Can anyone recommend some curves close to the Mason/Maineville area?

[Giff74]

Howdy all!

I've got a rare Monday off and would like to get some riding in. I live in the Mason/Maineville area, but haven't lived here for very long. The handful of roads I've tried just don't turn into much between stop signs, traffic signals and lack of twisties. 

So, I was hoping that someone familiar with the area could recommend some good riding to me. I only ride an R3 so I don't need any long straights, just lots and lots of curves. 

Thanks ahead of time, I appreciate your help!

Giff

Edited August 8, 2016 by Giff74

[Bubba]

Go south, young man....to KY, that is.  You live in the geographical middle of Suburban Hell which includes mini-van-driving soccer moms, malls, gridlock, and intersections every 100 yards.  One glance at Googlemap will show you it's futile to ride anywhere nearby, leaving you two choices:  head to southeast OH or due south across the river to KY.  If you have interest in exploring the roads in KY, lemeno.

[ScubaCinci]

Hint, check out the roads off of the AA HWY.

I rode some of them Saturday on the way to my parents house.

[Tonik]

10/22 from Maysville KY to Louisville. 

[TheBrown57]

There are a few in the area but for the most part it's basically 2-4 turns then straights. Like they said, KY is by far the best area for beautiful roads. 

[dustinsn3485]

275/71 has some decent 270° exits

[Chuck78]

The only good roads I was able to find anywhere near you or near Trenton Franklin and Middletown in between Cincinnati and Dayton. I posted a map a year or two ago for someone else asking the same question.

I was down there on two different occasions for three or four weeks at a time living in a hotel four nights a week and installing 40 furnaces and doing a huge high-rise boiler job. I stuffed my bike in the back of my work truck and was riding every single night. Basically only one main loop that I found was excellent, basically all centered around little River Valleys. Or Creeks rather.  The only name I can remember is Browns Run Road or something to that effect, and I believe they were two of the same name within 5 miles of each other, the southern one had nice curves.

 

I definitely posted a Google map link of the route and an alternate. It was actually quite good for that area. I discovered all of these roads basically by using Google Maps terrain layer, and zooming in anywhere I saw nice elevation changes, especially around streams creeks and rivers.

 

There are big Hills around Cincinnati, but I really couldn't find much in the way of twisty roads down there. The hills were too long and gradual, not tight and unpredictable like little valleys carved by streams or like Appalachian Southeast Ohio. AND Kentucky! Very good riding there. Especially the Red River Gorge area & Daniel Boone National Forest.

 

There is also some really awesome riding down on the Ohio River near Gallipolis Ohio. Really great riding actually. Not much else down that way besides the river and the hills

Edited August 10, 2016 by Chuck78

[Giff74]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

It takes me 30-45 minutes just to get to Kentucky and then quite a while longer to get to some of the recommended locations. So a ride like this would quickly turn into an all day affair. I just don't have the time to commit to something like that even on an off day. 

Chuck, thanks for the info. I'll search around for your map. I've only found a few "segments" around here that are fun to ride. Like mentioned above you get a handful of corners and then it just goes straight again for a while. 

I'm very close to the Little Miami River so I thought there would be some good older "river roads," but I haven't found them if they exist. 

I guess if I really want to corner I either need to go to Kentucky or the race track....

[ScubaCinci]

There are a few roads in the Loveland area that are fun in short parts (the names escape me). On the west side of town, there are a number of roads off of Harrison between Dent and Cleves that are pretty nice though not too long and some nice riding along the great miami. @Bubba's neck of the woods

[Chuck78]

I recall Oxford Road being on the northwest corner/end of that loop and then my alternate road to cut south off or near that I think was the northern Browns Run Road, there was a second road that was slightly better that I would hit off Oxford southbound (I recall a Y veering left???), then on the southern/SW end I would head back North on the southern / different road by the same name Browns Run Road. That had a lot of curves and was down in a nice little creek valley. Them turned into a chip seal road briefly on the northern end of that (different road?).  

Elk Creek Rd if I recall correctly was one of the roads between Oxford and there.

It was a good run coming from near the Super 8 motel off I75 on the edge of Middletown and cutting north of town into Franklin, then across the river at Franklin and towards Trenton-Franklin Rd or something.

 

Southern Indiana has some very nice terrain and Hoosier National Forest, & Brown County has some great great mountain biking. I wonder how that area is and how far from you? The Suzuki GS forum does a Brown County Rally every year there.

 

Hocking Hills and Zaleski State Forest are great riding also. 1.5 hrs from Cincy? Hocking on weekdays only during hiking/outdoor rec season though.

[Chuck78]

 

[Chuck78]

From me on that topic 15 months ago:

"Coming from the hotel in Franklin/Middletown, I'd hit a few really good turns on either Manchester Rd to Franklin, OH or go further north to West Lower Springboro Rd. 

 

The main route after that was in the areas NW of Middletown & W/S of Germantown. 123 out of franklin/carlslile to Sugar St to Mudlick Rd to OXFORD RD. Then left on either Brown's Run Rd (turns into Elk Creek Rd), or stay on oxford to puddenbag rd which turns into west Alexandria rd (look for great hill climb up Strebee Rd, then turn around & continue on route). If Puddenbag, hang a right on Elk Creek Rd. 

L on 122 Middletown-Eaton Rd

 

From there do another mini loop of tighter & some chip seal roads:

L on Michael Rd L on Trenton-Franklin Rd L on BROWN'S RUN RD(totally different than other nearby Brown's Run Rd, & Cloister Cliffs Dr & Myers Rd here have potential, I think I rode 1 once with big smiles up wooded hill climb)

After that nice run, L on Astoria/Hetzler Rd, R on Hinkle Rd (twisty chipseal) - turns into Rocky Rd - which dumps you into Friend Rd where you can catch the NW Browns Run Rd again, or make a R on Friend Rd

 

If you made the Right on Friend Rd,  you can hang a L on Astoria Rd for a couple of great curves where it merges back into Mudlick Rd near beginning of loop, or you can take Friend Rd further down to to the Germantown-Middletown Pike - where on Friend you encounter a few hard sharp low speed tight 90 degree knee dragger turns & then some gentle scenic sweepers on the Pike northbound.

 

Glancing at the Google terrain layer maps, this south-SW-of-Germantown area seems to me to be the best riding near Dayton."

 

"Then 25 minutes later I looped it into a totally different & unconnected Elk Creek Rd that was quite twisty. That one was further south.   Closer to Hamilton & Cincy, I didn't have any luck finding roads closer to that as far as twisties. I linked up to a dozen or more 12-20mph ultra tight turns in that route, often near houses though, but lots more 25-45mph fun turns. No mecca of any dort like southeast Ohio, but it was a good ride every time none the less."

 

I thought I linked a Google map on there somewhere but did not see it.

Edited August 11, 2016 by Chuck78

[Chuck78]

Ahhh...here. 1st map Google didn't like my pin points and skipped Oxford Rd, but you can see it right near the top if the route:

"

http://goo.gl/maps/DCQYX

 

Try this route instead,

 

https://goo.gl/maps/O6HrK

 

same thing but skips an ok section of Mudlick Rd that you can hit on your way out, in favor of right outta the gate hitting  the tight low speed 90+ degree turns on Friend Rd and then some big long nice turns on Astoria Rd, then it dumps you into Oxford Rd which has some GREAT turns nearing the top of a good little hill climb, some of which are right in front of houses (be respectful of homeowners & watch out for cars pulling out of driveways)

Then you go through farm fields for a few minutes to southbound mini roller coasters on the NW Brown's Run Rd (or Puddenbag Rd). Then Browns Run turns into Elk Creek Rd, you hang a left on 122 for a short jaunt to Michael Rd which has just enough curves & elevation changes to keep it interesting.  Then after a quick connector on Trenton-Franklin Rd, you hang a left on a totally different road also named Brown's Run Rd for some very nice little river (stream) valley curves the whole way. A deer jumped out of the thick brush between the creek & the road once here on me, be careful.

 

Then you hang a left on Hetzler Rd for a quick jog & continue forward where it splits off, onto Hinkle Rd to Rocky Rd, which transitions to chipseal somewhere (a bit bumpy but good curves to challenge you). 

 

There are also a few good curves on other adjacent roads, but this loop was the best continuous run I could find anywhere in the central & southern Dayton area all the way through Hamilton & the north end of Cincinatti. I rode all over that area in the evenings for one month and this was the most satisfying curves loop I could find.

 

122, Strebee Rd, W Alexandria Rd, Dickey Rd-to-NoMan's Rd, Thomas Rd, & Cloister Cliffs Dr to Sloebig Rd (southbound, or loop around the country club on Cloister to Sloebig to Thomas), those all have a handful of good curves as well if you care to study the map & ride the loop once & then explore a few side branches. Not much else in the way of twisties near there, but check out the terrain view map in your area to look for curvey roads near the hills."

 

Another guy posted after to hit Ceasar's Creek (State Park) area & the area around Bellbrook. I am unfamiliar with the latter and have not been to Ceasar's Creek since the early 1980's as a kid...

[YSR_Racer_99]

Out near Morrow, take Middleboro Rd from I-70 down to Blanchester. 

Mason Morrow Millgrove Rd between S. Lebanon and Morrow.

Lots of good other curvy stuff near Morrow.  

Further from you, but in Germantown, check out Rocky Road (unless you have a loud bike.  That REALLY pisses off the residents).  Be careful on this one. 

[Runway]

http://www.sundaymorningrides.com/road/6079132/

Jump on it not much north from you .. takes you through some nice roads in ohio