- This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by JtownJJA.
Lessons from Weekend Trip to Ohio River
-
AuthorPosts
-
August 24, 2009 at 6:07 pm #3345wbsprudelsParticipant
I had planned to ride down from Indianapolis to Madison, IN to ride along the Ohio River Saturday. The forecast called for a 30% chance of rain, but I wanted to make this 250-mile ride, so I took off with rain gear packed. Fortunately, I changed my mind 10 minutes into the ride, stopped at a gas station and put on the rain gear. About 30 minutes later I was hit by a strong shower. I was not so lucky on the return trip. I again started without wearing the gear. As the sky darkened, I decided to stop at the first gas station on my right. I was dumped on before I finally hit that gas station. Lesson 1: should have started with the gear on–I was being lazy and wanted to get going as quickly as possible.
The ride was all I had hoped it would be: the windy road along the Ohio was fun to ride with very little traffic. I loved touring through the little river towns. One town had a sign cautioning trucks against proceeding further because of the hills and hairpin turns. It practically begged for motorcycles to take her! A later sign also beckoned motorcycles: “Runaway Truck Ramp at Bottom of Hill.” As I came around the bend to this steep descent to the Ohio River, the panoramic view took my breath away. Wow! If you are in the area SR-56 from Madison, IN to Cincinnati is excellent.
Lesson 2 came between the towns of Vevay and Rising Sun. I came into a 30 mph left-hand turn too fast. As I drifted to the edge of the road and looked at the possibility of going off the road, instinctively I pushed my countersteering harder and saved it. Whew! On the one hand, I was mad at myself for not being more careful; on the other, I was happy that my instincts were right and worked.
August 24, 2009 at 7:28 pm #21903MunchParticipantWell sounds like a good ride. However why didn’t you just pull to the shoulder when you knew you were headed to the dark clouds to put the gear on?
August 24, 2009 at 9:38 pm #21904wbsprudelsParticipantShoulder? What’s a shoulder? Seriously, for some reason Indiana does not believe in making roads with shoulders.
August 25, 2009 at 1:56 am #21906JtownJJAParticipantI grew up in an a south-eastern Ohio town called Pomeroy, which is right on the Ohio River. I was just down there this weekend to visit my parents. Wish I could have had my GS500F with me, but had to take the minivan for the whole family. There are lots of good roads with great views in Southeast Ohio along the river as well. I’ll have to check out your area of Indiana there some time.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.