Recent rides and road recommendations

[SRTie4k]

Thought this might be a good place to post up some great riding roads out there considering the majority of the roads in VT are tucked away in hard-to-get-to places.

This last weekend I road this route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...8,2.469177&z=9

It was about a 6 hour ride, including time for lunch and the occasional stop between towns to stretch the legs. Some of the best roads on this trip were...

Tyson Road, between Reading and Tyson - this road has some awesome twisties between Reading and South Reading, lots of elevation changes and straights in the middle, then gets really twisty as it approaches Tyson. A little rough in some spots, but pretty smooth the majority.

Route 100, between 4 and the Brandon Gap - Fun ride, lots of good sweepers. Occasional traffic, but enough spots to pass. Road is decent condition, not good, not bad, but there is one stretch of construction with no pavement where a new bridge is being built. Very rocky, rough and muddy dirt road here.

125, between 7 and 100 - EXCELLENT road with lots of tight and moderate curves, switchbacks and crazy elevation changes. Saw lots of bikes on this road. Road is in good to decent shape. Only problem I had with this road was moderate traffic, lots of out of staters sightseeing, and not many places to pass.

Bethel Mtn Road - Fun road, a little confusing as you leave Rochester, was supposed to take a right but there was nothing marking it with the actual road name so I went straight and landed on some dirt road and had to turn around. Good mountain climb of a road with lots of quick elevation changes and some decent curves. Road is a little rough on the Bethel side. Really no traffic on this road at all. WARNING!! If you ride this road towards 12, there is a moderate sweeper on the other side of the mountain that curves around a barn. The intersection of 12 and a stop sign is RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BARN! The stop sign has no forewarning marking a stop sign ahead, and I was doing probably 60 around this corner and blew right through the stop sign on to 12. I was lucky there was no traffic coming.

132 - AWESOME ROAD!! I cannot believe I've never heard this road mentioned before. Climbs a mountain right off the interstate with excellent curves, very smooth road and no traffic. After coming down off the mountain and passing through a small town, it continues with MILES of twisty, rollercoaster-like road. It's so fast to change pace you can be leaning on your side one second, then rocket out of a corner into a roller and pick up the front end over the hill the next. Easily one of the best combinations of curves and rollercoaster hills I've ridden on, I would love to do it again.


Definitely a fun ride, even when your ass is practically on fire by the time you hit the Connecticut River.

Now what local roads do you guys recommend for some fun, spirited riding?

[markbvt]

125, between 7 and 100 - EXCELLENT road with lots of tight and moderate curves, switchbacks and crazy elevation changes. Saw lots of bikes on this road. Road is in good to decent shape. Only problem I had with this road was moderate traffic, lots of out of staters sightseeing, and not many places to pass. WARNING!! If you ride this road towards 100, there is a moderate sweeper on the other side of the mountain that curves around a barn. The intersection of 100 and a stop sign is RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BARN! The stop sign has no forewarning marking a stop sign ahead, and I was doing probably 60 around this corner and blew right through the stop sign on to 100. I was lucky there was no traffic coming or I would have been road pizza.

Are you sure you're talking about 125? The pavement is hardly what I'd call decent shape -- that road is in dire need of repaving. Also, the approach to 100 is a pretty straight shot with stores and houses on either side, and a good-sized parking lot on the left. 125 dead-ends onto 100 at pretty much a perfect 90-degree angle.

If you blew through that stop sign, you must really not have been paying attention, and you're lucky you didn't just go right off the road on the other side. Furthermore, what were you doing flying through a small town at 60mph? There's usually some pedestrian traffic and kids on bicycles along that stretch, including people crossing the street to get ice cream.

Next time, head north on 100 past Granville (nice sweepers through the Granville Gulf forest) and then head west on Rt 17 over the App Gap.

--mark

[SRTie4k]

Are you sure you're talking about 125? The pavement is hardly what I'd call decent shape -- that road is in dire need of repaving. Also, the approach to 100 is a pretty straight shot with stores and houses on either side, and a good-sized parking lot on the left. 125 dead-ends onto 100 at pretty much a perfect 90-degree angle.

If you blew through that stop sign, you must really not have been paying attention, and you're lucky you didn't just go right off the road on the other side. Furthermore, what were you doing flying through a small town at 60mph? There's usually some pedestrian traffic and kids on bicycles along that stretch, including people crossing the street to get ice cream.

Next time, head north on 100 past Granville (nice sweepers through the Granville Gulf forest) and then head west on Rt 17 over the App Gap.

--mark

You know what, you're right, that's the wrong road.

It was Bethel Mtn Road where it meets 12. Comes around a right corner with a barn in the middle of the corner obstructing the stop sign and nothing warning of a stop ahead.

[MotoFreak]

It was Bethel Mtn Road where it meets 12. Comes around a right corner with a barn in the middle of the corner obstructing the stop sign and nothing warning of a stop ahead.

I feel ya bro, did the same thing 3-4 times on Tyler Bridge here in Monkton...its a 2 way stop (I didn't blow the Sign, just hit the Int at 60 ish) no idea an Int was coming up the first few times I hit the road.


My Favorites:
Tyson/Reading Rd
Brandon Gap/RT 73 (the whole thing)
Rt 140
Granville Gulf RT 100S
RT 17
Bolton Mtn Rd
Tyler Bridge Rd
Spear St (Charlotte)
Old Hollow Rd (Ferrisburg)
N. Danville Rd
RT 2 from East St. Jay to Lancaster
RT 9
Grafton Rd (Off RT35 to Grafton)

Wish List:
Bethel Mtn Rd
Hurricane Rd (NY)
Blue Ridge (NY)
T Rd (NY) Only been out once this year
RT 132 (VT/NH)
Hurricane Mtn Rd (NH)
RT 78
Rt 105 (Richford to Newport)
Rt 118 & Rt 242

Get Some

[Slyder]

Wish List:
Bethel Mtn Rd
RT 132 (VT/NH)
Hurricane Mtn Rd (NH)

When ever its nice out and you're ready, lemme know. You'll have to come over Bethel mtn alone but I can meet ya in Bethel and from there hit 132, north, some nice roads in NH east to Hurricane mtn and then some nice roads back.

[MotoFreak]

10-4 Good Buddy!

[LuckyLuc]

You know what, you're right, that's the wrong road.

It was Bethel Mtn Road where it meets 12. Comes around a right corner with a barn in the middle of the corner obstructing the stop sign and nothing warning of a stop ahead. :

Hi SRTie4k

I know exactly the place, a few years ago I make the same thing at the stop sign. I was happy to got ABS on my VFR

I got some pics from last week ride in Vermont at the corner of the route 12 and Bethel Mtn also call the Camp Brooke rd

Google map:
http://maps.google.ca/?ie=UTF8&ll=43...,0.112009&z=14

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...9/IMG_1298.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...9/IMG_1299.jpg

[kbroderick]

I hit VT-232 on my way to NH-112 (the Kanc) and HMR today, ending up in Maine fr the New England Forest Rally. 232 was a tad interesting with the current pavement conditions (think mid-corner frost heaves). 112 was pretty fun, not too much traffic to contend with today.

HMR was fun, but I was glad that I had some idea of what I was in for heading in.

[SRTie4k]

For those of you around the Bellows Falls VT area, I just did this quick route today:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,0.528374&z=12

Pretty fun ride. Points A to B are mostly windy back road, the last 2 miles are a blast.

Points B to C is crazy, tons of switchbacks and tight bends following the river.

C to D was pretty boring, but decent cruising road nonetheless.

D to E was really fun too. LOTS of sweeping corners and very hilly.

E to F was merely okay. I really just hit it to get back on B to A.

[Slyder]

I hit VT-232 on my way to NH-112 (the Kanc) and HMR today, ending up in Maine fr the New England Forest Rally. 232 was a tad interesting with the current pavement conditions (think mid-corner frost heaves). 112 was pretty fun, not too much traffic to contend with today.

HMR was fun, but I was glad that I had some idea of what I was in for heading in.

232 would be so slick if it was completely repaved. The Groton side (closest to RT 302) is in better shape though. It's another one of those "10 years ago......." roads. It use to be really sweet all the way to RT 2. Well if we're thinking of the same section. I'm not sure if there are any other 232's. 112 right off of 302 was a bit rough. 116 north from 112 to Franconia is also nice, from there you could have hopped on 93 south through the notch, then to Lincoln to 112. Lotsa options out there.

I'm about 15 mins south of Groton area...5 miles from NH border.

Watch out for them coppers in Lincoln

[BigShel]

Have to hand it to you VT people, Your state has the best roads I have seen so far in life, anyone who lives there and ride should consider themselfs very lucky.

[BigShel]

Where is Rt132 located if we are coming from Rt9 Hog Neck Mt area?

[SRTie4k]

Where is Rt132 located if we are coming from Rt9 Hog Neck Mt area?

Not sure which Rt 9 you're talking (VT or NH?) but here's 132 in VT:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,0.308647&z=12

[SRTie4k]

How many of you guys have GPS on your bikes? When I went on that 6 hour ride, I actually completely filled up a Post-It Note with route changes...a bit rudimentary, but any more road numbers and I would have had to flip it over to continue.