SE Ohio Spring "Ramble" 2008

[OhioFJR1300]

Just wondering if anyone has put this route into their GPS yet? If so maybe we could share the file and save everyone from having to create it. If no one had done it yet, I plan to put it in my GPS so and I would be happy to share my files.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Just wondering if anyone has put this route into their GPS yet? If so maybe we could share the file and save everyone from having to create it. If no one had done it yet, I plan to put it in my GPS so and I would be happy to share my files.

I would hold off for a little while on that until we have confirmation from one of the locals that the shortcut on the east end of the route I have proposed is confirmed as okay...I would hate to have somebody have to redo their work...

 

[wheatonFJR]

1st post modified to include map/location of starting point -Super 8, Athens and meeting time -8:30 am Saturday.

 

[cougar8000]

For the group safety can we ALL please agree not to pass unless you are trying to get attention of the leader for some emergency. Specially in the same line. If you find your self constantly on someone's 6 please back off and wait till next stop to either go in front of that person or join a faster group. Spank you very much.

Mark, are you going to create a GPS file, or have someone do it? I do not have GPS yet, but should have it before the ride.

 

[dean]

For the group safety can we ALL please agree not to pass unless you are trying to get attention of the leader for some emergency. Specially in the same line. If you find your self constantly on someone's 6 please back off and wait till next stop to either go in front of that person or join a faster group. Spank you very much.
Mark, are you going to create a GPS file, or have someone do it? I do not have GPS yet, but should have it before the ride.

in all honesty that's not something to which i can agree.

<author's note: i typed a lot of stuff in here, but decided to take it out, and leave the post as this>

however, i also realize i'm showing up at a ride (mini-rally?) as a stranger and you's guys ( : have no idea what type of person i am and how i ride, other than what i've said on the internet. ( : that said, if i am out of line (<wincing> no pun intended!) then i will sit this out. this reply is not an invitation for someone to support me; i'll just monitor and see how things play out.

( :

dean

cincinnati

 

[wheatonFJR]

For the group safety can we ALL please agree not to pass unless you are trying to get attention of the leader for some emergency. Specially in the same line. If you find your self constantly on someone's 6 please back off and wait till next stop to either go in front of that person or join a faster group. Spank you very much.
Mark, are you going to create a GPS file, or have someone do it? I do not have GPS yet, but should have it before the ride.

Alex,

-if you filter through the thread, I have been pretty clear that I am not creating any GPS files. I will have turn sheets for those interested. Once the final route is confirmed, I can email my MS S&T 2005 file or people can construct it from the route posted in this thread.

-I have been pretty clear (maybe overly so) about about what I expect ride-safety wise on this trip. I am not going to force people to stay behind a rider who chooses to ride at a slower pace. That frustrates the rider behind and puts pressure on the rider in front. I expect people to check their 6 on the straights and wave people past if need be. I will demand that people take utmost care and respect for others when they do move past...

-Alex, you have not confirmed for this ride...you are in the "tentative" column. Are you confirming your presence?

 

[scrapedup]

For the group safety can we ALL please agree not to pass unless you are trying to get attention of the leader for some emergency. Specially in the same line. If you find your self constantly on someone's 6 please back off and wait till next stop to either go in front of that person or join a faster group. Spank you very much.
Mark, are you going to create a GPS file, or have someone do it? I do not have GPS yet, but should have it before the ride.

in all honesty that's not something to which i can agree.

<author's note: i typed a lot of stuff in here, but decided to take it out, and leave the post as this>

however, i also realize i'm showing up at a ride (mini-rally?) as a stranger and you's guys ( : have no idea what type of person i am and how i ride, other than what i've said on the internet. ( : that said, if i am out of line (<wincing> no pun intended!) then i will sit this out. this reply is not an invitation for someone to support me; i'll just monitor and see how things play out.

Hey Dean

Heres an option that might work for you. Having read some of your previous posts, if you were the lead rider in the first group you wouldn't have to concern yourself with alot of the things that you've posted. You wouldn't have to wait for anyone, because there wouldn't be anyone in front of you to hold you up. It would also eliminate your having to drag race another rider to 120 mph. to get around them, and to tell you the truth I can't imagine any of us ever going 120 mph. to keep anyone one from passing any of us. That being said, all of us ride for various reasons, generally speaking [because I can't really speak for everyone in the forum only for my self] I've pretty much learned to tone down my usual speed to match that of whatever group of riders I'm with that day. I'm gathering from what you've posted that you, like me, probably ride by yourself most of the time,not because you want to, but because most of your friends just can't keep up. Or better yet, wouldn't dare to even attempt to keep up. Again I might be wrong, but my gut instinct say's I got your number. I too like you, have an old FJ. And between you and me I can " carve a corner " with the best of them, but there's a time and a place for everything. I hope you do decide to join us, I'd like to also scope out your old FJ. if you bring it with you. Don't let these guy's shoooo!!!!! you off. We'll have a great weekend. Dave

dean

cincinnati

 

[scrapedup]

For the group safety can we ALL please agree not to pass unless you are trying to get attention of the leader for some emergency. Specially in the same line. If you find your self constantly on someone's 6 please back off and wait till next stop to either go in front of that person or join a faster group. Spank you very much.
Mark, are you going to create a GPS file, or have someone do it? I do not have GPS yet, but should have it before the ride.

in all honesty that's not something to which i can agree.

<author's note: i typed a lot of stuff in here, but decided to take it out, and leave the post as this>

however, i also realize i'm showing up at a ride (mini-rally?) as a stranger and you's guys ( : have no idea what type of person i am and how i ride, other than what i've said on the internet. ( : that said, if i am out of line (<wincing> no pun intended!) then i will sit this out. this reply is not an invitation for someone to support me; i'll just monitor and see how things play out.

dean

cincinnati

Hey Dean

Heres an option that might work for you. Having read some of your previous posts, if you were the lead rider in the first group you wouldn't have to concern yourself with alot of the things that you've posted. You wouldn't have to wait for anyone, because there wouldn't be anyone in front of you to hold you up. It would also eliminate your having to drag race another rider to 120 mph. to get around them, and to tell you the truth I can't imagine any of us ever going 120 mph. to keep anyone one from passing any of us. That being said, all of us ride for various reasons, generally speaking [because I can't really speak for everyone in the forum only for my self] I've pretty much learned to tone down my usual speed to match that of whatever group of riders I'm with that day. I'm gathering from what you've posted that you, like me, probably ride by yourself most of the time,not because you want to, but because most of your friends just can't keep up. Or better yet, wouldn't dare to even attempt to keep up. Again I might be wrong, but my gut instinct say's I got your number. I too like you, have an old FJ. And between you and me I can " carve a corner " with the best of them, but there's a time and a place for everything. I hope you do decide to join us, I'd like to also scope out your old FJ. if you bring it with you. Don't let these guy's shoooo!!!!! you off. We'll have a great weekend. Dave

 

[dean]

For the group safety can we ALL please agree not to pass unless you are trying to get attention of the leader for some emergency. Specially in the same line. If you find your self constantly on someone's 6 please back off and wait till next stop to either go in front of that person or join a faster group. Spank you very much.
Mark, are you going to create a GPS file, or have someone do it? I do not have GPS yet, but should have it before the ride.

in all honesty that's not something to which i can agree.

<author's note: i typed a lot of stuff in here, but decided to take it out, and leave the post as this>

however, i also realize i'm showing up at a ride (mini-rally?) as a stranger and you's guys ( : have no idea what type of person i am and how i ride, other than what i've said on the internet. ( : that said, if i am out of line (<wincing> no pun intended!) then i will sit this out. this reply is not an invitation for someone to support me; i'll just monitor and see how things play out.

dean

cincinnati

Hey Dean

Heres an option that might work for you. Having read some of your previous posts, if you were the lead rider in the first group you wouldn't have to concern yourself with alot of the things that you've posted. You wouldn't have to wait for anyone, because there wouldn't be anyone in front of you to hold you up. It would also eliminate your having to drag race another rider to 120 mph. to get around them, and to tell you the truth I can't imagine any of us ever going 120 mph. to keep anyone one from passing any of us. That being said, all of us ride for various reasons, generally speaking [because I can't really speak for everyone in the forum only for my self] I've pretty much learned to tone down my usual speed to match that of whatever group of riders I'm with that day. I'm gathering from what you've posted that you, like me, probably ride by yourself most of the time,not because you want to, but because most of your friends just can't keep up. Or better yet, wouldn't dare to even attempt to keep up. Again I might be wrong, but my gut instinct say's I got your number. I too like you, have an old FJ. And between you and me I can " carve a corner " with the best of them, but there's a time and a place for everything. I hope you do decide to join us, I'd like to also scope out your old FJ. if you bring it with you. Don't let these guy's shoooo!!!!! you off. We'll have a great weekend. Dave

hah, sounds good. i hope when i said that you guys don't know how i ride, that wasn't meant as me bragging; that was meant as "i would expect you guys to be cautious around me, considering i'm a stranger coming into one of your rides."

i've learned it's not the regulars that are the ones that have caused issues, it's the ones that are tagging along with regulars (friend of regular; cousin of regular) on newer, faster bikes, that think they can ride faster because their's is lighter, quicker, etc. in our fj rallies, you know what bikes have gotten wadded up? fz-1; r1; r1; z750. so i better not bring the fj to the fjr group ride, or i'll be jinxing myself and putting myself into the classification of group riders that i have so feared. ( : so, if you want to see either of my fj's, why not come to the spring fj rally (www.fjrally.com) with yours?

dean

cincinnati

 

[cougar8000]

Mark, I noticed your post about GPS after I have made mine. Sorry.

I have dates marked at home and work. Unless something happens at home, 2 kids, I am in.

I will e-mail or better yet we can talk more about safety during rides when we meet in March. Please remind me about it.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Mark, I noticed your post about GPS after I have made mine. Sorry.
I have dates marked at home and work. Unless something happens at home, 2 kids, I am in.

I will e-mail or better yet we can talk more about safety during rides when we meet in March. Please remind me about it.

Good, Alex...I'll move you to the confirmed section.

Regarding talking safety...I understand your viewpoint...but I have set the ground rules for the ride. I have been on rides where respectful passing (not jockeying for race position) has been used with plenty of space on rides and it has worked well and has not been an issue.

Keywords: Maintain space, respect the others around you, ride your own pace.

Enough said.

Ramble starts in April....get psyched! :yahoo:

 

[drc32-0]

Hey Mark-I went down and took a look at the possible connector road you mentioned in post 106 on page 6.It's gravel on the south end until about 3 miles south of 556.Also,just as you get past the road you have labeled"Atkinson Run"(my Delorme gazetteer labels it "Relief Hollow") there is a steep hill with gravel.Not a road that I'd like to take my FJR up!We've had a lot of snow and ice this week so it might not have been the best weekend to go scouting,but I just put new tires on my truck so I wanted to check out the tires anyway.King's highway from Beallsville to 26 is also gravel but relatively flat and decent condition,but again ALL of these side roads are ice and snow covered right now.I also checked out some other roads trying to find a short cut but it appears that all the secondary roads are gravel.The roads I traveled-T30,T152,Altitude-Miller Hill,Sunfish Creek,T156.

Now if you have a dual sport I'd highly recommend Altitude-Miller Hill and Sunfish Creek roads,both have beautiful scenery.There's a ravine beside Altitude-Miller Hill that rivals the Hocking Hills for beauty and Sunfish Creek follows a nice creek.I'm picking up an '08 klr 650 in about three weeks,roads like these is the reason I bought it :yahoo: .But not places I'd like to take my FJR.

P.S. There are no signs to identify these roads except township road numbers ,

 

[wheatonFJR]

Hey Mark-I went down and took a look at the possible connector road you mentioned in post 106 on page 6.It's gravel on the south end until about 3 miles south of 556.Also,just as you get past the road you have labeled"Atkinson Run"(my Delorme gazetteer labels it "Relief Hollow") there is a steep hill with gravel.Not a road that I'd like to take my FJR up!We've had a lot of snow and ice this week so it might not have been the best weekend to go scouting,but I just put new tires on my truck so I wanted to check out the tires anyway.King's highway from Beallsville to 26 is also gravel but relatively flat and decent condition,but again ALL of these side roads are ice and snow covered right now.I also checked out some other roads trying to find a short cut but it appears that all the secondary roads are gravel.The roads I traveled-T30,T152,Altitude-Miller Hill,Sunfish Creek,T156.
Now if you have a dual sport I'd highly recommend Altitude-Miller Hill and Sunfish Creek roads,both have beautiful scenery.There's a ravine beside Altitude-Miller Hill that rivals the Hocking Hills for beauty and Sunfish Creek follows a nice creek.I'm picking up an '08 klr 650 in about three weeks,roads like these is the reason I bought it :yahoo: .But not places I'd like to take my FJR.

P.S. There are no signs to identify these roads except township road numbers ,

Thanks drc for checking that out. tstaff warned me that might be the case. I will change the route to extend the loop farther west to the main roads west and north.

Thanks again for the recon! :clapping:

 

[thompsonian]

Well, I'll put in a couple of cents worth about the roads round here. If you aren't familiar with them, PLEASE don't try to ride over your limits. Especially on 556/536. I can't rememeber which it is, but it is a VERY technical road as well as the end of 555. Always keep an eye on your landscape SURROUNDING the curves. Most locals around here tend to "cut" the turns and a good rule of thumb I have learned from riding these roads, is if you see gravel on the side, like a dirt bank, or just gravel in general AHEAD of the turn, beprepared to find it in the road. People's driving skills here SUCK!

Ok....back to the fun! Counting down the days!! And if there is anyone heading thru the Marietta OH area and would like to run 550 INTO Athens that morning, let me know. I'll lead you guys down it. Drop me a PM the closer it gets to Ramble time!

 

[dean]

Always keep an eye on your landscape SURROUNDING the curves. Most locals around here tend to "cut" the turns and a good rule of thumb I have learned from riding these roads, is if you see gravel on the side, like a dirt bank, or just gravel in general AHEAD of the turn, beprepared to find it in the road.

esp. the right hander curves---trucks will cut the curves, thereby kicking gravel out into the road.

dean

cincinnati

 

[drc32-0]

Always keep an eye on your landscape SURROUNDING the curves. Most locals around here tend to "cut" the turns and a good rule of thumb I have learned from riding these roads, is if you see gravel on the side, like a dirt bank, or just gravel in general AHEAD of the turn, beprepared to find it in the road.

esp. the right hander curves---trucks will cut the curves, thereby kicking gravel out into the road.

dean

cincinnati

...and ODOT compounds the problem by putting a fine gravel mix on the berms after paving a road.Last year they paved a portion of 555 and it was awesome.About a week later they put the fine gravel on the berms and the corners became scary,about another week later they sealed the berms and all was great again.

thompsonian-536 is the VERY technical one.I drove down it Saturday,in my truck, and it doesn't look like winter hurt it to bad-no big potholes or cracks-yet.

 

[thompsonian]

Yeah, I couldn't remember which was which. All I know is the last time I went out it with my usual riding buddies, they lost me after the 2nd turn. Course they were all on modern sportbikes, and I just couldn't wrestle the FJR round the turns as fast as they could.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Yeah, I couldn't remember which was which. All I know is the last time I went out it with my usual riding buddies, they lost me after the 2nd turn. Course they were all on modern sportbikes, and I just couldn't wrestle the FJR round the turns as fast as they could.

'Still had fun though dindncha?

 

[yamaholic]

Gents-

I'll be leading the fast group. If I sense you're on my 6 tight and want more speed, I'll wave you by. EVERYONE should do the same. Or just pass safely where you can without an invitation. Key word: safely. No hanging out in the left lane...no passing on curves...use common sense and there won't be a problem. I won't do anything to stop that from happening, nor will I be upset in the least. It's all about where you feel comfortable. It's all good--just be safe about it.

If you do pass the leader, or any other rider, don't slow down and expect me/them to pass you again. You'll be the new leader/pace holder. And if you don't know where you're going and you're off in the lead, that's not my problem or the groups' problem anymore. So by all means, ride your own ride. If that means you're 5 miles ahead of everyone...cool. No Problem. We'll see you at the next stop or at lunch (so save a table for us!). I actually fully expect to get passed early on--surely others will want to go quicker than I'm willing to pace the group.

This is all about having fun for the day together as a group. Now I'm a quick rider solo, but tend to slow it down in groups. I don't want to lead anyone into a situation that they are not ready for. Plus as the leader, there is some level of responsibility to keep loose tabs on those in the group. So if I slow down a bit, I'm just waiting to see the last person in the group. And I'll be looking out for flashing lights indicating a problem with a rider (or you noticed I missed the turn!), so there is no way I can go full steam. If this is hindering your fun factor...by all means pass the leader and let 'er rip. Just pass safely. K?

 

[MartyA]

hey Wheatie how are you? I just found this post, put me down as a possible maybe? The bikes come out of winter storage around that time, and the snow is usually gone by then. I hate to pass up a group ride this close to me.