Spring Trip III

"...its about the journey, not the destination..."

Breakfast at the Waffle House, right near the Super 8 Roanoke.

     Generally I like to get "...up at 6, out by 8..." If I'm traveling by myself I can generally get up, pack, load the bike, have breakfast and be on the road in an hour and a half. When traveling with others you move only as fast as the slowest "packer." On the third morning Curtis and I were up and out of the motel by 7am. Breakfast was at the nearby Waffle House, and we were on the road by 8am. After a gas stop at an Exxon on the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway we continued our journey south.

Just on of dozens of terrific views along the BRP.

     Today our goal was to ride south from mile marker 122 to mile marker 408, which is where the Mount Pisgah Inn is, and where we would meet Curtis' brother Gary, who was traveling up from Atlanta. 286 miles on the BRP on a sunny day is bliss! The plan was to take a break at an overlook in the morning, and then stop for lunch at Boone, North Carolina. Then ride in the afternoon, taking a break in mid-afternoon, arriving at the Pisgah Inn by 6 or so.

Robby and his Can Am Spyder. You see more and more of them on the BRP.

     There are a lot of overlooks on the BRP. You simply can't stop at each one of them. I like to ride for an hour or so and start looking for a scenic place to stop. On the BRP that means you travel 50 miles or so.  The thing about the BRP that makes it so great is that it is generally a series of S curves, with a few straight stretches thrown in so you can pass slower vehicles. There are a few really tight curves rated at 30mph, but the majority are 45mph, and you can really work on your skill. After an hour of this fun we stopped at an overlook, and found a gentleman named Robby there, along with his Can Am Spyder. Robby is a former Harley rider, but began to have some physical challenges, and was almost ready to give up riding. His son had a Spyder, let him try it, and then decided to get one. He really enjoys it, and is able to keep on riding. I have a friend who has a beautiful Gold Wing, but is afraid to ride it. I think a Spyder might be the solution for him. For myself, if the time comes where I have trouble "holding the bike up" I'll get a Spyder before I stop riding.

Gary walking down to the rocking chairs where we waited for our table at the Pisgah Inn  and enjoyed the view.

     After lunch in Boone NC we continued south once again. At the afternoon stop Curtis texted his brother that we would be at the Pisgah Inn by 6pm or so. On arriving we found Gary there, and he had already put his name in for a table. We had a wonderful dinner, enjoying the spectacular view along with the food. After dinner a quick run down the BRP to mile marker 428, but on this evening it was too cloudy for a nice sunset. I led the way back to mile marker 408 where we get off on US 276 fro the ride down to Brevard. This road is a real challenge in the dark! At the Parkway it twists and turns for 10 miles or so down the mountain with a series of 15mph curves. Leaning a bike, trying to see into a corner to correctly judge your line with only your headlight and the amber reflectors in the road takes intense concentration. We all made it down to the intersection of US 276 and US 64, and then right towards Brevard. In ten minutes or so we were at the house we rented. LOTS  of motorcycling tomorrow!

Spring Trip 2019- II

"...its about the journey, not the destination..."

The view from an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

     The second day of the trip we rode from Chantilly VA, near Washington DC, to Roanoke VA. The route was Interstate 66 to get away from Washington, then route 55 over to Front Royal VA. Then down US 340 to Waynesboro VA, where we had lunch. US 340 from Front Royal goes through the Shenandoah Valley, through some small towns. It has some twists and turns, and we could generally run at 60 mph.

A stop to admire the view along the way.

     From Waynesboro we rode Interstate 64 over to the exit where the Blue Ridge  Parkway has it's northern point. From there it was about 120 miles for the exit to get off and ride into Roanoke. One of the key aspects of riding on curvy roads is how to approach turns. On a motorcycle it is imperative to "pick your line." If you make a mistake and need to change your "line" the bike might "wallow," and it will  slow you down. The worst case scenario is to come out of a corner too wide into the opposing traffic, or off of the road completely. On the Blue Ridge Parkway this could result in going "over the side," and maybe a long drop!

Curtis can't seem to leave his cell phone alone! 

     Some people use engine braking only to slow down for a curve. The challenge is this  might not slow you down enough. I prefer to down shift and use the brakes. This brings up another question: front and rear brakes, or only one or the other. Again, my preference is to use both if needed approaching a turn, and then just the rear as I go through it. In my experience the front brake tends to make the bike sluggish to lean into a curve if you are using it aggressively. During the turn grabbing a lot of front brake tends to make the bike "stand up." You can hustle through turns by getting wide approaching them, slowing down by downshifting and using both sets of brakes, and then using the throttle and rear brake control your speed so that as you see the turn coming to an end you can accelerate out of it. With practice, and patience, your skill at riding curvy roads can improve and add to the enjoyment of motorcycling.

A gentleman we met along the way riding a Can Am Spyder. A former Harley rider, physical problems stopped
him from riding a Harley, but with the Spyder he could continue to ride, in spite of his challenges. 

     The Blue Ridge Parkway is 465 miles of motorcycling bliss. I know of people who think riding the Tail of the Dragon is the pinnacle of motorcycling, but the length, the changes in altitude, the almost continuous numbers of "sweepers" (turns that can be taken at some speed), and the scenery make the BRP the best!

The wife and children of the owner of the Super 8 in Roanoke VA. Interestingly they walked
right past Curtis' bike and wanted to sit on mine. Hmmmmm? 

     We arrived at the Super 8 Motel in Roanoke by 6:30, after stopping for dinner at the Outback Steakhouse. I had an interesting discussion with the owner of the motel, and his two sons were quite take with the bikes. As we were unloading the bikes they came over to stare at them. I told their mother to put them on the bike so that I could take a picture, which I then sent to the owner. This interaction was the cherry on the top of an excellent day of motorcycling!

Spring Trip 2019

"...its about the journey, not the destination..."

Sunset at mile marker 428 of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

     Every spring and fall my two college room mates and I go on a bike trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Lately we have been renting a house in Brevard, North Carolina. My two friends do some hiking during the day, and I ride. This year, due to a conflict one of them had with work, the trip was pushed back into late May. The result: better weather, warmer temperatures, better riding.

      As usual I rode down to Chantilly Virginia, just outside Washington DC, to Curtis' house. Over the years I have developed a route that takes me around Baltimore through Maryland horse country, and totally avoids the interstate. I takes longer than going by the interstate, around Baltimore, and then down to Washington DC, but remember "...its about the journey, not the destination..."