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About Jay's Bicycle Book

Jay Nelson wrote this booklet while at Antioch College in the '70s. It was (and remains) an excellent guide to bike trips around Yellow Springs, OH. He has given us permission to reproduce the booklet on the WWW so that it is conveniently available to cyclists in and around the Miami Valley.

What has been posted here are images of the actual booklet's text and maps.

Dedication

I would like to thank Elizabeth Phelan for her tireless Job of editing and her many helpful suggestions (and for riding with me) and Brian Biswas, my fellow cohort in suffering, who was working on a project of his own this quarter. Yes, and the Hosmer Food Co-op, "Connoisseurs Monogamous," who made this quarter livable and enjoyable.

Explanation of Route Maps

Each route map is a basic sketch of the roads which I followed on each specific ride, beginning at some point on the outskirts of Yellow Springs and ending back in town.

[Jay included the following information, some of which is no longer true, some of which refers to maps he annotated and attached to the original booklet, maps which we no longer can locate.] The Greene and Clark County road maps have been included in the back of this catalog for those wishing to investigate road extensions which are not included in the fourteen route sketches. The Miami Deposit Bank of Yellow Springs (corner of Xenia Avenue and Short Street, downtown) sells the Greene County map for twenty cents and will supply a good Yellow Springs map free of charge. I had to bicycle to Springfield to obtain a Clark County map (from the Chamber of Commerce, on the corner of Columbia and Limestone Streets). As an aid in getting through town, I have included a map of Yellow Springs (in back) putting stars by the road junctions where it links with the route maps. Other than the above, the maps and route descriptions which follow should be self-explanatory.

Introduction

Why a catalog of bicycle routes in the Yellow Springs area? Well, I have been in love with bicycling ever since the age of five when I first hopped onto a little black Schwinn and started going on short rides through the Iowa countryside with my mother and sister. Now that I think of it, I spent a good deal of my time on a bike, before this, being hauled hither and thither around the town, on the back of my Mom's green English lightweight. Anyway, after fourteen years of riding and touring through various states (and enjoying every minute of it), I thought it was about time I expressed some of the deep feeling I have for cycling. This catalog will help me to more clearly define what bicycling means to me, and hopefully it will be of some benefit and encouragement to you as a cyclist, as well.

With no further ado, let me say that when in the city, the good old two-wheeler serves wonderfully as uncomplicated, practical transportation (no parking hassle, no gas). Too, when in the country, a brisk ride never fails to assuage the frustrations of a L0USY day. Cycling is good for the body, but fantastic for the soul: ever changing scenery, invigorating downhill runs, sounds, smells, and adventure; finding new roads and encountering surprise obstacles.

Admittedly, adventure is one of the prime ingredients in my enjoyment of bicycling. I imagine that many other people feel the same way. For those who are not interested in lengthy descriptions and directions, I have traced in blue those roads (on the Greene and Clark County road maps) which I think are exceptional for their scenic beauty, leaving it to you to do the actual route planning. I have also put together a few loops, keeping to the lightly traveled roads, and pointing out scenic and historical areas which might be missed. Happy Cycling!

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