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Wv Route Suggestions?


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Here's what I found on my three day trip in May...

 

The really good stuff...

 

16     Welch to Tazwell VA

3      219 to Alderson

10    Coval to Matoaka

61    Kincaid to Deep Water

16    33/219 to 50

CR9/CR9-8/CR28    Athens 460?VA               Northeast of Princeton

CR48    Odd Rd     I-77 Ex28 to Odd T's into CR33/CR29  From Stonecoal to Coal City             Southwest of Beckley

 

 

More good stuff...

 

152    Wayne to 52

85      South of Bolt

10      North Welch

3       Alderson to Shady Spring

122   12 to 219

219   122 to 3

 

Anything in the first group is very,very good,but 61 and CR29 were two of my personal favorites.61 climbs and twists through some up close rocky mountains with a stream most of the way.CR 29 (Coal City Rd) cuts through a dense forest...some of the tightest turns I was on all weekend.New pavement.

 

Most of these roads are southern W.V.

 

Enjoy your ride and let us know what you found.

 

BTW,if you look on the FJR Forum.com site under FODS 2015 there are 4 paved routes posted by a guy that rides that area a lot.There might be some good ideas there.

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I am trying to figure out how to fit a WV trip into my busy schedule in the next 7 weeks... This state is a must-ride. Looks like I'll have to bypass most of 250 this time around, taking 39 from the gorge area to 219 to snowshoe, & then maybe figure out how to get up to 33 in Hinton VA to do the two incredible mountain crossings on US-33 leading to Seneca Rocks, maybe dipping back to 39 again but catching the last big twisty mountain crossing on 250 maybe.

Coal City Rd caught my eye when I was mapping out some Suzuki GS riders' routes as I transferred them to Google maps format. A road near there on their route outside of Odd, WV was not even there anymore, as coal strip mining operations had taken over the land. Wow.

Good to hear that feedback about 61. Is this the section of 61 near the New River Gorge and Gauley Bridge?

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Yes,it's the area just south of 60.You can cross the river at Montgomery or take 16 south from 60 to 19 south and pick up 61 at Oak Hill.19 and the 61 are pretty straight,but 61 gets good north of Kincaid...it gets really fun the closer you get to deep water.

 

The last time I rode 61 I came in from I-77 on SR612,it's a lot more fun than the 19 route.I believe it's the Mossy Oak exit on 77.If you look on Google Maps there is a very twisty county road 1 at that exit...that's what I was shooting for...don't try it unless you have a dual sport!I made it to the first switchback and it turned to deep,large gage gravel.

 

BTW,I was was just on 61 yesterday on my way home from the Floydfest music festival in Floyd,Virginia.

 

My route out of Virginia...460>217>3>12>I81>60>16>19>61.Other good stuff on that route included 3 south/east of Alderson,60 north of Rainelle and 60 in the Hawk's Nest area.

 

If you want more suggestions on southeast WV check out those FODS maps on th FJR site that I mentioned in an earlier post.They were made by a local rider that knows the area very well.

 

Enjoy you're ride.

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Ok. Here's where I'm at with the planning right now. What do you think?  And, thank you for all the suggestions!!!!

 

Day one 300 miles

 

starting in Marietta

47 s

16s

60

19

41 to 39

219/55 to Elkins.

 

Day 2 285 miles or 330 if we go to Beckley

 

Elkins

33 e (se)

732/731/42 cutover to 250

250n

219/55 s to Lewisburg or Beckley. 

 

Day 3 - assuming we go to Beckley

 

From Beckley heading to Marietta 210 miles

 

to 41

31s

21e

60w

16/39 n

4w

36

14 to Marietta

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You should really check out 33 beyond Elkins and 219, it is really really great  from Seneca Rocks east into Virginia, and not that bad of a there and turn around trip, as it is different both ways due to the extreme grades...

 

Another awesome road I forgot about is 15 from Valley Head (219) to Webster Springs, very great twisties the whole time, and great elevation changes.  I think it's good west of there all the way to the interstate, but can't confirm. 

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I just realized that this thread was a 1 year old thread that was resurrected just in the past few weeks.  Has anyone been on US250 over the mountains THIS YEAR to confirm if many road repairs have been done?  I just the most recent reviews from motorcycleroads.com I believe it was, and there were mentions of patchwork in places, and a few sagging lanes up NW of the mountains (low side of the road is sinking down the hillside a bit!), but no one said that it is not worth riding.  Very tempting...  I am just dying to get out there this season, even if it means camping and riding solo...

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Why can't we cut and paste anymore?

 

there's a May 2014 review on motorcycleroads.us on RT 250 from 219 south and it says road is in good shape with lots of places to pass.  I think Tpoppa said 250 northern side was in bad shape.

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My Day 2 route takes 33 from Elkins all the way to almost Harrisonburg.  Isn't that the good part?

 

Mary

 

Yes.  That is an incredible stretch of road.

 

Why can't we cut and paste anymore?

 

there's a May 2014 review on motorcycleroads.us on RT 250 from 219 south and it says road is in good shape with lots of places to pass.  I think Tpoppa said 250 northern side was in bad shape.

 

250 from Moundsville to Hundred is currently craptacular.  I haven't been on any other parts of 250 yet this season.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yes.  That is an incredible stretch of road.

 

 

250 from Moundsville to Hundred is currently craptacular.  I haven't been on any other parts of 250 yet this season.

 

 

Yes, 33 from Seneca Rocks, WV to Hinton, VA is probably the most amazing thing I've ridden.  Ever.  From Elkins to Seneca Rocks is a good route with many nice hills and curves.  At the North Fork Mtn crossing (south and around the corner from Seneca Rocks), it gets really awesome.  Then you ride through the valley for a while past Cave Mountain's base and through some sweepers, and a few gentle hills as you are approaching Shenandoah Mountain off in the distance, which is absolutely incredible and very intense.  GREAT views as you traverse up the side of the mountain (and the overlook at the top), intensely steep grades, highly banked turns as if it were a race track, many awesome curves and switchbacks... Wow. The VA and WV sides are completely different, but both are awesome.  250 over Shenandoah Mountain is maybe even a longer stretch of mountain fun, but 33 is definitely the best.

 

Wow, 250 from the Ohio River (Moundsville, WV) to Hundred, WV looks pretty incredible... I've never really looked at it much before, but I did notice a serious wealth of roads near the panhandle of WV up in that area of smaller tightly packed hills that looked incredibly tight and twisty on the maps, like some KY roads I've been on...

 

http://goo.gl/maps/bKmD1 (route highlighted, can't get it to display properly in the long link below)

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Moundsville,+WV&daddr=Hundred,+WV+to:US-250+S&hl=en&ll=39.79271,-80.559311&spn=0.42102,0.617294&sll=39.605159,-80.414944&sspn=0.105541,0.154324&geocode=FeEiYQIdG_Uv-yk5OUGwvuA1iDFOoHu9WZGogQ%3BFW6GXQIdJ0s0-ynDIvGNTPM1iDG8z01IVwj_Rw%3BFcHDXAIdHd80-w&t=p&mra=mi&mrsp=2&sz=13&z=11

 

 

 

ALSO... How's this for a recent road report? uploaded 3 months ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Even if it means camping and riding solo..."

That's two of my favorite things.

My wife is too busy until September to go with me, so I told her I might just do that, ride solo and camp.  She said "I am not going to allow that!"  Maybe I can do some sweet talking. On the plus side, my buddy said he'd drive down with us in September and meet us there and bring our mountain bikes in his truck, and we could ride there and do some motorcycle riding while those that don't (or don't want to) ride can do more hiking or mountain biking...  Great plan.  Still may need to go solo in the next few weeks just to get my fix for the summer.  Bike is finally mostly rebuilt and on the road finally. Busy summer.

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Nice! I spent some time reading his route descriptions and his rally write-ups to come to the conclusion that I really need to  spend more time north of the new river gorge area, as it is closer to home anyhow... so far I've got to highly recommend: WV-39 gorge to 219 is wonderful, 219 around Marlinton is incredible, 250 east of 219 is amazing (with new pavement some day, hundred to moundsville on 250 will be as well), 33 from Elkins, WV to Hinton, VA & back to Smoke Hole off 220 is great to INCREDIBLE on the WV/VA border, Smoke Hole Rd and the connecting county routes through the Canyon are amazing, the road to the top of Spruce Knob is amazing... Coal Ciity Rd and 60/16 to 60E or 16S are amazing in the gorge area, as is 61 south of Kanawa Falls/Gauley Bridge vicinity. 

 

From this motoroads blog, I have determined that maybe Snowshoe Mtn I should skip out on for now, as 66 is just a "pretty good" curvey road, and head north from 33 and Smoke Hole and ride Mt Storm instead, as he says 42 up Mt Storm is the best twisties road in the state.  Also, he gave high acclaim to a long stretch of WV-20 that sounds amazing as far as the ultimate twisties one could happen upon. Seems as if there are a lot more great roads in that portion of the state and around the panhandle that I need to check out. I haven't most of his rally and road trip blogs, but will continue and take some notes on the best as far as my scenic/twisty tastes.

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I decided to make a saved google map with all the good sections of my favorite WV roads mapped out, not as routes, but as a guide to route planning. The only real connector roads included are a few that get you from the Ohio River down to the best stuff.  In the process, I noticed a few twisty roads that looked really awesome on the map, so I noted them as something I need to investigate. Then I found a potential connector for 33 to 250 just on the VA border.  Then I noticed all kinds of killer looking roads around that ridge road...  Reddish Knob is on the main ridge road, which is a 35 mile one lane paved road on the tallest mountain ridge in the area.  I found a goldmine of info from a sport touring forum:

 

Below: Here's the view from the bottom of Moyers Gap Road just before it reaches Sugar Grove Road. After a brief stretch along Sugar Grove Road, I stayed on Moyers Gap Road, which climbs up and over another mountain pass heading west to Rt.220. I've got to say, Moyers Gap is now one of my all-time favorite roads in the region...especially when combined with the climb up Briery Branch Road to Reddish Knob. And even better was riding 33 to get there. (Some serious twisty action amid spectacular scenery.)
Below: At the top of newly-paved Moyers Gap Road. It was exciting to ride down this road with pavement for the first time. It's a good long ride down to Sugar Grove Road, and the right shoulder gets your attention—you do NOT want to run off the shoulder on this road—if you do, you won't stop falling, tumbling, and bouncing off trees for about 600 feet.  eek.gif

 

One of these days I want to do the "Ultimate Central Appalachian Passes" ride. You could easily string together, in back-and-forth mode, the following passes (from north to south):
• Howard's Lick Road (through Lost River State Park)
• US33
• Briery Branch Rd > Reddish Knob > Moyers Gap Road
• US250
• US 39
That's 5 awesomely twisty mountain passes, all paved, varying from goat paths to wide US highways, all with spectacular scenery and typically with light to no traffic.

Scott

 

 

I think I really just hit my personal goldmine right here...  The roads are on my newly created reference map that I made for myself and friends.  Denny, I used several of your recommended roads from your post here, thank you so much for always sharing your twistiest roads tips...

 

http://goo.gl/maps/eOxRc

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.  eek.gif

 

One of these days I want to do the "Ultimate Central Appalachian Passes" ride. You could easily string together, in back-and-forth mode, the following passes (from north to south):

• Howard's Lick Road (through Lost River State Park)

• US33

• Briery Branch Rd > Reddish Knob > Moyers Gap Road

• US250

• US 39

That's 5 awesomely twisty mountain passes, all paved, varying from goat paths to wide US highways, all with spectacular scenery and typically with light to no traffic.

 

I've done the passes on 33, 250 and 39 all in the same day.  It was a good day :)

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Use this link instead:

http://, the forum tries to display map but incorrectly):

http:// maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207813457435995713568.000500628d3673bd537be&msa=0&ll=39.006379,-80.16449&spn=1.602819,2.463684

 

Aha - the map is two pages, and each page only displays the routes on that page, not the other.  I was wondering why the reddish knob ridge road was showing up, but not the roads that intersect it east-west up and down the mountains

Edited by Chuck78
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