Ohio. Starting from Galena, this will be about 90 miles round trip, and is maybe 60 miles round trip if you start from Centerburg. The part of the trail around Gambier, Ohio is probably the finest stretch of paved trail in Ohio. The bonus is that Gambier has a nice trailside water fountain and bathroom, and you can go off the trail to see the little college town and market/grocery there. If you continue past the Bridge of Dreams, there are a couple of gradual hills before you run out of trail in Glenmont.
Next favorite ride: Between Killbuck and Fredericksburg, Ohio you will see the heart of Ohio Amish Country from the Holmes County Trail. Along this trail I guarantee multiple sightings of horses and buggies (so watch out for… debris… in the trail).
Gravel ride: The bike trail from Zoarville, Ohio up to Independence, Ohio is mostly crushed limestone. The portions closer to Akron are more traveled and so are smooth and flat. The portion down by Zoar and Zoarville is a little rougher but can be quite scenic if you have wider tires. I’ve done it on 25mm tires and on 42mm tires and would recommend the wider ones unless you are familiar with the term “underbiking” and enjoy this.
The Ohio Gravel Grinders website is a great resource for all regional gravel routes.
If you are into gravel, check out their website. I recommend starting with the Homer gravel route (30 miles) – the last stretch along Butchers Road is a slight downhill winding along a little creek with some fairly smooth gravel *chef’s kiss* and is one of my favorite stretches of “road” in Ohio. Once you build up to it, you can check out some of their other routes. The “Mohican Monster 97” has been on my do list for a few years – I’ve done about 60 miles of it and was completely thrashed afterwards. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Useful websites:
https://new.columbus.gov/Community/Department-of-Neighborhoods/Healthy-Places/Bike-Maps
Ohio to Erie Trail Interactive Maps
About me:
I came to Columbus for medical school, stayed here for an internal medicine residency, then a GI fellowship, then a pancreas research fellowship and now am junior faculty in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. It is probably safe to describe me as a cyclist. I’ve heard several definitions of a cyclist and my favorite is: If you have a one-piece spandex suite designed for bicycling, then you are a cyclist. I ride about 5,000 miles each year, about 2,000 of those are on my indoor trainer, about 2,000 of those are solo outdoors, and about 1,000 of those are on my tandem with my wife (including Pelotonia).
