Richmond Va chatter

[MADSTROM]

Originally Posted by Boon Booni

Oh yeah? Well it's still muddy behind Martins..







Glad you had a good day out there.

I hope you had fun playing in the mud & slop.

With all the rain we've had recently the clay is totally saturated. Any non paved surface between here and WV will be slippery,slimey, and sometimes frozen. A dirt bike with studded knobbys would be perfect off road right now.

[skychs]

I took the new Heidenau's out today for a spin. I was surprised how hard the ride was and how noisy the tires are. John, Mike, Greg or anyone else .... Is that what you experienced?

The max tire pressure (cold) on the tire is 36 psi. What are you guys running and how does it feel to you. After searching the forums I hear there is a break in period because of the hard sidewall. Some of the guys are actually running pressures around 25 psi.

The tires handled well. The bike fell into the turns and I never lost traction.

Any input, advise or recommendations?

[JHVA]

Originally Posted by skychs

I took the new Heidenau's out today for a spin. I was surprised how hard the ride was and how noisy the tires are. John, Mike, Greg or anyone else .... Is that what you experienced?

The max tire pressure (cold) on the tire is 36 psi. What are you guys running and how does it feel to you. After searching the forums I hear there is a break in period because of the hard sidewall. Some of the guys are actually running pressures around 25 psi.

The tires handled well. The bike fell into the turns and I never lost traction.

Any input, advise or recommendations?

After running TKC's for a year I haven't noticed that the Heidenaus tires are loud. Seem quiet to me.

Remember, Loud Tires Save Lives!

[ddlewis]

Originally Posted by MADSTROM

I hope you had fun playing in the mud & slop.

With all the rain we've had recently the clay is totally saturated. Any non paved surface between here and WV will be slippery,slimey, and sometimes frozen. A dirt bike with studded knobbys would be perfect off road right now.

We rode some of the best dirt/gravel road conditions I have ever seen out around the river near cartersville and columbia, miles of it. Smooth as any pavement and firm and just damp enough to have zero dust. In fact it was really too firm/packed, traction like asphalt. I could barely spin my tire. A few places there was some loose stuff on top, but most of it was really smooth. You could have ridden a vstrom on it.

I met up with Dirtmonkey near 60/288 and we rode out there and happened upon Boon Booni. Excellent weather today, must've been >60°. man I needed that.

[bastardbiker]

Originally Posted by ddlewis

We rode some of the best dirt/gravel road conditions I have ever seen out around the river near cartersville and columbia, miles of it. Smooth as any pavement and firm and just damp enough to have zero dust. In fact it was really too firm/packed, traction like asphalt. I could barely spin my tire. A few places there was some loose stuff on top, but most of it was really smooth. You could have ridden a vstrom on it.

I met up with Dirtmonkey near 60/288 and we rode out there and happened upon Boon Booni. Excellent weather today, must've been >60°. man I needed that.

Mind pinning the area on google maps?

[Boon Booni]

Originally Posted by ddlewis

We rode some of the best dirt/gravel road conditions I have ever seen out around the river near cartersville and columbia, miles of it. Smooth as any pavement and firm and just damp enough to have zero dust. In fact it was really too firm/packed, traction like asphalt. I could barely spin my tire. A few places there was some loose stuff on top, but most of it was really smooth. You could have ridden a vstrom on it.

I met up with Dirtmonkey near 60/288 and we rode out there and happened upon Boon Booni. Excellent weather today, must've been >60°. man I needed that.

Good to see you guys out there. It's quite the reach to switch to reserve on the KTM. I think I pulled something trying to switch on the fly

The dirt roads were packed so hard that I could still hear my tires howling just like on asphalt.

[MADSTROM]

Originally Posted by ddlewis

We rode some of the best dirt/gravel road conditions I have ever seen out around the river near cartersville and columbia, miles of it. Smooth as any pavement and firm and just damp enough to have zero dust. In fact it was really too firm/packed, traction like asphalt. I could barely spin my tire. A few places there was some loose stuff on top, but most of it was really smooth. You could have ridden a vstrom on it.

I met up with Dirtmonkey near 60/288 and we rode out there and happened upon Boon Booni. Excellent weather today, must've been >60°. man I needed that.

Sounds like perfect gravel road conditions. I don't mind loose grave. We rode several miles of gravel road on the way out to Jeff's a couple of weeks ago but it was 1/2" - 1" of slippery soup. Like what you get when finish troweling concrete and you get the cream to rise to the surface. That stuff just gets into all the bearings, seals, radiator, electrical connectors,... EVERYTHING. I hate that stuff.

[SnoreMachine]

Thanks for the warm welcomes, moreover the food and bike porn. I'll sleep well and dream of large adventures. :-)

[ddlewis]

Originally Posted by bastardbiker

Mind pinning the area on google maps?

Look up Cartersville Rd and Columbia rd intersection.. dirt roads galore all around there. Trices Lake Rd, Sports Lake, Sugar Fork were some of the ones today... I don't know the area well, just ride out there and bumble around is fun though.

[Dr WhipIt]

I made the whole trip yesterday. Google maps said 7hrs 51 min, and thats whst it took with a heavy foot, a fuel stop, and a couple of rest area stops. Would have been a COLD ride through the mountains. The YZ slept in the van last night. Its nice! The guy who sold it spent a lot of time trail riding in the UP. I'm looking forward to getting the suspension revalved.
One downer, I got a ticket!!! First one in at least 15 years. I was on a state highway doing about 50 in 5th gear and hogged on the throttle to check for any clutch slippage. He got me doing 66 in a 45. The area had speed trap written all over it. I guess I just have to add $185 to cost of the bike!
Gotta get it registered, insured and inspected today. Glad to see some of you took advantage of the beautiful day yesterday.

[Dirtmonkey8]

Originally Posted by bastardbiker

Mind pinning the area on google maps?

View Larger Map">
View Larger Map
"A" is where we first hit gravel and "H" is where we returned to pavement. There was a mile or two of pavement in between. "Town and Country Road, Columbia, VA", Point "C" on the map, is a beautiful dead end road with a great view of the mountains. Maybe they are foothills... Possibly Monticello and surrounding "hills". We dd not cover all of the gravel roads. Need to go back.

[bastardbiker]

Originally Posted by Dr WhipIt

I made the whole trip yesterday. Google maps said 7hrs 51 min, and thats whst it took with a heavy foot, a fuel stop, and a couple of rest area stops. Would have been a COLD ride through the mountains. The YZ slept in the van last night. Its nice! The guy who sold it spent a lot of time trail riding in the UP. I'm looking forward to getting the suspension revalved.
One downer, I got a ticket!!! First one in at least 15 years. I was on a state highway doing about 50 in 5th gear and hogged on the throttle to check for any clutch slippage. He got me doing 66 in a 45. The area had speed trap written all over it. I guess I just have to add $185 to cost of the bike!
Gotta get it registered, insured and inspected today. Glad to see some of you took advantage of the beautiful day yesterday.

Glad I'm not the only hooligan around here

I kid, I kid...



[edit]
Thanks, Dirtmonkey! I might be checking out that area on my next day off. I'd like a nice easygoing ride...

[Dr WhipIt]

Originally Posted by bastardbiker

Glad I'm not the only hooligan around here

I kid, I kid...

Your story was the first thing that popped into my head when the lights started flashing! Too bad he couldn't cut me some slack like the benevolent officer you encountered!

[Dirtmonkey8]

Originally Posted by Dirtmonkey8

View Larger Map
"A" is where we first hit gravel and "H" is where we returned to pavement. There was a mile or two of pavement in between. "Town and Country Road, Columbia, VA", Point "C" on the map, is a beautiful dead end road with a great view of the mountains. Maybe they are foothills... Possibly Monticello and surrounding "hills". We dd not cover all of the gravel roads. Need to go back.

I just noticed something that might be interesting. If you look at the 2nd rd to the North and to the Right of Point "F" on the map, Warner Forest RD. Look at a satellite view of the dead end and you can see what looks like a small bridge across a pond or swamp. Probably a foot bridge but it looks like it would be something to check out. It really looks like an ATV bridge and trail system...

[Sic Semper Tyrannis]

Originally Posted by Dirtmonkey8

"A" is where we first hit gravel and "H" is where we returned to pavement. There was a mile or two of pavement in between. "Town and Country Road, Columbia, VA", Point "C" on the map, is a beautiful dead end road with a great view of the mountains. Maybe they are foothills... Possibly Monticello and surrounding "hills". We dd not cover all of the gravel roads. Need to go back.

Looking west you would have seen the Green Mountains that run from south of cville to nelson county. Looking north west you waould have seen carters mount, which at the north end is Mt Alto which is the "High Mountain" behind the "Little Mountain" Monticello.

My wife and I are researching the road in the that area in the 1740's. Her 7th great grandfather is listed as a "titheable" and thus responsible for helping to site and build the roads after they opened up when the indian treaties were modified to move them beyond the blueridge in the early 1700's.

The majority of the roads are there and usually follow their original path. Fascinating stuff if you like history.

Some of the roads YOU just rode were main roads in the 1740's. You have to remember. Scottsville was as shipping hub and the county seat for albemarle back then and albemarle encompassed, fluvanna, nelson, amherst, buckingham counties at one time.

The River road went from Richmond to Scottsville on the north side of the bank. On the southside of the bank there was another main road as well but it was less used since scottsville was soon replaced by Charlottesville when nelson and buckingham were carved out of albemarle county. The other "Main" road went from Scottsville to Lousia (another county seat) and near the bustling "port" of shadwell.

A very cool gravel road that is really old is turkey sag pass a couple miles north of cville over the southwest mountains. You could ride a goldwing over that roud though...not much of an adventure.


I am mapping some of the main ones and will be doing a ride eventually. Most are 600 or 700 series roads.

Some incredible history.