This summer, work was finally completed on a connector between Huffman and Eastwood Metroparks. The connector brings the bike path to within 3 miles of my front door, and from there I can go east almost to Columbus, north to Piqua, or south almost to Cincinnati without ever leaving the bike path. The system is one of the best in the country, and one of the big reasons I like living here. The easy bike access to downtown Dayton alone is a wonderful luxury, given the time we spend at Riverscape and the 2nd Street Market.
The culmination of the project was this set of switchbacks down the western slope of Huffman Dam, engineered to make the climb more manageable for families, as well as to keep speeds reasonable as you enter the blind corner under the bridge, which you can just make out at the top of the picture.
My favorite thing about the switchbacks is that they allow you to get some easy cornering practice, as the pavement is smooth and the corners are of a constant radius. Once the rest of the construction dust finishes washing off, it’ll be especially grippy, and you’ll be able to really rail through the corners, no matter what bike you’re on. Cornering is a somewhat underutilized skill on a road bike, and at the amateur level, can really make a difference in racing. I plan to spend a lot of time on these switchbacks, polishing that skill.