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Please consider attending the 2019 Fly-By Week in Marietta Ohio, starting Monday Aug 19 through Saturday Aug 24. Sunday is when folks pack up and say goodbye till next year. Check out the web page at flybyweek.com The event is conducted by the Motorcycle Sport Touring Association (MSTA) which is a nation-wide organization of riders that are interested in sporty riding at far-flung locations where great roads are abundant. The event attracts 100-150 riders, many who are riding with their wives, etc. from across the country. This year you can register for the event for $20 and do not need to be or become a member, though there will be a liability waiver. The entry fee gets you access to the event and two cookout meals, Fri & Sat. Sodas and water are provided. BYOB. The main days for he event are Friday and Saturday. But beginning last year the organizers opened the event to begin Monday and extend through the week to provide more time in the area. The group attending during the week is smaller so, after getting back from the day's ride and cleaning up, we carpool to one or more of the delightful downtown restaurants - and have a great time. The format for the rides is that we form small groups of typically four to eight and then head out on one of the 20+ posted routes. Most of the routes take most of the day and include a lunch stop suggestion. The rides are grouped into categories like Touring Bike Friendly, Destinations, or Twisties. There are two suggested routes for adv bikes - gravel roads, not demanding. Signup sheets are available for each riding day which try to group skill / speed levels and interests. But frankly, most groups form up during the storytelling sessions in the parking lot the evening before. The MSTA members tend to be mature and skilled riders. We have folks ranging in age from the 30's to the 70's. Many have been members for decades. The Fly-By, previously called the Mail Pouch Fly-By, has been running for about 25 years, usually from the same hotel. Each evening the parking lot has an amazing collection of bikes of all makes and of many styles. Many ride their sport touring bikes from far away. But quite a few bring sport bikes by trailer. If you want to see them, stop by in the early evening. The parking lot will be empty from about 8 AM till PM or so. If you have any questions, reply here or send me a PM. Hope to see ya there! Chris Shoop

Visit the Wild, Wonderful and TWISTY roads of West Virginia for the annual rendezvous organized by the Motorcycle Sport Touring Assoc. (MSTA) Saturday, June 12 through Wednesday, June 16 at the beautiful Canaan Valley Resort in Davis WV. Register here: https://reg.planetreg.com/E629131834226554 Or check out the discussion and see the 15 street and 6 ADV routes on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1283327378691574

The MSTA sport touring group that I ride with (sometimes) is having their annual Marietta meet next week into the weekend. You are welcome to attend, but you have to join the group to participate, $30. But this post is really just a request for any news about road closures or bad hill slips etc. that you guys might see while you're out this weekend, or recently in the SEO or northwest WV. About a month ago when I was our for the maiden voyage with my FJR we found that 537 and 255 were closed. They seem to be open now because Google maps will let me run a route on those roads. Any insight would be appreciated! Chris Shoop