555 is more than a number...

[RC79NC001]

 

555 is more than a number...

Wednesday October 7 I spent the day riding Southern Ohio back roads. The combination of superb fall weather, a freshly tuned VFR, and  twisty roads made it one of the best single days of riding I have ever experienced.

  I’d like to acknowledge fellow VFR Forum member Tim C for listing some of his favorite southern Ohio roads earlier this year. I looked at his list and used it to augment what I already planned to do.

Tuesday I77 from Charlotte,NC  to Marietta,OH.  475 Miles

Great weather albeit quite cool during the morning portion of the ride especially at higher elevations in West Virginia. Forking out $16 to ride the WV Turnpike sucks but, there is no good alternative I am aware of. Checking into the hotel around 3 pm.

Tim C said you must ride OH 536 so I did. By the time had unpacked, debugged my face shield ( one of many uses for hotel supplied towels ) and looked at a map it was 4 pm.

I rode Hwy 7 out of Marietta. It hugs the Ohio River and it’s flat with sweeping turns. I continued riding Hwy 7 until I reached Hannibal,OH and turned onto Hwy 536. Since you are at the river the road immediate starts to climb steeply out of the little village . Unfortunately there was road construction in 2 places. The first construction zone was on the climb out of Hannibal. I waited for about 10 minutes with my engine shut off before I could pass through it. The second construction zone was a section that included a bridge and a hill. It had the automated light thing that would not trip for me so I yelled at some workers and they radioed the other side and cleared me to go. That was probably a 10 minute delay as well. Hwy 536 was what southern ohio roads are about, twisty and contoured to the hills as opposed to cutting through the hills. The sun was getting low by the time I reached the end of 536 where it intersects Hwy 78. Tim C was right to put this road on the recommended list but, I had ridden it before.

 I took Hwy 78 West to Woodsfield and the Hwy 800 south until it dead ended back into Hwy 7 at Fly,OH. Hwy 800 was also entertaining but, not as tight and technical as 56. It was possible to give the VFR a little more “rein” on this road. It was almost dusk when I arrived back in Marietta. After a quick shower I walked over to a little Japanese Steak House and had a nice meal. The place was doing a brisk carry out business but, only two tables ( including me ) were doing the in-restaurant dining.

 After walking back to the hotel I noticed 4 ADV motorcycles parked near mine in the parking lot.  Two BMW GS s, One Ducati Multistrada, One KTM 1000. They all had Michigan Plates. I placed the cover on my VFR locked it went back to the room and proceeded to watch cable TV. Wednesday promised to be a superb day...sunny and warm.

 

 

Wednesday 331 Miles

 

Wednesday morning started with a perfectly adequate and cost effective (free) breakfast at the hotel. At first light I was in the parking lot taking the cover off and checking tire air pressure. It was fairly cool but, my plan was to start riding around 830 am and I figured the sun would rapidly bring the temperature up. Back to the room to stash the cover and gear up.Properly suited and booted I returned to the parking lot and found the the ADV guys were warming up their steeds and getting ready for the day. One of the GS riders said their destination was Waynesville,NC. I wished them a safe ride and informed them that Hwy 28 was freshly paved from Franklin NC to where it intersects Hwy 64. The GS guy recommended I include Hwy 26 as part of my rotation for the day.

 I was excited about the promise of this new day. The air had that sweet smell to it and the rising sun bathed everything in its glow. The plan was to start the day riding west from Marietta and then enjoy the sun at my back as I headed east in the afternoon. This was the planned route.

Hwy 550 West out of Marietta to Bartlett

Hwy 555 South from Bartlett to the southern end of 555 where it dead ends into Hwy 7.

Hwy 555 North to Ringgold.

Hwy 78 West from Ringgold to Murray City

Hwy 216 South from Murray City to Nelsonville

Hwy 33 North from Nelsonville to Hwy 278

Hwy 278 South to Hwy 56.

Hwy 56 West to South Bloomingville.

Hwy 664 to Hwy 33

Hwy 33 South to Hwy 216

Hwy 216 to Murray City

Hwy 78 East from Murray City to Ringgold

Hwy 555 South from Ringgold

Hwy 555 North to Ringgold

Hwy 78 East from Ringgold to Woodsfield

Hwy 800 from Woodsfield to Hwy 26

Hwy 26 to Marietta

 

 

 I took my sweet time getting out of Marietta onto Hwy 550. At one point I was in a parking lot with a map of Ohio pulled out, perhaps the only man ( on earth) using one. There was no pressure, anxiety, or frustration. Not today. Not on this ride.

Hwy 550 is like 800. It flows over and around the hills with only an occasional challenging corner. The brilliant morning sun bathed  the Ohio country side . I was forced to stop and take a picture to try to capture the beauty of the moment. It’s really hard for me to stop riding when the road and the temperature are so good.

 

  In seemingly a few minutes I had blitzed 550 and reached Bartlettsville and the Hwy 555 intersection.Here we go ! Immediately the road started serving up all the treats it is known for. Roller Coaster Ups and Downs. Hairpin turns some blind ( “unsighted” is a delightful british term ) on the other side of  steep ascents. I got a bit excited and briefly lost the front end on some pea gravel in a corner and immediately turned down the “heat” to about 50%. You can’t have an epic ride if your VFR is crashed  and I wanted to savor the entire day. It was around 10am and I had the joint pretty much to myself.

 Upon reaching the south end of 555 I turned around ( U turns are illegal in Ohio ) and headed North.The road surface was very good but, it got even better around Elliots Crossroads where it turned into freshly paved asphalt. The 6 mile stretch from Elliot’s to Ringgold was epic. Intense. Of course whatever challenges the road served up, my VFRs ( Upgraded Jamie Daugherty bits front and rear ) suspension was more than capable. 8 years earlier I had tackled some of the same roads with an SV650S and on many occasions the roads undulations overwhelmed the SV suspension and scared me. Back then I was the guy who brought a knife to a gunfight. Well you live and learn and this time I was equipped with suspension that laughed at whatever 555 tried to throw at me. Upgrade your front and rear suspension. Thank Me later !

 Turning west from 555 onto Hwy 78 the treat continued. You can ride as fast as you dare on 78 and I did not. This day was all about soaking up great flowing roads, blue sky, and sunshine. Not scaring/pissing off local drivers or law enforcement. This segment included some roads in the Hocking Hills area west of Nelsonville touted by Car and Driver magazine as their own personal test road and supposedly used by American Car makers as well. These roads were tight and twisty but, not as good as 555. Also The Hocking Hills are close enough to Columbus that the roads were pretty crowded. Time to start heading back east on Hwy 78.

 The idea of managing the sun worked well. It was around 230 pm when I started heading east on 78 . The road was almost empty and aside from an occasional crosswind everything was peachy. I couldn’t resist the fresh pavement on 555 from Ringgold heading south ( again ) so I did a 6 mile out and back for old times sake....If I only could capture the goodness of that ribbon of asphalt and bottle it...Free DMr upgrades for all VFR forum members !

  There is a section of Hwy 78 ( Noble County ) where I have stopped through the years and photographed my vehicle. Today would be no different. During this break with the helmet off I thought about how fabulous the day was and how fortunate it was for me to be in this space at this time.

 I stopped in Woodsfield and had some gatorade, my only drink ( or food)  during the ride. School buses were on the road. I’d thought about continuing the ride west on 78 and turning on to 536 but, the increasing traffic and the onset of fatigue made me scratch that idea. The last part of the ride was 800 south out of Woodsfield and then Hwy 26 to Marietta. Hwy 26 is fun, challenging, and best enjoyed when you are physically and mentally fresh. There are many ridges the road negotiates with gravel and some rough surfaces. I had the “heat” dialed back to 40 percent and even 30 percent. For most of the day the sun had been well managed but now I was heading west                and it took its revenge.Upon arriving in Marietta  I was hungry and rode straight to the same Japanese eatery and dined in all my bug encrusted glory. The day’s ride had been mostly sublime.

Thursday 508 Miles

I77 South

I77 WV Turnpike

I64

VA Hwy 311

VA Hwy 220

VA Hwy 40

VA Hwy 8

NC Hwy 268

 Thursday was a colder day than Wednesday. I left the hotel and started blasting down I77 with the heated grips set to position 3. Cruising between 5500 and 6000 rpm is effortless. I tell myself the day will get warmer and it does. There’s some road construction on I64 that has traffic reduced to one lane in each direction. What can be finer than breathing asbestos dust from big trucks as their brakes catch  fire down I64’s many long descents ?

 VA Hwy 311 is a pleasant 2 lane diversion after being on the interstate. I chose this route to (mostly) mimic how I rode home from southern Ohio in October 2012 aboard the SV.The best part of the day’s ride would be Va Hwys 40 and 8 and NC Hwy 268. I wanted to ride these roads while the experience with Hwy 555 was still fresh in my mind. It’s always nice to do an “A” vs “B” comparison when you can. I would say these 3 roads I just listed are worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as 555 . Actually the stretch of VA 40 between Ferrum and Woolwine has some of the same ( scare and/or thrill you ) qualities of 555 while VA 8 and NC 268 flow like Hwy 78. I’m lucky to have these roads fairly close at hand and as a consequence I ride them frequently.

 Southern Ohio roads should be on every gear heads agenda. I’d been wanting to make this trip aboard the VFR since the fall of 2018. I’m glad I did. Notch up another great trip to my VFR that never missed a beat and always over delivered.

 

[mello dude]

Thanks for the great pics and ride report.

Southeast Ohio is indeed a motorcyclist playground.

[RC1237V]

Awesome, I love being on the road for a few days! Those rolling hills are just begging for some front tire lofting!

 

Too bad all the good roads here are fire scorched....☹️

[TimC]

Thanks for the props, man!!  Glad you had a great time on those roads.  You even hit a few I haven't.  When I ride 555 I almost always ride the whole length of it, from Zanesville to OH Route 7, so I rarely divert to one of the intersecting roads - though I do look at them as I pass by and think, "I'll have to try that one someday."  78 is great, but is more interesting in its western half.  East of I-77 it's a pleasant ride, but not challenging at all.  The great thing about that stretch, however, is how deserted it is.  You truly feel isolated and in the middle of nowhere, and I like that.  And you nailed the descriptions of 800 and 26.

 

OH 555, aka "the triple nickel" is the main draw for many people, but as you said, there are parts which are a bit treacherous.  555 is famous/notorious for changing direction at the top of blind hills, and while there are usually directional signs, you're never sure how sharp that turn is going to be.  As with 26, 800, etc., add in some gravel in the corners, farm driveways, dead critters, and iffy pavement, and it makes for an challenging ride.  I've never thought the twisties of SE Ohio are any match for the best of NC and TN, but the road conditions add a degree of difficulty which I think makes the two regions' roads about on par with each other.

 

Your trip and write-up matched my own adventures, in that I rarely stop to take photos - I'm too much 'in the moment' and want to keep my ride flowing - and I am guilty of not drinking or eating enough during long days.  It takes a serious toll.  By the end of a SE Ohio day I am spent.

 

Congrats on a great trip, and thanks for sharing your write-up and photos!!  🙂

[RC79NC001]

Just wanted to add a little more color to the story.....

[TimC]

Once I get the suspension mods done on my new bike, I'll be eager to hit the twisties of SE Ohio on it for the first time!  🙂

[jimbob]

Next time i head for the midwest to see my brother in Michigan this report will be printed and folded in my tankbag! 

 

Thanks for posting !

 

Cheers!