by Phillip Obermiller

While listening to music or podcasts, concentrating on a workout, or chatting with companions, it’s easy to miss some of the trail’s more interesting features. Loren Long, however, keeps an artist’s eye out for striking images while on the trail. He found one in a retired school bus in the corner of a goat paddock. Intrigued, Long kept returning to the scene wondering if there was a story in the bus’s presence.

A professional illustrator living in Madeira, Long uses observation and imagination to develop drawings and stories that include a popular series featuring Otis, the red tractor. His discovery just south of mile marker 48.5 has resulted in another best-selling children’s book, The Yellow Bus. 

The Amazon description calls it “a modern classic about a forgotten school bus that finds happiness and purpose in the most unexpected places--and the journey along the way.”

Long’s book attracted the eye of reporter Elizabeth Egan who noted the role of the Little Miami Scenic Trail in her New York Times article covering his recent work. You can read about it here.

Or maybe get a copy of The Yellow Bus and read it with some three-to-six-year-olds first.

The yellow bus is near the Schoolhouse Restaurant on the far south end of the trail where Phil Obermiller serves as a FLMSP Sentinel.

By Erick Wikum

My close friend and training partner from Green Bay is a retired oncologist. I’ll always remember his pep talk to members of our cycling team concerning how to prevent skin cancer. Our training necessarily involved a significant amount of exposure to the sun. He suggested we use sunscreen, which was not surprising. What stuck in my memory was his reminder to cover the tips of our ears.

The CDC provides tips for sun safety including the following:

Shade: Seek out shade. Fortunately, much of the Little Miami Scenic Trail is tree covered, which not only reduces exposure to the sun, but also lowers the air temperature by about 10 degrees.

Clothing: Wear protective clothing such as a floppy hat or a lightweight, long-sleeve shirt or pants. Consider wearing SPF/UPF-rated clothing.

Sunglasses: Wear wrap-around sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays.

Sunscreen: Apply sunscreen rated SPF 15 (some sources specify 30) or higher that filters out UVA and UVB rays. Reapply sunscreen every two hours.

Timing: Plan activities for early morning or late in the afternoon or evening. Avoid time periods when the UV index is 6 (high) or higher.
When it comes to protecting your skin, the adage “better safe than sorry” applies. Every time you head out to enjoy the out of doors this summer, consider these tips, and when applying sunscreen, don’t forget to cover the tips of your ears!

August 2024

by Erick Wikum

In grad school, I helped a fellow student move between apartments. He was from Brazil and was new to driving in the U.S. I rode along in the rental truck and his driving made me extremely nervous. I vowed from that day forward always to be cautious around rental trucks. Many people who rent trucks are not familiar with the challenges of handling a much larger vehicle.

Over the past few years, but especially in 2024, users of the Little Miami Scenic Trail have witnessed a phenomenon akin to driving on a roadway full of rental truck drivers. While e-bikes have been around for several years, falling prices and ready availability has meant that the number of e-bike riders on the trail has exploded this year. Many of these riders are new to bicycling and new to the trail. Some are riding types of e-bikes not permitted on the trail (see Did You Know? below). Many are proceeding at high rates of speed, even around other trail users. For these reasons, I have vowed to be cautious around e-bike users on the trail and I urge you to take a similar vow.

The American College of Surgeons issued a July/August 2024 bulletin suggesting that e-bikes are an emerging public health hazard (see this link). The bulletin lists disadvantages of e-bikes including “The higher e-bike speeds reduce reaction time for riders to avoid potential collisions. Attractive styling, naming, and bicycle-like appearance may not convey these risks to younger riders or parents.” The bulletin referenced “A 2018 Dutch Level I trauma study of the 10-year history of bicycle accidents at their institution noted that e-bikes accounted for 2.9% of their accidents but represented 27.6% of the fatal bicycle accidents nationwide in 2017.” Among the bulletin’s calls to action are increasing education and awareness and addressing confusion surrounding types of e-bikes and associated regulation.

• Class 1 e-bikes provide pedal assistance, meaning that the electric motor operates only when the rider is pedaling. Class 1 e-bikes have a top speed of 20mph (which happens to be the speed limit on the Little Miami Scenic Trail).
• Class 2 e-bikes are like Class 1 e-bikes in terms of offering pedal assistance and topping out at 20mph, but also provide a throttle that operates even when the rider is not pedaling.
• Class 3 e-bikes have a top speed of 28mph, must have a speedometer, and may or may not have a throttle. Some Class 3 e-bikes have throttles that only function up to 20mph, with pedal assistance to support higher speeds.
• In Ohio, Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are permitted on bike paths and shared use trails including the Little Miami Scenic Trail.
• In Ohio, Class 3 e-bikes are not allowed on bike paths and shared use trails.

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/guide-to-ebike-classes/

September 2024

by Erick Wikum

Cars, e-bikes, scooters, lawn mowers, yard tools, pressure washers, vacuum cleaners, phones, tablets and more—battery-powered devices are proliferating. And those using lithium-ion batteries require extra caution.  

A Maineville family recently learned a most difficult lesson concerning the charging of devices powered by lithium-ion batteries. The family’s home was engulfed in flames in the middle of the night. Were it not for some good Samaritans who happened by, lives may have been lost. As it was, the house was a complete loss, and a neighboring home was damaged. The cause of the fire? Children’s e-bikes, which were charging in the garage.

Click here for a story about the fire, and click here for another emotional follow-up story about the reunion of the family and those who saved them (both from WLWT).

These stories provide critically important guidance for us to follow. Charge a battery only under supervision and stop charging when the battery is fully charged.

Battery-powered devices, including the many e-bikes we now see on the Little Miami Scenic Trail, are here to stay. Educate yourself about charging safety and share what you know with others. Click here to access a comprehensive safety resource from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Photos: WLWT

July 2024