CycleWorld's 5 Favorite Roads

captaincranky · 03-16-2005, 10:02 AM

The November 2004 issue has the following as the 5 best roads in America:

1) Natchez Trace - runs from S. Miss North along the Mississippi river into Nashville. www.scenictrace.com According to CW, the roads are smooth as a billiard table with wonderful views and musical flow. Good for spring riding.

2) The Dragon - a performance ride, pure and simple. Any thoughts on crowds, cops, etc? Sounds to me like the place to avoid once the weather gets nice. I've also heard that the truckers want their hwy back. I've never been, so let us neophytes know the real Deal.

3) Lizard Head Pass - 14,000 ft peaks and tight twisties running from Telluride, CO to Cortez, CO and passes thru small mining town Rico and meanders along the Durango river. Anyone know if the elevation and lack of gas stations presents a problem on this one?

4) Spring Green, WI - alphabet county roads that aren't laid out with a ruler give you a sense of rural America and within a day's ride of Chicago.

5) The Forgotten Hwy - Northern Cailfornia rte 89 to Mt Shasta. It's all Nat'l Forest flanked by volcanic peaks. Take rte 3 at Gazelle and work your way over to the coast where it becomes rte 36. South of Eureka is rte 211, The Forgotten Hwy as it meanders thru Cpae Mendocino to Petrolia and Honeydew.

Any others in your neck of the woods to make a top ten list? Arkansas? New York?

g®eg™ · 03-16-2005, 10:45 AM

I think 100 and 17 in VT are pretty good roads.

V V V · 03-16-2005, 04:27 PM

I'm just happy they don't mention any other good roads. Once the word spreads, too many people end up abusing them just like the Deals Gap area.

JonS · 03-16-2005, 07:55 PM

My two favorites are so well known I don't have to "keep the secret".
The North Cascade Highway in WA is amazing. You go from logging country in western Washington to ranch land east of the mountains. The climates are different too. About seventy miles of spectaculer scenery and smooth, twisty road the whole way.
The other is on all the lists. HYW 1 in Northern CA. Start at the Golden Gate and ride to Mendecino. The other way isn't too shabby either! Start at Pacifica and ride to San Luis Obispo.

Either way take a long time with all the twisties.

VIVID1 · 03-17-2005, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captaincranky

The November 2004 issue has the following as the 5 best roads in America

I have that issue at home and I must say that I have been on the top 4 roads listed: 1) Natchez Trace, 2) The Dragon, 3) Lizard Head Pass and 4) Spring Green, WI - alphabet county roads. They are good roads no doubt but not my top 5 roads. My goal is to ride all the “good and twisty” roads in the US. I’ve only ridden through 17 states so far (20 after next weeks ride) so I still a ways to go before I can truly put together a comprehensive top 5 roads of USA.

But this is what I have so far as favorite from the places I have already been to:

Spectacular views and a good set of curves
149 COLORADO - Gunnison to South Fork
92 COLORADO - Hochkiss to Sapinero
95 UTAH - Blanding to Hanksville
170 TEXAS Presidio to Lajitas
Blue Ridge Parkway - NORTH CAROLINA

Great twisties roads
28 NORTH CAROLINA Highlands to Lauada at 19
118 TEXAS Fort Davis to MacDonald Observatory
44 UTAH from 191 to Manila
Cherohala Skyway - NORTH CAROLINA
127 KENTUCKY Glencoe to Frankfort

V V V · 03-17-2005, 01:57 PM

oh VIVID1, you're missing quite a few in N.C, VA, and WV then.

g®eg™ · 03-17-2005, 03:24 PM

this is one of my favorites.. but it's about 6+ hours from home.

VIVID1 · 03-17-2005, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V V V

oh VIVID1, you're missing quite a few in N.C, VA, and WV then.

I just rode the Deal’s Gap area twice so far, there are many more roads to ride out there, I usually start with the more popular ones.

I haven’t made it out to VA, WV yet… as they say, so many roads so little time

Been going out west lately, I really enjoy the open spaces.

Ichiro · 03-17-2005, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-595 Greg

this is one of my favorites.. but it's about 6+ hours from home.

Holy cow... talk about a torturous path. Whoever built that road really wanted a very very gentle grade.

bpmull · 03-17-2005, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-595 Greg

this is one of my favorites.. but it's about 6+ hours from home.

When you mean 6+ hours away, you mean by plane, right? Because if that is some road in VT, I demand you tell me. I'm pretty sure that's Italian though.

59Bassman · 03-17-2005, 08:17 PM

BE VERY CAREFUL on the Cherohala Skyway if you head out this way. There are two corners in particular that are blind decreasing radius turns. It's bad enough that some bikers have taken to painting "SLOW" in flourescent paint on the entrances. The downside is that if you wreck up there, you're looking at least 1 - 1.5 hours for an ambulance to arrive.

Deal's Gap is getting more crowded, but if you want to go you'd better do it while you can. Rumor has it a lot of the land around the Gap is changing hands, and that development may be starting soon. Once the high-dollar summer homes start cropping up in the area it won't be too long before the police presence on that stretch is too much for any spirited riding.

g®eg™ · 03-18-2005, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bpmull

When you mean 6+ hours away, you mean by plane, right? Because if that is some road in VT, I demand you tell me. I'm pretty sure that's Italian though.

yeah, by plane. Back side of the Stelvio Pass.

Scorpion954RR · 03-19-2005, 01:26 PM

I have riden the spring green roads before. I like them alot, but compared to all the other roads in the nation I don't know if I would rate it in the top 5. There is alot of nice scenary though.

blinkEzx7r · 03-29-2005, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpion954RR

I have riden the spring green roads before. I like them alot, but compared to all the other roads in the nation I don't know if I would rate it in the top 5. There is alot of nice scenary though.

How do I get there from Milwaukee?

VIVID1 · 03-30-2005, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blinkEzx7r

How do I get there from Milwaukee?

Go towards Madison, WI on I-94 if you want to get there quick, for back roads, 60 takes you there. It starts West of Columbus, it’s a great road but doesn’t get twisty until Sauk City. You can also take 33 West.

Basically all the roads surrounding Spring Green are nice and curvy, there is too many to list. The alphabet roads are the best, the numbered roads are equally good, are wider and may have more traffic.

This is what the area looks like, this is F