Southern Ohio/Huntington Area

[Mary#17]

Which roads do you recommend in this area?  I've seen these roads below posted before. Can anyone comment on condition and if they are any good? Thanks!

218, 217,  790, and 775, 141 others?  

[drc32-0]

I might have been the one who posted those roads,they are all favorites of mine.As for conditions...I was down there early this year ...217 from 141 to Greasy Ridge was paved last year and still very good.217 from Greasy Ridge to 7 is older and getting a little rough.I would still run it though because 217 from 218 to 7 is one of the four twistyest roads I know in SEO.From what I remember 218,141 and 790 where all in very good condition although 790 was very dirty for some reason.I hope it's clean for your trip because it is a very good road.

Two county roads in that area worth trying ...Hannon Trace from 775 to 790 is very good.You can pick it up on 790 about a mile from 218.

Greasy Ridge road is a fun tight sweeper road.It parallels 775 and crosses it two or three times.The bottom part was paved last year but the top part is still older pavement, but still fun.

Sadly the best part of 775,Wilgus to Lecta,is full of tar snakes.

Edited August 16, 2016 by drc32-0

[NinjaDoc]

43 minutes ago, drc32-0 said:

I might have been the one who posted those roads,they are all favorites of mine.As for conditions...I was down there early this year ...217 from 141 to Greasy Ridge was paved last year and still very good.217 from Greasy Ridge to 7 is older and getting a little rough.I would still run it though because 217 from 218 to 7 is one of the four twistyest roads I know in SEO.From what I remember 218,141 and 790 where all in very good condition although 790 was very dirty for some reason.I hope it's clean for your trip because it is a very good road.

Two county roads in that area worth trying ...Hannon Trace from 775 to 790 is very good.You can pick it up on 790 about a mile from 218.

Greasy Ridge road is a fun tight sweeper road.It parallels 775 and crosses it two or three times.The bottom part was paved last year but the top part is still older pavement, but still fun.

Sadly the best part of 775,Wilgus to Lecta,is full of tar snakes.

Denny u keep dropping pearls all over the forum, I wish you would make a comprehensive guide and rate like 30 best roads/ routes/ loops/ including county according to you in ohio  and as years go by I/we would try to hit all of them

[Mary#17]

Thank you Denny. I think it was you but I couldn't find my notes.

Mary

 

[Mary#17]

So am I hitting the good parts with these routes?  I have limited time each day and it takes a while to get down here but I can rearrange if I'm missing something good. Thanks. 

 

 

[Ron505]

I just caged St Rt 3 from 119 to Barboursville today.....great road that I wish I was riding.  Great shape!  I highly recommend.

 

 

Edited August 16, 2016 by Ron505

[JustinNck1]

5 hours ago, Mary#17 said:

So am I hitting the good parts with these routes?  I have limited time each day and it takes a while to get down here but I can rearrange if I'm missing something good. Thanks. 

 

 

That's some good roads down through there. I haven't been this year, but I've ridden them before. Not very many gas stations. Stop by Hillbilly Hotdog in Lesage, WV if you have never been before. It's a sight to see.

[drc32-0]

12 hours ago, NinjaDoc said:

Denny u keep dropping pearls all over the forum, I wish you would make a comprehensive guide and rate like 30 best roads/ routes/ loops/ including county according to you in ohio  and as years go by I/we would try to hit all of them

Thanks Doc.I'm a sucker for good pavement conditions so my favorite routes or loops are changing year to year based on what roads ODOT and the counties pave.I never get tired of riding SEO because every year my favorite routes change.Also,I take long breaks away from Ohio,I'm in California now until about October.I'm in Santa Rosa so Highway 1,36,Skaggs Valley and Northern California is my playground this fall.

Edited August 17, 2016 by drc32-0

[drc32-0]

9 hours ago, Mary#17 said:

So am I hitting the good parts with these routes?  I have limited time each day and it takes a while to get down here but I can rearrange if I'm missing something good. Thanks. 

 

 

Of your two routes I like the second one best, but you are missing some of the best stuff.217 from 141 to either Greasy Ridge or 775 is a very twisty/tricky road with new pavement last year.There are a couple of switchbacks on that section that are as tight as you're going to find in Ohio.These are what I call cartoon corners.Remember the old loony toon mountain chases where their front paws are gripping the mountain road and their rear paws were spinning in the air?Yeah,that kind of turn!217 from 218 to 7(Miller) is  a very twisty section in the same league as 530 or 536.It's only about 5 miles so I usually do an out and back to Miller and then continue on 218 or 775.The pavement is getting a little rough on that part of 217,but if you like the tight twisty stuff you'll like it.The best part of 218 is south of Mercerville.The road surface is a little suspect...I'm not sure if it's good chipseal or pavement but it's not the most confidence inspiring.Very twisty but I'm always a little cautious when I run this area.

Here's route I usually run in that area...

from 135...

141e

775s

Hannon Trace se

790 sw?

775s

141sw

217e to Miller

217w

218 n to 7

This is just my preferred route and it does leave out some good stuff on 775,141,236 and Greasy Ridge.

One other thing... if you do ride 217 until it crosses Greasy Ridge you will notice a Vietnam Era artillery piece. This is the Danny Hayes Memorial.217 is the Danny Hayes memorial highway.I highly recommend stopping and reading the plague about Danny Hayes.We sometimes use the word hero pretty cheaply,Danny Hayes is the real deal!

[drc32-0]

Plaque...what a difference one letter makes.

[Chuck78]

Excellent info... now if I could only make it down that far. Need to camp or hotel it overnight for that long haul. None of my buddies enjoy riding 9 hours or more like I do... don't want to burn them out!

[Heagachongoose]

I just moved from that area. I have some maps left over I will post here.

Watch for gravel, residual clutter is usually there for at least a week after a rain. On top of that the local drivers dont seem to grasp the concept of motor vehicle operation and cut every corner throwing debri on the road. When it is clear the area is amazing for riding.

If you have more time and are already down that far, pop back over towards ashland after you hit 141, 775, 217, 218, 790 (my favorite road on ohio by far) and take KY1S across 64 to sandy hook. There you fill find one of the best kept motorcycle secrets of the Appalachian area. KY32. Take 3 N from there and hit the stuff in Lawrence and Gallia counties again.

Grab some hillbilly hot dogs while you are in Huntington.

[Heagachongoose]

Oh, Scioto & Lawrence Counties

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z5Rx5cf76Bk0.k5EGrvtAor38&usp=sharing



EKY & Boone Forest/Red River Gorge Area

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z5Rx5cf76Bk0.kFx0m7Oaab9Y&usp=sharing


KY 504/32/3 loop Huntington/Ashland

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z5Rx5cf76Bk0.kFx0m7Oaab9Y&usp=sharing

[Heagachongoose]

Fyi Dennis, I clocked it. 217 to 7 is 44 curves in about 4 miles iirc. Lol

[Mary#17]

We made it out to some of these roads but of course it started raining so we bypassed much of it. I like 141. It was actually fun just wish it wasn't in such a residential area. 

We tried to pick up 217 from 141 after the rain stopped and there were detour signs so we took some weird road trying to bypass it and ended up just in front of the detour. Luckily detour signs don't apply to motorcycles  and we just went through.  The next day we picked it up again from the beginning and road it through.  Very nice road but it was crazy dirty.  Like giant piles of gravel and mud.  Must've gotten hit hard with the storms a few days prior. I'd love to try it again some day when it's cleaner. 

It was fun area though. We liked it. 

[Heagachongoose]

Honestly it is kind of hard to catch it clear. At least 1 week after any kind of precipitation usually.

141 is nice, lxuckily all of the good sections are away from the houses. 775 is just as good. Did you get a chance to hit 790?

Next time you are out plan for the weekend and rent out a cabin at Greenbo or go out 125 to Shawnee lodge and hit KY32 and red river the next day. Kentucky takes great care of their roads and they actually have asphalt shoulders so they stay pretty clean regardless.

If you're out towards portsmouth it's worth going over rosmount rd and fuert hill. Up to 19° grades and hairpins. Short roads sometimes busy, but really there aren't many roads like them in this area if the US.

[Mary#17]

4 hours ago, Heagachongoose said:

141 is nice, lxuckily all of the good sections are away from the houses. 775 is just as good. Did you get a chance to hit 790?
 

No, it was on the plan and then it start raining like crazy so we tried to shorten the route as we were just about done for the day.  And then it cleared out but we were already way past it by then.  We're going to try again another time. Now I'm trying to find 3 fairly nice days in a row to go WV. My work schedule is really impeding my bike travel schedule. Darn work!