Pedal Power! The Licking County Cycling Scene Is on a Roll

Ryan Hughes

The Licking County cycling scene includes a new shop where biking and baklava come together. OneLove Café and Bike Shop in Granville opened in 2024, creating a space that co-owners Fulya Doslovich and Asu Turkmen envision being as much about people as it is about pedals and pastries. 

Cycling, Coffee, Baked Goods and More

“OneLove is not a typical shop and café – it is a passion project,” Doslovich says. “I’m an avid cyclist who always wanted to have a bike shop and a place to make bikes more available for people. Asu wanted to open a Turkish cafe and share her talents in kitchen and coffee with others. With the support of our partners (Mike Brown and Oz Turkmen), we were able to combine our dreams and make them come true.” 

The cycling side of the shop is extremely personalized. While there are plenty of bikes available to rent for different types of cycling (gravel, mountain, road, etc.), the floor selection for purchases is limited because Doslovich says they want to custom order “the best-fit bike for our customers.” 

Meanwhile, the café offers a variety of drinks and baked goods, including Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, smoothies and, of course, sweet and flaky baklava. The shop also holds social rides, children’s group rides and other bike-related events. 

“We want to get more people and their kids on bikes,” Doslovich says, “giving this healthy outlet to as many people as possible.” 

OneLove Café and Bike Shop

Plenty of Trails to Traverse 

The reason Central Ohio is a good place for OneLove to set up shop is because the region has a vibrant cycling community that takes advantage of the wide array of scenic bike routes and festive biking events available throughout the year. 

Popular options in the region include Buckeye Lake State Park (offering more than 5 miles of lake views), the TJ Evans Trail (a 14.2-mile asphalt rail trail), the Buckeye Scenic Trail (another rail trail, stretching 5.5 miles), Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve (which will be undergoing trail improvement construction in 2025) and Star Hill in Forry Preserve near Heath (12 miles of mountain biking trails with views of the Licking River). 

“Central Ohio offers a diverse range of cycling opportunities, catering to riders of all skill levels and preferences,” Doslovich says. 

For beginners, the region boasts smooth, flat trails that run through scenic parks and offer a safe, leisurely ride. 

“Intermediate cyclists can explore rolling hills and more varied terrain in areas for both road and gravel,” he says. “And for advanced cyclists seeking a challenge, the Hocking Hills region (with more than 50 miles of trails) offers rugged, hilly terrain with stunning views, providing an exciting and demanding ride.” 

One of the more interesting opportunities can be found at the Horns Hill Bike Park in Newark. Horns Hill operates as a shuttle-fed trail system, meaning that riders take a shuttle to the top of the ridge and then bike back down along the trails. 

“The great thing about that is, even if you have a group with different levels of experience and some people can’t ride as fast as others, they still get to the bottom only 20 to 30 seconds apart, and then everybody is back together,” says Ryan Hughes, executive director of the Central Ohio Mountain Biking Organization, which oversees Horns Hills and nearly 100 other miles of trails in the region. “That helps people spend a lot more of the day together. It has fostered an incredible community environment.” 

Competitive and Casual Events 

Cycling also fosters that community environment in Central Ohio through several events held in the area, including Tour de Buckeye Lake and the Pelotonia Ride Weekend. The latter attracts more than 6,500 riders, serves as a fundraiser for the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, and has generated more than $300 million in donations since its inception in 2009. 

“The event not only provides an opportunity to challenge oneself physically, but it also offers a sense of community as cyclists unite for a common cause,” Doslovich says. “Pelotonia has significantly boosted the visibility of cycling in Ohio, encouraging both recreational and competitive riders to explore the state’s diverse cycling terrain while supporting life-saving research.”