What are a few of your fav roads you know best and can ride hard?

[Indy Dave]

I started to ask this in another thread, seems like it needs its own topic.

 

What are a few of the roads you know like the back of your hand and know so well you can ride them more aggressively than you do any others?

 

We all know certain roads like the back of our hand and we're able to commit to a much greater degree and, as such, can generally leave our buddies behind - perhaps more because of their lack of familiarity than lack of skill.

 

I admit I get a [greater] sense of satisfaction of doing certain challenging stretches of road quickly, smoothly and accurately - while comfortably leaving much less margin for error than I typically do.

 

I'll start this by saying I'm a little embarrassed at my answer - because they're NOT in Indiana - and comparatively, have nothing on the roads we ride in TN, NC, GA, WV, CO etc. Which is why START and FART are such a draw for me. The road I know best is M22 in Michigan. Sections from Crystal Lake going north to Empire - the map does not do justice to the sections I'm thinking of. And M22 South around Crystal Lake from Elberta to Onekama. What's nice is that the areas I'm thinking of are decidedly rural, so there's little chance of a surprise around a blind curve [the map makes seldom used gravel roads appear well traveled]. These are kind of typical mid-western curves, not a series of technical or tighter lower speed like are common down South and generally are not see through gentle sweepers - although some are gentle - like are common out West.

 

This section is one of my all time favorites - to go quickly, you have to go South due to possible traffic at Sutter road. My family had a summer home off Sutter rd at the top of the hill.

 

 

 

 

It doesn't look like much, the first section is more of a carousel and it hangs on longer than you think - you can't see through the curve and it starts tight, and opens up, but not quite straight. Accelerating hard out of the curve into a sort of short chute, you have to commit to the quick flick to the right - you can't see through it either - and one (well, I do anyway) must be careful not to carry too much speed into this -

at speed it's tighter than it looks and the is RT heavy.

 

Coming from the other direction, that kink is a blast - and you have time to take it at speed and slow down for the carousel due to possible merging traffic from Sutter rd. In my much younger days in my 84 5 series, more than once I 4 wheel drifted around that kink heading north.

 

Until I started going riding with BMWST, you can see what a sheltered riding life I've had - and why START/FART have such an appeal. I'm sure these are probably the lamest riding roads as far as curves per mile. But I know every curve and inch of M22 for 50 miles and there are sections of road that are quite breathtaking in areas and quite satisfying to just ride and enjoy. I've known them since I was 12.

 

I love and favor so many roads I've been exposed to in the last years, but I don't know them like M22. There are some nice roads here and there around my house, but most have unacceptable risks – trees, utility poles, poor pavement.

[lkraus]

I won't say these are the BEST roads, but these are sections of the first two that come to mind and are easy to show on one map.

 

Ohio SR78 between McConnelsville and Caldwell, and SR83 from Cumberland down to SR60.

 

Google Maps link

 

Both are in an area that was heavily strip-mined for coal in the 60's and 70's. Nearly all the homes and farms were bought up and demolished, fields and forests were removed, heavy trucks destroyed the roads, it looked like a moonscape. When the coal was gone, the power company replanted trees and grasses, and the major roads were rebuilt. It looks much better now, but the soil is too poor to farm and the power company still retains title to most of the land, so there are very few homes, businesses or farms in the area.

 

For the motorcyclist, this means little car or truck traffic, and few intersecting roads and driveways to carry gravel onto the pavement. The curves are not quite as tight as some other roads in southeast Ohio, and the hills not quite as sharp. The pavement is in generally great shape, though it has a acquired some patches in the past year. There are a few sharp turns that can catch you out until you know where the road goes, so I still take it easy for the first ride or two each year. Best of all, either of these serve as a great warm-ups for the many great roads around them.

 

Plus, there is a handy rest area at the Big Muskie bucket near 78 & 83:

[Indy Dave]

 

Here's you map:

 

 

 

Great Larry, and not too far for neighboring Hoosiers! SE OH I've only been through on 4 wheels, but I remember thinking what great bike roads there had to be. Thanks!

 

Expanding on your map, here's M22 from the sky.