Favorite Twisty Roads in NC/SC/TN Mountains?

[Desmo Demon]

Roan Mt Rd??

The last time I was on that road, I did the two-wheel shuffle from the yellow to the white.....sliding both wheels. I have no idea how I didn't lose it.....That was the last week of March in '08 on my way to the Ducks Along the Blue Ridge Rally.

 Some of you mention 181 in NC, but not 221 between Grandfather Mountain and Blowing Rock? Great Road!

It's been a while since I was on 221, but the last time it had a LOT of gravel in nearly every curve. The pavement was pretty nice, though.

Now my favorite is the 28's, SC from Walhala, GA for a bit, then NC to Deals Gap.

That road sucks.....everyone needs to stay away from it.....  

[Sport-Touring]

[sprint_st]

That road sucks.....everyone needs to stay away from it.....  

I definitely defer to your more up to date knowledge of that road.  It truly does suck.  And all that banjo music coming out of the woods  

[Desmo Demon]

I definitely defer to your more up to date knowledge of that road.  It truly does suck.

Pot holes, ripped pavement, broken shoulders, sand, gravel, road kill, cops, driveways, children crossing the street, soccer moms in SUVs, transfer trucks.....the road's gone to hell in the last five minutes.  

 And all that banjo music coming out of the woods  

The music can only be heard while on the Georgia section of the road.  

Oh yeah, you gotta be careful of the troll that lives under the bridge at the SC/GA state line, too.  

[sprint_st]

This is one of the pic's of the Snake Bite I couldn't get at earlier. IIRC that missing mirror and peg are down by the HD.  No, that is not what Sara was riding in.  She was total ATGATT and went down the embankment about a 100ft.  All she had was a bit of a limp and a minor rash.

[photomd]

I definitely defer to your more up to date knowledge of that road.  It truly does suck.  And all that banjo music coming out of the woods  

So that's how we keep people off the good roads. I'm bringing my banjo next time.  

[freecatSV]

It's been a year since I heard the story, but Sara's insurance company totaled out the ST1100, right? It doesn't *look* that bad.

Oh well, the Wee Strom is a great bike.

[HappyRiding]

It's been a year since I heard the story, but Sara's insurance company totaled out the ST1100, right? It doesn't *look* that bad.

Oh well, the Wee Strom is a great bike.

The HD guy's insurance totaled both bikes. Nearly all the ST's plastic was trashed. The HD clobbered the left side bag and tupperware, the road did a good job grinding the right side and my chest removed the windshield. Other than the left peg, the bike could have been ridden home. If I hadn't had a bike vacation planned in less than a month I probably would have bought it from the insurance company and put it back together.

Initially I thought I was uninjured except for my knee swelling (always take off anything you don't want cut off by the paramedics before the ambulance arrives). Two hours after the crash, I couldn't stand with my right foot or left knee and my neck hurt like hell. Three weeks later I took a rental car to Indiana to ride the Wee home. Eight weeks later I figured out that my shoulder was more than bruised. It was separated. A year later my medical bills were finally paid.

I really loved my ST but the Wee fits 75% on the riding I do better. I've put 25,000 miles on the Wee in the year I've owned it.

[bogfro]

 I've put 25,000 miles on the Wee in the year I've owned it.

A bit off topic, but how rigorously do you follow the valve adjustment schedule?  I'm on track for putting 20k on mine in the first year of ownership, and it recommends the first valve adjustment at 15k.  Just wondering if it's really necessary to do it that early.

[HappyRiding]

A bit off topic, but how rigorously do you follow the valve adjustment schedule?  I'm on track for putting 20k on mine in the first year of ownership, and it recommends the first valve adjustment at 15k.  Just wondering if it's really necessary to do it that early.

Ummm, I'm a bad bike Mom. At 36,000 miles, I still haven't checked the valves. Even though I recently stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, I will have to take the Wee to the shop and let them do it for me. I can't bring myself to be without it for even a few days. I'm going to buy a car soon so I'll have it done while I enjoy the novelty of four wheels.

BTW, we gotta ADV event in the neighborhood this weekend: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=412432

Now back to our regularly scheduled topic...

[Desmo Demon]

Now back to our regularly scheduled topic...

I'll probably be seeing that intersection this weekend (it's part of one of my regular 350-mile day rides). Coming from the right, that is a really tight, right-hand turn to get onto 19W.

[HappyRiding]

I'll probably be seeing that intersection this weekend (it's part of one of my regular 350-mile day rides). Coming from the right, that is a really tight, right-hand turn to get onto 19W.

There is still a bit of gravel in places after the heavy storms but as of last Sunday it wasn't bad if I just followed a line in the cage wheel tracks. I did see 4 does, a bear, a black snake and a couple dozen turkeys. Beware that the Unicoi County LEOs are picking on sport bikes in that area.

[bogfro]

Yeah I need to ride that part of 19W more often.  The last time I was there was the middle of winter, and it was covered in sand (especially on the NC side......NC needs to invest in SALT) .  Talk about some slippery corners!

Sorry I can't make that camping gathering, although it sounds like fun; I'll be taking the Lee Parks riding course in Knoxville this weekend.

I guess I need to take more pictures while I'm riding........ I don't have any pics of the roads I ride.  Some of them would be good "trivia questions" for an NE TN local.  

[sprint_st]

I'll probably be seeing that intersection this weekend (it's part of one of my regular 350-mile day rides). Coming from the right, that is a really tight, right-hand turn to get onto 19W.

Des,
We must just miss each other all the time.  We ride the exact same roads.  My normal trek used to be up 80 out of Marion up through Bakersville and across Roan Mt, but until that chip and seal on the north part of 80 gets another month or so of baking, I've been heading up 19w out of Burnsville then over to 212 and 63.  One of these days if you see a bit blue and silver in the trees along 212 it's probably me over cooking again.  

[vulcanbill]

There is still a bit of gravel in places after the heavy storms but as of last Sunday it wasn't bad if I just followed a line in the cage wheel tracks. I did see 4 does, a bear, a black snake and a couple dozen turkeys. Beware that the Unicoi County LEOs are picking on sport bikes in that area.

But what do you do once you get to Earnestville?  Is that a turn around and go back or is there something I'm missing?

[Desmo Demon]

Beware that the Unicoi County LEOs are picking on sport bikes in that area.

I have head of residents along that route of 208/212/352 calling the police whenever bikes go storming past their houses. There have been reports of a recent rash of patrolling from the TN state line to 19W the last couple of months.

Des,
We must just miss each other all the time.  We ride the exact same roads.  My normal trek used to be up 80 out of Marion up through Bakersville and across Roan Mt, but until that chip and seal on the north part of 80 gets another month or so of baking, I've been heading up 19w out of Burnsville then over to 212 and 63.  One of these days if you see a bit blue and silver in the trees along 212 it's probably me over cooking again.  

We do what we call our "Hot Springs Loop" about once a month from March-October. We go from The Store at Hwy 11/Hwy 178 in SC and head up to Waynesvilles, over to Maggie Valley, toward Hot Springs, over to Erwin, and then usually 19W to Burnsville, down to Marion, and then over to Lake Luke and back home. An alternate route is to go north of Erwin and shoot through the state forest and back down on 226, jump over toward Weaverville, and jump on the BRP back west.

Any of the routes we choose are usually a good day of mountain riding at 350-400 miles for the day.....We have another 350-mile route from the house that covers most of the good roads in northern Georgia before we get back home. We ride the snot out of that route when the northern roads are crappy during the winter months.

[HappyRiding]

But what do you do once you get to Earnestville?  Is that a turn around and go back or is there something I'm missing?

You can make all kinds of loops. Anything that crosses the TN/NC line is a good road.  

There was a recent story in The Erwin Record about the increased enforcement on the south end of Unicoi County.   I can understand though why residents are not thrilled with squid type behavior. A patient of mine is one of the people that calls the Sheriff. It seems that packs of high-revving sport bikes left of center are not well liked. Some folks are riding back and forth like they do on the Dragon and the residents call the UCSD. They will have one deputy with radar and another down the road to roadblock. However, I ride there all the time and the locals wave (with all their fingers).

[vulcanbill]

You can make all kinds of loops. Anything that crosses the TN/NC line is a good road.  

Yeah, and I hope to explore them in a couple weeks.  It just looks like that road ends where very little else interesting is happening.

Anyone familiar w/ that 209 south of Hot Springs?  The map says its fun.  ???

[Desmo Demon]

Anyone familiar w/ that 209 south of Hot Springs?  The map says its fun.  ???

It is a fun road, but you will often run across gravel in the curves and the last few times I've been up there, we've seen law enforcement patrolling 209.

[sprint_st]

You can make all kinds of loops. Anything that crosses the TN/NC line is a good road.  

There was a recent story in The Erwin Record about the increased enforcement on the south end of Unicoi County.   I can understand though why residents are not thrilled with squid type behavior. A patient of mine is one of the people that calls the Sheriff. It seems that packs of high-revving sport bikes left of center are not well liked. Some folks are riding back and forth like they do on the Dragon and the residents call the UCSD. They will have one deputy with radar and another down the road to roadblock. However, I ride there all the time and the locals wave (with all their fingers).

A few weeks ago I was heading up the TN portion, 353? toward 212 and there were a bunch of sport bikers suiting up right there where there is a school or something that breaks off to the left.  They had the look of "fight's on" attack the hill.  That's too bad because that section of road is IMO better after you leave the houses.  They must be in lust with that series of turns where you first start out.

[nantahala]

It is a fun road, but you will often run across gravel in the curves and the last few times I've been up there, we've seen law enforcement patrolling 209.

x2 on the gravel.  I haven't been through there this year, but with the large amounts of recent rain and getting into summer tourist season, there is a good chance of having gravel in some of the corners especially around the Bluff area.  Overall it's still worth a ride.

Here are a few pics from last year of 209 and the area.  That's part of a nice quick loop from North Asheville I take fairly often (maybe even today with some guys from Raleigh that are here for the weekend...).

Matt