Biker Wisdom

Winter is Nature's way of telling you to polish your bike.

New Roads

Added the following new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) California: Panoche Road - "I put this down as "scenic", but it has great sweepers and a few twisties, as well."

2) Kentucky: SR 607 - AKA Claxon Ridge Road, it resides in Bluegrass Country northwest of Lexington.

3) Michigan: SR 62 - "Curves are of varying radii, some sharp. Very scenic."

4) Missouri: SR 68 - "...sweeping turns...offers scenic beauty along the route."

5) New Jersey: Sky Top Drive - A short twisty road through the Watchung Reservation.

6) Ohio: SR 126 - Starts north of Cincinnati and continues into Indiana.

7) Rhode Island: SR 7 - In the northwest corner of Rhode Island, it continues into Massachusetts.

8) Washington: South Pass Road - Near the Canadian Border, it ends at Silver Lake.

Regonal Maps

A number of regional maps have been developed. These maps serve multiple states and include roads listed on MotorcycleRoads.US that are at least 50 miles in length. Purpose is to provide a tool to plan day trips or longer tours.

The following regional maps have been posted:

1) New England Region
2) New York Region
3) Pennsylvania & New Jersey Region
4) DelMarVa Region
5) West Virginia Region
6) The Carolinas Region

Enjoy!

New Roads

Added the following new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) California: CR G17 (River Road) - Runs parallel to US 101 and follows along the Salinas River.

2) Maine: SR 77 - A coastal route from Portland to Black Point.

3) Nebraska: SR 27

4) Ohio: SR 213 - "Very nice road, good pavement."

5) Oklahoma: SR 33 - "...sweeping turns and few cage traffic."

6) Pennsylvania: SR 611 - "You will ride along the river...then to county roads looking at the farms...[then] you'll hit the river again..."

7) Texas: FM 1774 - "Nice Country road with hills, turns and nice scenic route."

8) Wisconsin: CR ZZ - "Gentle turns, beautiful riverside ride."

Angeles Crest Highway (CA 2) reopens, BUT....

The La Canada Valley Sun reports that the Angeles Crest Highway (CA 2) reopened this past Monday (November 30) after being closed since August due to damage sustained from the Station fire in the Angeles National Forest.

However, don't jump the gun to ride this great motorcycle road. According to the Sun, "The reopening of the highway, however, is tentative at best. Geological experts at the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey have warned repeatedly that the conditions in the Angeles National Forest — namely charred soil and steep slopes — are ripe for massive and dangerous mudslides." The Sun also reported that "On Monday, the reopening of Angeles Crest was delayed slightly while crews cleared debris from the roadway, the result of a small rock slide. Motorcyclists, eager to visit a favorite local route, described having to slowly weave their way through debris. Tony Nieves, who took the day off from work to ride his motorcycle up to Wrightwood, said he had to stop at several spots where road crews continued to work to clear the highway and install guard rails." Caltrans and other agencies will continually monitor safety conditions on Angeles Crest Highway.

So bikers in should check the conditions on CA 2 before attempting to ride it. You can find road conditions for CA 2, or any other California state highway, at http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi.

Ref: The La Canada Sun, Angeles Crest Highway reopens