Learn why this region is home to largest paved bicycle trail network at Springfield event

Being No. 1 in the nation at something is not easy for a community of the Miami Valley’s size. But the Dayton-Springfield region is home to the largest paved trail network in the entire nation, with more than 350 miles to explore.

“People are amazed this is right here in their back yard and that people are coming to the area to ride the trails,” said Jordan Hart, Five Rivers MetroParks’ outdoor recreation coordinator specializing in cycling. “There’s definitely something for everybody so you can start where you are. You can find a beginner-friendly trail and build up to longer, more challenging trails.”

Cycling and its economic impact for everyone in the region is the focus of the 2025 Miami Valley Cycling Summit to be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 9, at the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Culture Center in downtown Springfield. Anyone interested in cycling is invited to attend the biennial event, hosted by Bike Miami Valley and the city of Springfield this year. Free registration is required and can be done at www.CyclingSummit.com.

There will be breakout sessions about national cycling policy, regional trail updates and changes, pedestrian safety and more. There’s an offsite pumptrack tour, plus the Cycling Summit features two keynote speakers:

· Erick Cedeño, known as The Bicycle Nomad, is a bicycle explorer and historian who serves on the board of directors for Bikepacking Roots and the Adventure Cycling Association.
· Ken McLeod is the policy director for the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), where he leads efforts to improve bicyclist safety and provides technical assistance to those working on state and local initiatives.

Cedeño also has ridden the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route twice, said Hart, who himself completed the route that runs from Mobile, Alabama, to Ontario, Canada, in fall 2016. The route runs through Wilberforce and Xenia, and it includes a spur to Springboro, as it follows a network used to escape slavery before and during the Civil War.

McLeod also manages the LAB’s Bicycle Friendly America program. The LAB recently awarded the city of Dayton a silver-level designation, an improvement from its original bronze.

Cedeño’s story and McLeod’s work complement the summit’s theme of “Cycling for All,” which emphasizes how cycling can drive regional economic growth and the importance of access.

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

“Active transportation like biking and walking is important,” said Louis Agresta, transportation director of the Clark County Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC), who added that such transportation options also improve community health outcomes. “A lot of folks in our community need this to get around, and they deserve safe transportation.

“We want people to be able to ride their streets and leave their car at home,” he added. “We want an 8-year old to be able to walk or bike to school, a 30-year-old to work and an 80-year-old to the grocery.”

Chris Buck, special events coordinator for Five Rivers MetroParks and former business development manager for Bike Miami Valley, said the region has experienced a lot of momentum around cycling since the first summit was held in 2009.

“Those involved have shared progress and been inspired to keep the ball going,” Buck said. “A lot of that goes into economic impact. By having an area that’s easy for people to get around, you have more retail and restaurants and a healthier populace.”

The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) conducts Trail User Surveys every four years. The most recent survey, held in 2021, showed cycling has an estimated annual regional economic impact between $11 million and $15 million, said Matt Lindsay, MVRPC’s manager of environmental planning. In addition, the survey showed an estimated 4% of trail users are from outside the region.

The Cycling Summit helps the region further harness its extensive trail system, Agresta said.

“I hope those in attendance will be rejuvenated to improve our transportation system so it works for everybody and to think about how cars, bikes and pedestrians can safely co-exist when maintaining our transportation infrastructure,” he added. “People learn from each other and take that back to their day jobs to make our communities better places to live, work and play.”

At the end of the summit, there will be a social event at Mother Stewart’s Brewing Co., 102 W. Columbia St. in Springfield.

Those interested in cycling who can’t attend the summit are invited to visit local bike shops, connect with cycling clubs and attend other community events that support cycling. May is National Bike Month and features local events such as the Bike to Work Day Pancake Breakfast in Dayton.

“It’s good to get out and explore your surroundings from a different point of view,” Buck said. “Nothing against cars, but it’s nice to have more variety.”