21 of the Best Roads in the World

21 roads to ride before you die...

Which ones have you ridden?

to my surprise, almost half... (and yeah, ridden, not driven!)



1. Highway 1, Big Sur, California

2. Furka Pass, Switzerland

3. The Atlantic Road, Norway

7. Chapman’s Peak Drive, Cape Town, South Africa

8. Stelvio Pass, Eastern Alps, Italy

9. Col de Turini, France

13. Great Ocean Road, Australia

14. Sani Pass, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

19. Trollstigen, Rauma, Norway

20. The Amalfi Coast, Italy

WOW. I've only done 1,13,15,16,18 but the rest is definitely on the list.

OK, I have a new list of things I would love to do before I die!!!

Now......who wants to pay for it????

Bugger, I haven't done any of them. But I'm hoping to do the Atlantic Coast Road and the Trollstigen in Norway next year

I won't go into detail but the article is very subjective.

Stelvio is a PITA. The hairpins are so tight you can't enjoy it as you can't see what is coming to try and kill you.

Transfagarasan is just old. No maintenance since the fall of the wall. Pothole heaven.

Atlantic Hwy is hindered by a 80kmh speed limit with a very aggressive policing.

Just 3 of my experiences.

There are so many great roads out there that don't attract attention. My advice is to keep them a secret.

Best statement by far; keep your best roads to yourself!

I agree with that. Quite often it´s not just one road, it´s the whole region, that´s great for riding. Amalfi Coast was a good suggestion IMO, not least because that refers to the general area, instead of a single road.

(And having a good, detailed map is essential in such areas..... luckily the very best roads may not even be the ones, that are listed in guidebooks, and where most tourists go to!)

1, 6, 11, 13, 20 by car. 2, 8, 9, 19 by bike. Sure they're subjective, just like which oil is best. Trollstigen is nice but what makes it that way is the countryside a few hundred kms in all directions; Great Ocean is far too tame for a bike; Furka is just one of dozens in the Alps. Still, the pics were great.

Not one road from Mexico or anywhere else in Latin America?
Who put it together, the UN?

The same can be said for many famous roads where there are "x curves in only y miles". The first few curves are fun, but quite frankly, I quickly get tired of really tight stuff after a few minutes. They require a lot of physical and mental effort and I find myself wanting a a little straightaway just to give me a break.

Last I checked, Argentina was still in South America.

Never met one, have you!

I agree it's all subjective. Sure those look like awesome roads, and guess what- if you're riding a bike in Norway, Argentina, China, France, Italy, or any other place that may be "exotic" compared to your home area- it isn't gonna suck.

I'd throw in

The Cat & Fiddle http://www.motorbikeeurope.com/en/routes-map/cat-fiddle-run-england in England,

Cherahola Skyway http://www.cherohala.com/in NC/TN,

the Cabot Trail http://www.cbisland.com/ on Cape Breton Island,

Kancamagus Highway http://www.kancamagushighway.com/maps/1pc_map_view.htm in New Hampshire, and the

Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/map.php in Virginia.

These are great roads to ride, and all are in areas where there are more great roads to ride.

Cheers.

I feel awful to have only done three in a car and none on a bike!

You'd feel a lot better if you transformed your Dream Ride into your Best Ride. Rent a bike in southern Germany or northern Italy or join a group tour. It's never too late if the spirit is willing. And don't play the age card, there are lots of inmates who are older than you, including me.

Great suggestions, I have only ridden four of them but am hoping to add more. My suggestion would be the camino del la muerte in Bolivia and will consult this list when doing my route planning for my next trip.

None of those 20 roads I have experienced.
But two of the below list I have ridden on. Awesome roads to ride!!!

Absolutely agreeing with you. My problem is that I guess I'm sick, because I like roads like Stelvio, and I love Pothole heavens (lovely Morocco secondary roads...)
The only thing I don't bear quite well is that kind of speed limits....

Of course, It's better to keep your best roads secret, but I'll share one quite fine with you. In Spain, the road that flows along the mountain natural boundary between Galicia and Asturias (NW Spain). The landscape is green and exhuberant, the food in both regions is richful, splendid and cheap, and all the area is plenty of bending roads (there is a mountain chain that spreads along all the north of Spain UNTIL IT REACHES THE PYRENEES.....).

Going from Oviedo to Lugo or viceversa, through the LU-530 , AS-28, AS-14, AS-15. The whole distance Lugo-Oviedo is 230 kms, but the paradise for the RR bikes begans in O Cádavo (Baleira)-A Fonsagrada-Grandas de Salime-Pola de Allande-Grado, it makes an amount of 200 kms of good asphalt and pure funny bends for all kinds of motorbikes. Sorry for the long explanation, but google maps is kicking me lately, and I couldn't link my map.

I attach the link of a video I did almost 3 years ago, with my new (then) Vstrom 650 riding from Lugo to Fonsagrada, with only 3000 kms on my back... nowadays I ride a little bit longer...I thank to Lord that my bike endures everything I demand her, without a cough... I daresay that its name should be V-Strong... (In a couple of hours I'll start a one day ride to La Rioja, visiting some wineyards and cellars, and riding through 3 natural parks in the Vasque Country, a 7-8 hours ride along 500 kms, and my VStrong is getting on its nerves in the garage....)

Regards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDQqJuD3TTU

I have done 9 of the 21. 9 down, 12 to go...