What' your favorite road to ride? | GTAMotorcycle.com

What' your favorite road to ride?

Gary64

Gary64

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I'm reflecting on a 7 day trip I just returned from last night and was thinking of my favorite road of all time. I have to say it's the Blue Ridge/Skyline. I've done West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Cherohala, The Dragon, as well as other great roads in North Carolina and Tennessee but it keeps coming down to the sweepers of the BR Parkway and Skyline Dr. Cool temperatures, stunning vistas, pristine pavement, and predictable corners make it my favorite. There seems to be a rhythm to that road that just appeals to me. We spent 2 of the 7 days doing the entire length from Cherokee to Front Royal and, although the first stint from Cherokee NC to Hillsville VA was pretty long (we rode from Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC on 441 beforehand), it was enjoyable.
 
Tough question. For me, I found that rhythm on Cherohala, but also really enjoyed the section of the BRP you mention. I also really liked Skyline, but just wished the speed was at least 10mph faster and it was free to ride. The Foothills pkwy which leads to that awesome scenic #73 was just amazing for me.

I really want to check out the roads in Colorado to see how they compare...
 
I think you pretty much summed up my favorites.
Cherohala
Foothills Parkway
and the BRP. Skyline was great, but like Shane said, 10mph to slow.
 
It is funny how most of the roads we mentioned do not have.
Driveways, commercial vehicles, or stop signs!

Just nice mountain top roads built for riding!
 
All that are mentioned are great roads - the 68 south from Tellico Plains & at the bottom of 68 on US 64 going west around Lake Ocoee
 
The only time I haven't enjoyed the BRP is in a heavy fog. A hiker crossed the road in front of us in May of 2010, and I was shocked at how close I got before I saw her on the road.

It's such a beautiful ride.

I'd also have to say that I love many of the roads in West Virginia, but you would want a light dual sport to truly appreciate them. :)
 
Monday thru Friday, around 4:30 pm, I really like the road that leads away from my workplace!
 
Along with the roads mentioned above i would add....
Cabot Trail...even though a very small part of it was a little rough to ride the scenery is simply breathtaking.
Tunnel of Trees Michigan....beautiful views of Lake Michigan and very narrow lanes make this road tricky and scenic.
219 south of Elkins to Rich Creek....this road was a real treat and it had a little bit of everything

Closer to home...
Quebec 327 and Niagara Pkwy
On a day like today when its nice and hot I like to head to Niagara and enjoy the cool breeze off the water and check out some of the parks along the way
 
Route Napoleon. Did this in 2010 2-up with my wife (then fiancee) from Grenoble into Nice. Absolutely stunning views, endless switchbacks and so much fun I wanted to double back and do it all over again! (although at 3+ hours to do one way, there was not enough time.) Planning on a return trip with more nimble machinery - we rented a BMW Tourer (1200RT).
 
The Gillies in Queensland Aus 200 turns in 19 km but all the range roads are lovely there.

Other than that some of the twisty PA roads near Renovo with their elevation changes are a delight.
 
BeastieGirl said:
The ones I haven't ridden yet.
Click to expand...

I'll have to second that :).

I roughly classify the roads I like into three categories:

- Most fun to ride. Of the ones close by,Bala 38, 60 through Algonquin, 128, 118, 518, 141, Tally Ho... Further away, Ontario 129 from Thessalon to Chapleau. James Bay Road is a very close contender here, not quite making it because of the dips. A section of Route 66 in Arizona was also awesome.

- Most beautiful scenery. Competition is much stronger here. Cabot Trail, Beartooth Highway, Pacific Highway, Lilloet to Pemberton, Death Valley, New Mexico around Los Alamos and Taos, Crater Lake in Oregon, roads in the Adirondacks, roads in Alegheny...

- Both breathtaking scenery and incredibly entertaining to ride. Beartooth Highway, mountain roads in New Mexico, roads in the Adirondacks. These are also most dangerous because I have to choose whether to enjoy the scenery or have a fun, spirited ride. Trying to do both is a recipe for disaster.

My riding style as well as the bike are much better suited for fast sweepers than tight twisties, so my choice reflects that. I haven't been to Cherohalla, BRP or Dragon yet.
 
Cherohala Skyway is my all time favorite
The lower half of the BRP was good too, never done the whole thing.

Maybe this year on the way down to the dragon I can do skyline drive and the whole BRP.
 
Surprised no one has mentioned the Pacific Coast Highway. Haven't ridden it yet, but drove it from San Fran to LA and back, absolutely incredible
 
regder said:
Surprised no one has mentioned the Pacific Coast Highway. Haven't ridden it yet, but drove it from San Fran to LA and back, absolutely incredible
Click to expand...

I did. My only problem with it is that the scenery is too damn beautiful to enjoy the ride itself. If I had a month, I would pick days for sightseeing and days for throttle twisting because doing both in a non-lethal way is impossible. I had the same issue with many other fantastic roads I rode - the scenery is too distracting to concentrate on a spirited ride. The only one so far that has the best mixture of all elements is Ontario 129 (scenery - 7, rhythm - 9-10, road engineering - 9, pavement quality - 10, frequency of towns/intersections/traffic - 10, length - 10). The best stretch of pavement for the pure joy of riding that I've seen in a very long time.
 
I've had one magical fall ride on the brp and skyline drive, where there was very little traffic, didn't see a park ranger and rode way too fast. It was my first ride on the brb and I just fell into a fantastic flow for two days.

the next time I rode it, I was followed by a park ranger for an hour, it was slow, busier, and just boring. I got off it and rode some of the parrallel roads which were more enjoyable.

my all-time favourite so far is the road between ouray and durango Colorado, up through silverton. I think they call it the million dollar hwy. The views are spectacular, but with lots of twisties to keep you focused.
 
I've driven quite a bit in Southern California but, unfortunately, haven't been there on a bike. I'm hoping to do a 2 week western bike trip next year and have a few roads in mind that I want to experience on two wheels. One is the Oretega Hwy 74 from San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinore (about 33 miles). There are endless twisty roads in the mountains NE of Los Angeles as well as the canyons near Malibu. They're fun in a rental Impala so I'm sure they will be pure bliss on a bike. The nice thing about SoCal is the very predictable weather.

We Toronto area riders sure are a dedicated group to put up with the long off season, straight flat roads, stringent enforcement, and high insurance rates. Some other areas must be a great for riders to live in. Oh well, we can still visit them.
 
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