I'm looking at making a run to the New River Gorge. Has a bit of slab work on it as the route just paralleled the interstate, so I moved the route to the interstate. Of, if someone could route me on some good roads from Kernersville, NC to the New River Gorge (Fayetteville, WV), it would be appreciated. Possibly making this run on Friday.

Route

It looks to be a bit out of your way, but West Virginia Route 16 is a really fun road. I rode it on the way to the UnRally a few years ago. You know a road is going to be good when you pass several signs warning semis to turn around, including one marked "LAST CHANCE!".

RT_Jim and I were just in Beckley this past weekend scouting roads in that area to add to our Rubber Chicken Rendezvous routes. Also I've ridden quite a few backroads between Mt Airy/NC border and points north from UN X and other events/trips. There're lots of good route possibilities.

A few questions:

Do you like the real backroads or more major connectors (just wanting to avoid super slab)?

Do you have a GPS? If so, I'll throw a route your way. If not, let me know and I'll give you some roads to hit.

Are you comfortable with 300 miles of backroads?

I'm looking for backroads, two lane types with a bit of scenery. I do have a gps, just picked up a zumo 550. You can send me the route and I'll look at it to see if I want to run it.

I'm really just looking for a day trip, up and back and depending on time, I may slab it back, but that is a TBD deal.

Oh, up and back in one trip ... Hmmmm ... that changes things quite a bit. I'll look at it again tonight. Prolly gonna have to slab some in order to make a R/T out of it, unless you ride like wind on back roads and a 500+ mile day doesn't bother you.

Tons of possibilities,there are hundreds of side roads that are awesome but really time consuming if your on a schedule.

A simple route would be to head NW from Kernersville and pick up Rt 8 all the way to Stuart Va.

Rt 58 to Hillsville,east on Rt 220 for just a short distance to Rt 100 N.

Follow Rt 100 all the way to Rt 460 at Pearisburg Va.and north on 460 to I-77 at Princeton.

A cool detour is to take Rt 61 at Narrows just after getting on 460,over to I-77. It goes past Burkes Garden if you have the time to make the loop.

Watch your speed in the 460/Pearisburg/Narrows area.

Jump on I-77 for a short ways to Rt 20 N.

Stay on Rt 20 all the way to Rt 41 an then take it to Rt 60 which will drop you out just a couple of miles north of Fayetteville.

I can work you up a real backwoods/super twisty ride long ride if you want....

I see where they're calling the road "The Back of the Dragon".

http://backofthedragon.com/

I'm looking at a route that would take me up through Shady Valley (the Snake), over to Damascus, and up 16. For me it would be an overnight in Tazewell because I generally get off the bike and walk it around the sharp corners.

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The 500+ miles isn't a biggie. Last year, my neighbor and I did the dragon, Cherohala and part of the Blue Ridge in one day, over 650 miles and rainy at times. We also did US421, up to Va to ride US58 and back in one day.



big, I'll plug those roads in and see what it looks like.

I'm always open to suggestions

Dammit Bob, now I have to come up with a reasonable explanation for why I just laughed out loud sitting in my office alone! You've done that to me more than once, so the explanations are getting a little thin. It doesn't help that when I read your posts, I hear them in your voice too.

I know, he kills me, too, Glenn. Apparently though, I'm luckier than you, at my work I need no explanation for my outbursts ... of any kind. They've come to expect them ... Oh look, a cat! ... from me at any point.