Nov 10th Southeast Ohio ride, anyone?

[A-train]

Columbus is about a 3-4 hour ride from where I live.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Charles - I'll head down with ya if schedule permits...

[Old guy]

I'm here in the scioto trails, hocking hills area. Should have my bike done by then. Let me know if you come throughout this way

[Chuck78]

Here is a very alluring photo of OH-78 from motorcycleroads.com. I can't recall the exact location or even approximate region where this photo is taken, but 78 is a great road with lots of varying terrains and fun curves with amazing views.


And three of the best sections of OH-555 aka the Triple Nickel:






I believe a good fellow named Denny aka drc32-0 on OhioRiders.net took these photos as well as the two OH-685 pics near the top of this thread. He & I share similar 2-wheeled quests for tight twisty curvey roads, and he has shared a wealth of road tips with me. Thanks, Denny.

[A-train]

Here is a very alluring photo of OH-78 from motorcycleroads.com. I can't recall the exact location or even approximate region where this photo is taken, but 78 is a great road with lots of varying terrains and fun curves with amazing views.


And three of the best sections of OH-555 aka the Triple Nickel:






I believe a good fellow named Denny aka drc32-0 on OhioRiders.net took these photos as well as the two OH-685 pics near the top of this thread. He & I share similar 2-wheeled quests for tight twisty curvey roads, and he has shared a wealth of road tips with me. Thanks, Denny.

Just drooled a little on my desk.

[storm 64]

That "Triple Nickel" looks just like the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca.

[Dogma]

That "Triple Nickel" looks just like the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca.

Imagine a couple hours of corkscrew, all trying to kill you. It's one of my favorite roads, but it's not for everyone. It actually changes quite a bit in character from top to bottom, almost all of it fun.

[Chuck78]

OH-555 "The Triple Nickel"

I have ridden it northbound from 377 to 669, and the stretch that I really liked was the several miles of nice newer pavement south of 78 & 555 - very flowing and some BIG hills. the rest had lotsa tight turns in rolling hills farmland terrain, but lots of it was older pavement littered with gravel & dirt clods from farm equipment pulling out onto the roads, not to mention excrement piles from farm animals that were herded down the road, as well as a lot of gravel. This was December 1st 2012 that I rode it last. I believe some of that might have been well broken in tar and chip as well.

Between 377 and 550, 555 doesn't look terribly exciting on the map, but the stretch of 550 from there West for a little while towards Athens has one of the best sections of really fun flowing road in the area, and the only really really great amazing section of 550. I have really been itching to try out 555 from 550 down to the Ohio River, because I believe that to be where some of the best and most enjoyable sections are (I believe thats where these 3 photos are from). The sections that I had ridden, they had lots of sharp turns, but it wasn't my cup of tea so to speak at least on my first trip - not as flowing. 78, on the other hand, is packed full of curves but not as technical, but is very flowing, very scenic, and very enjoyable, and riders of all skill levels will find a great joy in riding that - especially the 7-10 mile ridge section around Burr Oak Lake that is nicknamed "the rim of the world." I would say that I enjoyed 78 much more than 555 (from 377 to 669), despite the fact that I typically try and seek out the tighter more technical curvey roads.

With as much as it is raved about, I definitely need to explore 555 down towards the Ohio River, as several of the best roads in the state an hour east of there descend down from Ohio 26 to the Ohio River through GREAT hills.... I believe that is where those photos are taken.

[Old guy]

tail of the dragon. 318 turns in 11 miles. I miss Georgia.

[Chuck78]

tail of the dragon. 318 turns in 11 miles. I miss Georgia.

Also often 318 bikes and cops in 11 miles... and only 35mph speed limit. Great road if it was a remote and unknown road. There are similar roads/routes that give you more thrills and scenery with more variety of riding terrain, but 318 curves in 11 miles is one seriously twisted road! I prefer the twisty mountain roads the best, tight twisty turns but lots of elevation changes and banked turns quite often... best of everything for the thrill seekers.

[Chuck78]

6/20-21 Hocking Valley Vintage Motorcycle Rally

https://www.facebook.com/events/632234163522395/

a big get together and a free-to-join ride from the Hocking area down to the Ohio River for 100 miles of scenery and curves

[Old guy]

Once upon a time........

Also often 318 bikes and cops in 11 miles... and only 35mph speed limit. Great road if it was a remote and unknown road. There are similar roads/routes that give you more thrills and scenery with more variety of riding terrain, but 318 curves in 11 miles is one seriously twisted road! I prefer the twisty mountain roads the best, tight twisty turns but lots of elevation changes and banked turns quite often... best of everything for the thrill seekers.

[Chuck78]

2015

I plan to make it out a lot more this next season starting in late May once we are done rehabbing two houses, moving from one to the other, & selling the big old Victorian mansion to have a more affordable turn of the century foursquare style brick house... Been quite busy to say the least. I do have a cool historic 2 car brick garage now, FINALLY... Haven't been able to use my old garage since I moved out & rented the old place to friends.

2015 should find me doing a little more SE Ohio exploring, more riding, & lots of West Virginia & beyond extended 3-4 day weekends. I can't wait, as this past season was my all time low for bike mileage unfortunately.

[cowboyup3371]

Chuck, if you know more than a couple of days before when you are going to take any of those trips, please feel free to let me know. I'd be willing to meet up in or near Columbus (I'm here in Miamisburg, just south of Dayton).

[Chuck78]

2015

Yeah, Dogma & son, Notz & Mrs Notz, Cowboyup3371, Old guy, Storm 64, Loud ET, and maybe a few others (Steve???) are all around 1.5-2.5 hours of where I start the rides out from, so maybe we can all get together for a cruise through Clear Creek/Hocking Hills/Zaleski State Forest-Lake Hope/Burr Oak State Park/Wayne National Forest areas at some time in late spring. The Clear Creek/Hocking/Burr Oak areas are my favorites.
Starting at US22 and US33 southwest of Lancaster, OH or at the Rock Mill covered bridge and historic mill near there off Lithopolis Rd NW. We could hit just the Hocking routes and then make a return back through Hocking for a short 2.5 hour ride or maybe extend it to 3-3.5, or we could go through Hocking and down to the Lake Hope area and then east across 33 to hit 685 and OH-78 Scenic ByWay, then Storm Norm & Adam LoudET could head out on 555N to 669E for some more fun or stay on 78 and head back northeast, and the rest of us could take 555 S off of 78 down to 550, maybe catch 676(?) briefly and then 550 towards Athens, then the rest of you all from the Cincy/Dayton area could head back across on 56N/W to 22W or some other route. The longer routes mentioned would be 5-ish hours saddle time as a group. I'm not trying to organize a mini-GS Rally with a dozen or more riders to keep track of, but getting together for a more lightly planned ride would be nice. I love sharing my favorite routes as well as off the beaten path hiking spots, etc...


If anyone feels like really exploring, I'm down for some deep SE OH rides, but the areas mentioned above I almost know as well as the back of my hand (and more scenic stops, better for small group ride for those reasons). Deep in SE OH has more roads with a high frequency of curves, but so far, some of my favorite stuff is in that first above mentioned route, and hard to beat the scenery anywhere else in this part of the country (see posts below!). Christmas Rock Rd's ending and going into Revenge Rd, the scenic Clear Creek Rd (parts are rough but it;s worth enduring), 374, Big Pine, parts of 664, 56 between 664 and 374 (could loop this and Chapel Ridge Rd->374-.56-Chapel Ridge either direction all day long!), as well as some detours on Harble-Griffith, GooseCreek Rd, etc, and then 685E->13N->78E to 555 or wherever else. Top picks. Deep into SE OH, 565-260jog-537 is my favorite little stretch, as well as Dalzell Rd (forgot the Co Rd name that is on the signs) and the western end of Germantown Rd. these are all midway on OH-26 Scenic Byway near the intersection of 260. Oh and not too far west of Dalzell/Germantown is OH-530, a must ride, one of the most fun, flowing roads in the state... Maybe Storm and I could do some exploring out that way, as it is far from Cincinnati/Dayton.

[Chuck78]

Hocking Hills State Forest area 2015 riding & attractions

I'm sure you all would want to return for more in the future after riding that stuff. Great for a weekend even, lots of camping and cabin options, and Hocking has the most amazing cliff/waterfall hiking areas in the entire state hands down, no contest. As in dozens of spots, about 8-10 publicized well marked hiking destination areas - Cantwell Cliffs, Rock House (cool cliff cave), Ash Cave (big cliff recess cave), Cedar Falls, Old Man's Cave (more of a beautiful little gorge with lots of little recesses in the rocks, several falls in the gorge), Conkle's Hollow, etc... As well as less publicized nature preserves in the area, many trails in Clear Creek Metro Park, Rock Stalls Nature Preserve, the Big Pine Rd rock clmbing area, all the backwoods cliffs off the Bridle Trails, Saltpetre Cave(s) Nature Preserve, etc. Every one of those is very worthwhile checking out. The Blackhand sandstone in the region (harder than the surrounding sandstone that got eroded away) is responsible for the awesome topography in the area, tons of rock outcroppings and cliffs all over, and the spectacular cliffs that range from 40 feet to 250+ feet tall (the tallest are unmarked areas in the state forest on remote trails, the marked areas are parts of the state park).

Ash Cave


Old Man's Cave upper falls


Secret spot - Corkscrew Falls near Rock Stalls Nature Preserve


can't recall this exact spot, but it's in Hocking - nice gallery - http://www.touring-ohio.com/southeas...o-gallery.html


The Ghost Bike Memorial at a junction on the amazing State Route 374 @OH-180