On a warm afternoon in April, we decided to explore a new part of the Little Miami Scenic Trail. We parked our car at 50West Brewing and rode south.
The trail is well marked and easy to follow. There are parts that are not shaded, so keep that in mind when planning this trip and consider biking it when it is not so humid and the sun is a little less brutal. During spring or early fall would be an ideal time, or in the late afternoon. Don’t forget your sunscreen!
About 5 miles down the trail brought us to from 50W to Lunken Airport. Lunken Airport is a public airport 3 miles east of downtown Cincinnati. Owned by the city of Cincinnati, it serves private aircraft and the fleets of local corporations.
A 5 mile paved trail around the property provides an area for public recreation. Once we hit Lunken, we rode west along the north side of the trail, then turned south and followed the trail almost to the SW corner before turning west onto a side street. A few blocks later, we arrived at Streetside Brewing.
One thing to note is that part of this trail is along the street with car traffic, so assess your level of comfort with that before planning this route. The traffic this particular day wasn’t super heavy, but the streets are narrow and it felt tight while cars passed us. (I’m also a nervous street rider.)
Streetside Brewery: “Rooted in Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhood, we strive to bring together a down to earth experience and a selection of exceptional craft beer that’s as diverse as the community we serve.” Tucked into a local neighborhood, Columbia Tusculum, the brewery hosts a food truck and has an open wall looking out on the street. We parked our bikes at the bike racks available in front of the building. The open atmosphere helped us enjoy our refreshing pints and the warm spring day. I purchased some beer to go, utilizing my Bevie Bag to keep it cold and carry it on my bike for transportation home.
We retraced our path to complete the ride. Briefly, we thought about visiting Big Ash Brewing on the way back, as on the map it looks like a short street ride off the trail. But once we got to the jumping off point, the road looked a bit more intimidating and not so bike friendly, so we opted out. We plan on visiting this brewery via car at a later date. Make sure you know what you’re getting into if you think you want to add this stop to your ride.
We ended our ride at 50West Brewing, with a pint and burger. With so many things to do here, like sand volleyball, pickle ball, and curling in the winter, this brewery always feels fun. It’s always very busy on the weekends, so we like to go to it during the week if possible. They have good burgers and shakes and great beer. It’s a family and pet friendly enviroment. I highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area.
Follow this route for yourself with using this map or click this link for the route on AllTrails.