My road

[the Ferret]

I have this road. It's less than 10 minutes from the house . As a matter of fact I just returned from a spirited ride on the CB on my road. It's my favorite road to ride close to home. I could literally ride it every day and not tire of it. When I tell Dianne I'm taking the long way home she knows where I'll be, without me saying it. It's got it all. Just the right amount of lefts, rights, some of them S shaped sweepers and some pretty tight curves. It has elevation changes, starting level then pitching downhill, then uphill before leveling out, then plunging downhill again finishing with a long downhill curvy section. Officially called St Rt 743, it runs between St Rt 222 to St Rt 52 in Clermont Co. Ohio. I probably run my road 5 times a week. Always pure joy. The trick is hitting all the curves at just the right speed so that you don't have to brake. You metaphorically speaking become a snake slithering thru the grass. It's magical when you do it right. There's one sharp right hander near the bottom that nearly always makes me tap my brakes, spoiling the run, but I have, on occassion, run it cleanly top to bottom. It's clean, it's lightly travelled, the road surface is smooth and the speed limit is 55 MPH which I adhere to although a really good rider could probably ride it at 75 MPH or more. If it has a drawback at all, it's that early in the morning or late in the evening there's a good chance you'll see deer crossing this road. I did at 2:35 this afternoon. Other than that, it's perfect...well it could be 20 or 30 miles longer, as unfortunately my road's only 8 miles long.

One way to make it longer? Well, my son and I have a saying: " turn around, it's just as much fun going the other way", and if we purposely set out to ride this road, we will often run it down, turn around at the bottom and run it up and then turn around at the top and run it back down again for a 24 mile run.

I add my road to a few others (that are nearly it's equal) to make a loop. Todays ride included 4 or 5 of these roads in the loop and totaled 33 miles. Not a single stop light, and only a couple stop signs in todays 33 mile loop, and other than 1 section 1/2 mile long that's 45 mph, it's all a 55 mph speed limit. Easy on the throttle, easy on the brakes, easy on the transmission and easy on the rider. Add in a couple more roads and it's easy to make it a 50 mile loop.

Id I only have an hour to spare, I head for my road.

So do you have a road?

[Henrik_imp]

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/SAINT-CE...!3e0?hl=en

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Ferret, to hold Henrik in check you are going to have to 'get a bigger road'.

Cheers, and you're lucky men having those roads on your doorstep.

[Rocky_imp]

Very cool
There is a similar road near me that I love to ride because it follows the ragged shoreline of a huge lake like a sidewinder.
Unfortunately, urban sprawl has crept in over the years and it's becoming very populated and that means traffic and speed limits.
It's still fun - until you catch up to a slow poke and have to throttle back. You don't dare pass because of the elevation changes and blind corners so you just put up with it - then turn around and ride back.

[the Ferret]

Luckily civilization hasn't taken over out here yet. Most of the slow traffic I come across here, is an old pickup truck with a bunch of junk in the back and a dog in the passenger seat or some kind of farm equipment moving form 1 field to the next. People in cars are usually booking pretty good trying to get home after work, and generally don't present an obstacle.

Was thinking today, I will ride east most often, then north and south about the same. Never west. West is toward the city, traffic, people, traffic lights.

My town has no traffic lights, neither does the next town east or the next, or the one after that... But the next town east of that one has 2. Lol

When I head south across the river I can ride a hundred miles of curvy roads, not 1 stop light.

[Powerdogg55]

Sounds like a great place to unwind on the CB. Be careful even during mid-day rides this fall particularly when the "rut" starts in deer season. Them old bucks are kinda crazy chasing the girls all day long. Sorta like us about 40 years ago!

[Short Timer_imp]

Interesting topic. And yes, I "have a road" or favorite route for those short morning/evening rides. For the early mornings, it's just about right in miles and minutes to get me ready for a coffee or breakfast and some time reading the paper. In the evening around dusk, it's just about right in miles and minutes to unwind from the workday and watch the last rays of the sun.

One advantage to living in such close proximity to a major city such as Chicago is that there is a fair amount of diversity in the choice of routes. Forest preserves and lakes (and critters!) or farmland or a very urban setting with small towns and lots of coffee shops and cafés to choose from. Many I like to frequent sit right alongside train tracks - I kinda dig train watching as I sit and read.

These little daily dallies manage to average 30 to 40 miles and the better part of an hour with a nice variation in scenery and speeds. No comparison to what other folks have in their own backyards but it just makes the long trips that much more meaningful when I can take one!

[the Ferret]

That's what I'm talking about Short Timer, those gem roads close to home, that you head to when your time is limited or they are just so enticing you head to them for no other reason other than for the sheer joy of it.

[Henrik_imp]

I totally agree about finding some diversity as well. When I commute to and from work on my bike, I try and change the roads I take as often as I can. To me, it is a bit of a safety issue because you are a bit more alert when things keep changing. The fact that it makes it all the more fun is just a bonus.

[emptysea]

My Road: Sheridan Rd., from Wilmette north to Lake Bluff, but with particular joy in the section called "The Ravines". I usually make my road of a loop that includes three or four options of pretty, suburban roads.

I often "turn around" in the ravines about three times. It's a snaky section that's not even 1 mile long. Several passes are usually the order of the day. As the picture shows, the speed limit is low, but after the first and second passes, well...




Sheridan Rd. is a suburban street, not a rural road, but it's close to my home and it brings me joy to travel it atop my CB1100