Lists of bike styles and terrain Paved roads and paths Paved roads and paths offer a smooth, clean surface for cycling. For many cyclists, these surfaces were created with road bikes in mind and they wouldn’t think of riding anything but a traditional road bike — an excellent choice of bike style for this terrain. In the Athens area, the road cycling options are limitless. State routes and secondary paved roads provide awesome scenery and are a fantastic way to get to know the region. Small towns are scattered throughout the paved roads, providing lots of places to stop for water and snacks. The Athens Bicycle staff logs a lot of miles — and eats a lot of Little Debbies — on road bike rides. Pavement also can be full of surprises including potholes, cinders, puddles, cracks and gravel patches. Most experienced road cyclists approach such obstacles with necessary caution but little worry or trepidation. Some people, however, don’t feel comfortable negotiating such obstacles on a nimble road bike or are not comfortable with road bike positioning. If that’s the case for you, but you still prefer to ride paved surfaces, consider a hybrid bike or outfitting a mountain bike with smooth tires. With either of those options, you’ll gain upright positioning, reduce twitchiness and not have to sacrifice too much speed. Yet another obstacle on paved roads is automobile traffic. As with road conditions, traffic bothers some cyclists more than others. If traffic stresses you out and makes riding no fun, roads may not be your best cycling choice whether they’re paved or not. If you still wish to ride paved surfaces, opt for paved, traffic-free bicycle paths, such as the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway in Athens or perhaps secondary paved roads with less traffic. Home | Products & services | Choosing a bike | Places to ride | Fun stuff | News Athens Bicycle, 14 W. Stimson, Athens, OH 45701 (740) 594-9944 Toll-free: (866) 594-9944 E-mail: pete@athensbicycle.com