2 days on Ohio's Windy 9? Which ones? Worth it?

[RocketMan]

Ok. I've heard great things about the Triple Nickel but what about the rest of these routes?

https://www.windy9.com/

If a person has two days in the area, which routes should I ride?

Arriving from the west - on 50 from Hopewell Culture Nat'l Hist Park.

555 will be my exit route as I head north.

Plan is to pass through in the second half of June. Exact dates TBD.

Are these the best of the best of Ohio or is that just marketing hype?

Is Athens the place to stay?

Thanks

Bruce

 

[Larry Fine]

Get the Map: https://www.windy9.com/get-the-map

 

[schlep1967]

Look through the OH Stoc threads. There should be some good route info on those.

 

[SteveST1300]

Or PM Sirepair Pat can advise you.

 

[scootac]

Look at Zanesville as a place to stay and eat also.
There are places on 555 south of Zanesville with lots of blind hills....would be real easy to get air without meaning to!

 

[SMSW]

Look at Zanesville as a place to stay and eat also.
There are places on 555 south of Zanesville with lots of blind hills....would be real easy to get air without meaning to!

Forget the air, on some of the blind curves you can get some grass* if you are not paying attention. The 555 is definately a nice ride, but I think it is somewhat overrated. There are a lot of other routes in the area that are as good. Try to hit these roads during the week - there is not a lot of traffic on them, but fewer cars and pickups is better. Talk to Pat (@sirepair ) in a PM for the real lowdown on roads in this area. He has lived in the area for years and knows the best routes.

*As in timothy, kentucky blue, hay, etc. Not the intoxicating kind. Note that using the overhead wires as a clue to which way the road turns ahead can be misleading.

 

[larryg]

I've been out there twice so far, and will go again.
The 9 routes are all great, 555 is absolutely worthwhile - don't listen to naysayers on that, but just about any road in the area is great riding.
Just be super alert on 555 - lot's of blind hills.
We stayed both times in Athens, which is central to all the 9 routes. A nice college town with lots to do in the evening when you're done riding.
If you're coming in from the West, be sure to enter Athens on 56 - a fantastic road. We enjoyed it so much, we rode it multiple times.
Riding SE Ohio is fantastic, enjoy !

 

[scootac]

..... Note that using the overhead wires as a clue to which way the road turns ahead can be misleading.

I heard somebody offer that tip (along with the GPS) one time as a way to set up for blind curves.....and thought 'No way in Hell am I going to trust that'!!!
Power lines, or GPS, don't show stopped left-turners, slow farm equipment, or mail delivery cars.
I trust my own eyes.....nothing more.

 

[sirepair]

I have one of the Windy 9 maps somewhere, I'll have to dig it up. I'm sure we have hit 90%+ of those roads in the years of having OH-STOC.

Also check out serpentbones.com

Athens, Zanesville, Jackson or Marietta are all good home base locations. Athens has several local dining establishments worth checking out. Lake Hope State Park is nice if you want to camp or stay in a cabin. Not many dining choices near it, though the lodge there has good food at reasonable prices.

If your trip is June 11-14, consider joining us at OH-STOC, this year at Shawnee State Park near Portsmouth, Oh. I'm just starting to develop routes but we will likely hit some of the more southern Ohio roads and dip in to N E Kentucky too.

And if you can't join us, I'll try to help you however possible.

 

[ST-Traveler]

If a person has two days in the area, which routes should I ride?

Be adventurous and find out for yourself - then report back to the forum.

Some of the best roads are the ones less ridden.

 

[scootac]

Be adventurous and find out for yourself -

+100!!!

 

[sirbike]

This whole area is great. If I lived there I’d still have my VFR. As it is it takes an hour or two to get there. Having the ST is the best tool for me to get there in comfort, ride a spirited pace in the twisties, then ride home in comfort.
I like riding east of 9 along tributaries into the Ohio River valley, up or down river to the next road then west back into the hills.
The Ohio Valley makes for a nice wide open scenic rolling rest break between the twisty sessions.