Some Roads You Might (Should!) Ride

[Ted]

Rt. 39 from Lexington, VA to Marlinton, WV

http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt39.jpg
and
http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt39-2.jpg

Rt. 72 from Red Creek at Rt. 219 to Kingwood
(Note - NOT for the feint of heart!)

http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt-72.jpg

More to come :)

[Ted]

And how could I forget Rt. 33 from Harrisonburg, VA to Buckhannon, WV?

http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt33.jpg
and
http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt33-2.jpg

Don't forget the amazing smaller roads, like Rt. 678 south of Waterlick, VA
http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt678-northern.jpg
or Rt. 678 south from McDowell, VA (at Rt. 250)
http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt678.jpg

[HankPfister]

Nice pictures, Ted!

Here is a route into Charleston to consider, especially if you have a couple of days, and are coming through the Roanoke Virginia area.
From Roanoke, take route 311 N. (exit # 141 on I-81) This is one of our favorite local roads, light traffic, 3 great mountains to cross, beautiful scenery all the way to West Virginia line on Peters Mountain. (The General Store [Texaco] at Paint Bank is a good break stop). Once over Peters Mtn., at Sweet Springs take a left on W.VA 3. Follow W.VA. 3 through Gap Mills, to Union where it joins US 219 North. A few miles out of Union take a left on W.VA 3 at Pickaway. At Alderson 3 goes left with W.VA 12. You'll follow the Greenbriar River to Hinton where it joins the New River (the oldest river in North America and one of the few major rivers that flow North). Cross the New and take a right on W.VA 20 through Hinton, cross I-64, through Green Sulphur Springs, Elton, and at Meadow Bridge take a left on CR 31 to Danese, and a left on W.VA 41. Now if you are adventurous (like on a GS or other dual sport) there is an interesting old road that goes into the New River Gorge and passes some old almost abandoned mining towns. You would take a right just past Prince and just before the New River Bridge on CR 25. Its not well maintained, but is passable. It'l take you about 1 1/2 hrs to get through to National Park Visitor center at Thurmond. Thurmond is an interesting stop, it was once a thriving coal mining community wedged between the mountain, railroad and river. Then follow CR 25 (its paved now) on to US 19 North to Fayetteville where you cross the New River on the famous New River Gorge Bridge. Be sure to stop at the Bridge welcome center on the North side, and find the old road that will take you down to the river and back up to US 19 the way you had to do it before the big new bridge.
For those not so adventurous, back at Prince, continue on 41 to W.VA 61 at New Hope to US 19 north. You can still take a side trip to Thurmond. Watch for a sign for Thurmond in the Redstar area where you will take CR 25 to Thurmond. There will be lots of camping and motel opportunities in this area, and some good eateries to. Lots of river rats flock to the area to tube, raft, and Kyak the New and Gauley Rivers. Depending on how you travel, it is an easy day from Roanoke to this point. From here you can take US 119 on to Hico, and left on US 64 which will take you on to Charleston.:bliss Sorry I don't have milages and times, but so what, its a vacation!:clap If you want to take in a raft trip you won't have any problems finding an outfit, just follow one of the many buses that toil through the New River Gorge area hauling paddlers to and from the river.

[Ted]

Ahhh I know those roads well!

[I]The General Store [Texaco] at Paint Bank is a good break stop/I]

Isn't there a cool fish hatchery in Paint Bank?

I love 311, what a fantastic rollercoaster of a road. In New Castle

http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt311-newcastle.jpg

You gotta stop at the best, worst HotDog joint around ;)

http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt311-newcastledogs.jpg

Here is a pic on Rt. 12 up from 219 from last fall

http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/rt12-hinton.jpg

on the way to

http://www.verrill.com/moto/wvpics/hinton.jpg

I've never done 41 or 25 - they look GREAT so I guess I'll have to add them to my journey to Charleston!

:)

[JohnM]

I've started plotting how I might get to Charleston from NJ for the Nat'l (my 1st!), and Rt 39 looks like the it'll me my last leg.

JohnM

[HankPfister]

:idea Here is a pic of downtown Thurmond W. VA. It is right on the New River down in the Gorge on county road 25. Some folks still live there, but the town is esentially a ghost town, except for the Nationl Park Service visitor center in the old train depot. Worth a looksee.

[BradfordBenn]

:dunno Any suggestions for those coming from the North and West? South Bend to be precise.

[legion]

Some roads you might should ride? My Kansan wife talks like that (...but none of my other wives do ). :dunno

[eljeffe]

Take US 191 north out of Vernal, UT. Have some fun on the series of 8 switchbacks. Then take UT 43 and 44 around the west side of the Flaming Gorge (make sure to stop at the first turnout that overlooks the gorge and look for the big horn sheep)

[jdiaz]

Originally posted by BradfordBenn
:dunno Any suggestions for those coming from the North and West? South Bend to be precise.
I like US250. Take the turnpike into Ohio and pick up US250 at Exit 7. Head south and east. There's excellent Chinese food at the mall in Uhrichsville when you break east toward Tappan Dam. :)

Stay on US250 until you hit I-79, then ride south and west to the rally site.

[Ted]

I like US250

OR ... if you are not in too much of a rush you could keep on 250 (I agree, it is a wonderful road!) until Fairmont - hop on 19 south (or I-79 right to the rally) and take 19 to Flatwoods where you can hop on I-79 for a quick highway hop to Charleston.

If you have the time, a quick sidetrack and truly enjoyable road is Rt. 16 south from I-79 to Gauley Bridge. Rt. 16 is, like many roads in West Virginia, a real winder and follows a path used for hundreds of years - by ealry 1700's settlers and even earlier by Native Americans:
http://www.verrill.com/moto/pics/rt16-morrismassacre.jpg

Gauley Bridge was site to a huge Civil War Camp (commanded by two future US Presidents no less):
http://www.verrill.com/moto/pics/rt16-campreynolds.jpg

and is home to one of my favorite places to stay in WV - the Glenn Ferris Inn. From Gauley Bridge it is a quick hop up Rt. 60 to Charleston.

[HankPfister]

Originally posted by eljeffe
Take US 191 north out of Vernal, UT. Have some fun on the series of 8 switchbacks. Then take UT 43 and 44 around the west side of the Flaming Gorge (make sure to stop at the first turnout that overlooks the gorge and look for the big horn sheep)

Beautiful, but will it get you to Charleston West Virginia, and the BMW-MOA rally?:dunno

[KBasa]

Originally posted by Hank Pfister
Beautiful, but will it get you to Charleston West Virginia, and the BMW-MOA rally?:dunno

I think if you have enough time, roads in Washington state will get you to the rally.

:D

[56216]

http://www.filipowicz.ca/~cfilipowicz/P8112057.jpg:brow

[beemerron]

Sandusky to Wheeling

Beware the Police. This is a favorite truck route and very heavily patrolled. Watch your speed!

[zzkvsl]

boy oh boy are we going to have fun riding down there. I'm looking at taking US250 to RT93 then follow it to RT83 and follow RT83 down to RT339. Take RT339 to RT7 south to US 35 then into Charelston. Hopefully I can do it in one day, it'll be a long one,but beeter way to spend a day.......any suggestions?
Thanks:bliss

[eljeffe]

Originally posted by Hank Pfister
Beautiful, but will it get you to Charleston West Virginia, and the BMW-MOA rally?:dunno

Nope, I won't make Charleston, WV this year. My time is set for the Curve Cowboy Reunion put on by the BMW Luxury Touring group at www.bmwlt.net

The rally site is http://www.curvecowboyreunion.com

I've also got plans to attend the best local club rally ever -- the Top o' the Rockies Rally in Paonia. If you've never been, it's one to put on the calendar. The rally site is http://www.coloradobeemers.com/tor.htm

See ya on the Road!

[walnut11]

Mark
Sent PM any thoughts???
David

[zzkvsl]

check out your email I replyed back to you

[Unregistered]

One of my favorites is 39 from Marlinton to Richwood, WV. then continue to Summersville and on to Gauley Bridge, and 60 west to Charleston. Or at Summersville, get on 19 south, a four lane, to the New River Bridge and Fayetteville. Watch for police. At Fayetteville, 16 west to 60 west to Charleston.

Mike

[gararnett]

There is a short section of 60 near Fayetteville (actually between Fayetteville and Charleston) that is very much like Deal's Gap(mini version), BUT it has more traffic and side roads. Nice run though.
:clap

[Bigbird]

I'll be riding my K75 down from the Adirondacks in Northern New York, and I just hate the thought of taking I-81 thru Pennsylvania - trucks, road constuction, potholes and boring superslab. Does anyone have suggestions on getting thru PA from, say Binghamton, NY down to around Hagerstown, MD?

Tom Dudones
Saranac Lake, NY:dunno

[Hillman]

American Motorcyclist , Feb. 2001, pp. 23-34 has a good article on asphalt riding, dual sport riding, and dirt riding in West Virginia.
(Roads ridden are described and rated.)

Also -- a nice little publication titled West Virginia Byways and Backways may be useful for some. Contact the WV Division of Tourism at 1-800-CALLWVA. http://www.callwva.com (www.callwva.com)
(Midland Trail, Highland Scenic Highway - asphalt;
Williams River Backway - dual sport)

In addition, I've drawn up some maps with suggested loop rides (asphalt) from Charleston. Contact me directly if you would like me to send them to you -- or maybe I should post them on my web site for your perusal?

Having never been to a national rally before, I don't know what information is available with regard to descriptive information, maps, etc. Maybe this is overkill?

[KBasa]

:thumb

There is little that is better than a loop ride put together by someone that knows the area. I believe there will be "self guided tours" available and a Poker Run, which is a variation of such a tour.

But if you want to put your loops up, it sure won't hurt.

dave

[Hillman]

If, by chance, some may be interested in investigating, before their arrival in Charleston, some interesting rides, I have put together some of my favorites. The maps are low-res for quicker loading, but are of sufficient quality for you to transfer the information to your map.

http://www.angelfire.com/wv/jonesw/rally.html (www.angelfire.com/wv/jonesw/rally.html)

I've got a few pics from some of these which I'll upload at a later time.

[KBasa]

:clap

Nicely done, Weeble!

[zzkvsl]

very nice job Weeble . I am taking this with me

[BradfordBenn]

:thumb

I will also try not to fall down...:p

-=Brad