enjoyed reading that with the pics - thanks Richard for sorting that out.
How low can we go.
- Thread starter gspod
- Start date
Great stuff Dermot.
Take it easy. Gu Steady
Take it easy. Gu Steady
I think he did the go bit 2 years ago
We moved on, before we became permanently horizontal, and headed east once more. The idea was to meet up with the MABRD:
ridebdr.com
and ride it south.
Having been brought up on The Waltons and country and western music, the Appalachian mountains always held a certain fascination in my heart and the MABRD cuts right down the centre of it. At this stage I’d like to thank Sam Vernon of this parish who downloaded the track onto my SatNav - it worked a treat.
The nearest junction point to us was Hartleton and just before we got there we pulled into a gas station where 3 guys on big, very dusty adventure bikes were resting. They told us that the section we were about to start was difficult and after some advice they avoided it, we thought it prudent to do the same. They also gave us an official map of the route which was great for this ride around and for general information.
After a short ride around we joined the trail which, at this stage, was sweeping gravel roads through dense forest with occasional view points and no other vehicles or people. Eventually we popped out to a small town and found a hotel owned by a guy who spends the winters driving snow mobiles and the summers enduro bikes around the endless trail in the area. He also showed us a video of the section we missed out - okay on a 250 trail bike but a loaded GS? Thank goodness we bumped into those guys.
Mid Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route (MABDR) Map & Information
MABDR is a scenic ride for dual-sport and adventure motorcycles that uses dirt, gravel and paved roads to wind through remote parts of the Eastern US.
ridebdr.com
Having been brought up on The Waltons and country and western music, the Appalachian mountains always held a certain fascination in my heart and the MABRD cuts right down the centre of it. At this stage I’d like to thank Sam Vernon of this parish who downloaded the track onto my SatNav - it worked a treat.
The nearest junction point to us was Hartleton and just before we got there we pulled into a gas station where 3 guys on big, very dusty adventure bikes were resting. They told us that the section we were about to start was difficult and after some advice they avoided it, we thought it prudent to do the same. They also gave us an official map of the route which was great for this ride around and for general information.
After a short ride around we joined the trail which, at this stage, was sweeping gravel roads through dense forest with occasional view points and no other vehicles or people. Eventually we popped out to a small town and found a hotel owned by a guy who spends the winters driving snow mobiles and the summers enduro bikes around the endless trail in the area. He also showed us a video of the section we missed out - okay on a 250 trail bike but a loaded GS? Thank goodness we bumped into those guys.
Brilliant, thanks for taking the trouble….both of you.
I'm in
Great photographs .... keep 'em coming Wappers
I can only go as fast as the fellow posts ‘em.
By Jove, I think he’s got the hang of it 
It’s not until you look at picture streams, as in this thread and others, that you appreciate the vast range of scenery that America offers. Huge cities, little towns, woods, forests, rivers, deserts, rocks and canyons, rolling hills. It really is an amazing place. For all of their (and our) faults, I am pleased we are friends with them.
Thank you for sharing your jaunt. Appreciated.
Thank you for sharing your jaunt. Appreciated.
For the next few days we meandered our way south. The route is a combination of gravel trails, farm tracks and small roads in undulating terrain. It goes through lovely villages and small small towns but is mostly wooded or farm land, some of it owned by Amish or Mennonite who we pass in their traps.
It’s a lovely route for large adventure bikes and, with the odd ride around, possible for pillions.
We called into the Walton’s house which is now a B&B. I wanted to stay, just to say “good night Johnboy” but it was morning time so we carried on and stayed in Gettysburg.
We then arrived at Harpers Ferry WV, which was where John Brown’s actions were the precursor of the civil war. It really is a very pretty town with art and craft shops and a slight bohemian (with a very small b) feel to it. We decided to have a day off the bikes to look at the history and soak up the atmosphere.
A and I have been enjoying motorcycle holidays for 30 years and we do very little planning or research. We’re well aware that over the years we’ve missed things of interest but we do enjoy stumbling upon places by accident and enjoying them through the eyes of locals rather than books or the internet - it’s not for everyone but ‘viva la differance’.
It’s a lovely route for large adventure bikes and, with the odd ride around, possible for pillions.
We called into the Walton’s house which is now a B&B. I wanted to stay, just to say “good night Johnboy” but it was morning time so we carried on and stayed in Gettysburg.
We then arrived at Harpers Ferry WV, which was where John Brown’s actions were the precursor of the civil war. It really is a very pretty town with art and craft shops and a slight bohemian (with a very small b) feel to it. We decided to have a day off the bikes to look at the history and soak up the atmosphere.
A and I have been enjoying motorcycle holidays for 30 years and we do very little planning or research. We’re well aware that over the years we’ve missed things of interest but we do enjoy stumbling upon places by accident and enjoying them through the eyes of locals rather than books or the internet - it’s not for everyone but ‘viva la differance’.
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What a lovely area thanks for posting
Thanks for your help, I think I might have cracked it.
Yes the US has everything you could want for riding, I’m not surprised that so many Americans don’t have a passport, they don’t need one.
Looking at some of the pictures, bits could be the Ardennes. Even the buildings are similar. I can only guess the emigres arrived there and thought “This looks like home. We might as well stop here and build houses we know how to build”.
I really should buy a book or two about the colonisation of America. There is a very distant branch, from the maternal side of my family tree, that went from roughly Bristol (they were originally from the Low Countries, fleeing the religious wars) and then to America, to what was to become Boston. They fought on the side of the revolutionaries in the independence war.
I really should buy a book or two about the colonisation of America. There is a very distant branch, from the maternal side of my family tree, that went from roughly Bristol (they were originally from the Low Countries, fleeing the religious wars) and then to America, to what was to become Boston. They fought on the side of the revolutionaries in the independence war.
As we continued, the MABDR just kept on giving, we were now in the Shenandoah nation park which is part of the blue ridge mountains. We did have a small problem, however, A’s microphone on her comms stopped working. We sourced a replacement in Richmond, funnily enough we had been pondering about going there anyway and this sealed the decision. A had spent a few months in Richmond with a 3 friends in the 80s and was keen to have a look around it after all these years. The 4 Brits had worked for a house painter, A looked up his address, rang the number and his wife answered. One of the Brits still lived there so we had a place to stay - excellent. He’d always been a biker but hadn’t ridden for a few years. He was inspired by our trip and dragged his old BMW RT out of the shed, spent half a day sorting it out and fired it up. A few weeks later he had a job 300 miles away and he went on the RT - our work here is finished
We headed back east again and jumped onto the famous Blue Ridge Parkway for a stretch, ending up at Deals Gap. This is a Mecca for US bike riders and petrol heads in general. There’ll be plenty on here that have visited the area on a Bilco tour. There are several twisty roads in the area and we rode in on The Rattler and out on The Tail of the Dragon - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deals_Gap,_North_Carolina
Deals Gap hotel is very expensive but we found a motorcycle motel that had little garages next to your room for your bike - needless to say the Himmie got pride of place. We met a US bike club that was staying there and they cooked us a great breakfast in the morning. We wanted to stay a bit longer and ride a few other roads but, some of you may remember, hurricane Ian was coming through so we hightailed it in the direction of Nashville.
We headed back east again and jumped onto the famous Blue Ridge Parkway for a stretch, ending up at Deals Gap. This is a Mecca for US bike riders and petrol heads in general. There’ll be plenty on here that have visited the area on a Bilco tour. There are several twisty roads in the area and we rode in on The Rattler and out on The Tail of the Dragon - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deals_Gap,_North_Carolina
Deals Gap hotel is very expensive but we found a motorcycle motel that had little garages next to your room for your bike - needless to say the Himmie got pride of place. We met a US bike club that was staying there and they cooked us a great breakfast in the morning. We wanted to stay a bit longer and ride a few other roads but, some of you may remember, hurricane Ian was coming through so we hightailed it in the direction of Nashville.
Luckily we didn’t need to contribute to The Tree of Shame’
www.dealsgap.com
Tree of Shame | Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort | Home of the Dragon | US129 | Fontana
Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort is located at Deals Gap, North Carolina. It is also the home of The Dragon or simply by the locals as The Gap.
www.dealsgap.com
This is brilliant, thanks Dermot 
Say ‘hi’ to the lovely Amanda
Say ‘hi’ to the lovely Amanda
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