Preview of Dream Ride 2012 - 1st hand

[JackFlash]

Today, Wednesday, October 3rd 2012, I rode the Dream Ride that is coming up this Saturday, October 6th.

I left the meet up place this afternoon. It was a bit chilly so I put the liner in my riding jacket. Under my jacket I wore only a tee-shirt. I should have put on my riding pants over my blue jeans and taken a sweat shirt with me, but I didn't. As the sun was going down I was wishing I had.

One small "hitch in the giddyup" is that within the first five miles of the route there is a bridge out. I've messaged NinjaDoc about that and offered an easy work-around that will keep us off of Rt. 16. You can say it's a little shortcut. He said he's fixing that for us.

Something to know is, as I was returning to the East Main Street meet-up place at the end of my ride, the Newark Police had set up radar across the street from where we start out and down the street where we will begin our short "bridge out" detour. So, as you approach our starting point, be on your toes and be aware the speed is 35 MPH through there.

Another place to be cautious is, as Rt 668 meets Rt 22, where we make a right turn and go up the hill into Somerset, off to the right I have seen a cop pulled off on our side of the road but facing us as we approach. It a 35 MPH zone there too.

In Somerset, the route continues through the "town square" through a Round-A-Bout or a traffic circle, if you prefer. Traffic to the right has the right of way here, so don't just go zooming through. You may have to pause or stop, to let other traffic into the circle. This location is where the "loop" portion of our ride begins and ends. We will return on the south side of the square and turn east, to the right when we come back.

Go into the traffic circle and out the other side. Rt 668 turns left one block after the square onto S. Market St. Be ready for it. It can sneak up on you before you know it.

The "loop" portion of our trip has fine roads, well marked, some freshly paved, and patches here and there. There are twisties marked 15 MPH that are hidden just beyond your sight. Being alert to signs indicating curves ahead and suggested speeds for those curves will help to keep your bike shiney and dent free.

Though I've only been riding since April, I pushed the threshold today and once almost missed a sharp curve to the right, pushing me into the left lane and almost straight off the road. I'm glad no traffic was coming from the other direction. I did return home a much more experienced rider and improved my riding skills nicely on this trip.

The ride north out of Malta, along the Muskingum River on Rt 669 was especially enjoyable. Pillion riders (2-Up Navigators) will have plenty to appreciate as scenic vistas present themselves in numerous ways along the by-way. I highly suggest that Co-pilots mount GoPro's so that we can enjoy more than just a pilot's perspective when we go to view our Dream Ride 2012 adventures on YouTube in the following snowy months ahead.

Other than nearly skidding off the road, my ride was uneventful. I didn't see any cops. I didn't have any problems with rednecks. There was very little traffic. The leaves are turning their colors and looking quite nice, not yet reaching their peak of color. Watch for leaves on the road as they begin to fall and make for a slippery surface. Leaf-watching tourists will be flocking to the Hocking Hills area to enjoy the fall colors, especially on the weekends. They may not be watching for you, so you be watching for them.

Another reminder is that where roads may be dry on the hilltops, in the valley where little sunlight shines through, a road wet in the morning may easily remain wet all day. I noticed this today and just wanted to point it out.

My return ended riding west into a colorful sunset back to our starting point. It was a fun day, one I wish I could have shared. Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I and the weather outlook will improve. For now, the current forecast for New Lexington, Ohio 43764, as near the geographical center of our trip as I can estimate, for Saturday is:

A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

~ Jack ~

:biker:

.

[Uncle Punk]

Thanks for the valuable recon.

[jnor]

Where is the bridge out ? I bet you mean the bridge thay are working on on 78, it's 1 lane with a traffic light.... They never run traffic on e. main I'm gussing someone was just parked in the lot across the street as they always do.

I figure that we could go east e. main about .5 miles to Staddens bridge road, and take it to 668 never getting on RT16.

I just rode the route on Saturday..

Edited October 4, 2012 by jnor

[NinjaDoc]

Thank you jack, valuable input esp the radars, we will be riding the route today and will keep an eye out

[JackFlash]

Where is the bridge out ? I bet you mean the bridge thay are working on on 78, it's 1 lane with a traffic light.... They never run traffic on e. main I'm gussing someone was just parked in the lot across the street as they always do.

I figure that we could go east e. main about .5 miles to Staddens bridge road, and take it to 668 never getting on RT16.

I just rode the route on Saturday..

I didn't see the gravel by-pass around the "bridge out" on Brownsville Rd., just south of Rt 16. No worries. I just discovered the by-pass today when I went for a nice little 40 mile ride after work.

Maybe the two young trigger happy cops I saw on East Main, standing outside their vehicles with something in their hand that looked to me like a radar gun when they pointed it westward towards east bound traffic was something different. I've been wrong before.

I remember the bridge on 78, and the traffic light there. That was a strange set up with a one lane road and a traffic light in the middle of nowhere.

[Uncle Punk]

Trigger happy cops should not be an issue for this event or any group ride for that matter. None of the group leaders should be leading through any town with posted speed limits more than ten over posted limits. If they do they should expect a ticket and they are going too fast.

[NinjaDoc]

rode half the route today, nice roads, very good to good condition mostly. Nice twisty sections plus changing colors are a delight to see, Wish Saturday was a beautiful day like today.