The other day I caught a blog about interesting roads, and how motorcycle riders seem to know where the best roads are. Well, like duh.
It was posted on Fuzzy Galore, one of the better blogs out there in cyberwebville. I know it sounds like a soft porn site, or maybe something Japanese girls play with in grammar school. But it's actually a very interesting blog about a lady and her love of sportbikes, travel, strange things along the side of the road, etc. She just happens to have a bushy head of hair it seems. But it's terribly witty and fun to read- imagine the Gilmore Girls on bikes. I digress.
The gist was that many riders know some great stretches of highway but aren't real forthcoming when it comes to sharing. Most of us are reluctant to share our favorite stretch of two-lane for fear of exposing it to an onslaught of suburbanites. You can read Fuzzy's full take on it here,
The Secretive Lives of Motorcyclists.
Back when I started Places 2 Ride it was mostly off-road. It was a couple of years before we added a category for scenic highways or twisties. In the beginning it was trails, motocross tracks and ORV areas. But the two main categories were actually Secret and Not Secret. The track owners want all the press they can possibly get, while the off-road guys are sneaking bikes off the trailer in the dead of night. We used to receive angry emails asking us to remove listings for riding areas. The secretive aspect of dirt biking seems to have kept pace with trails that are slowly evaporating.
So I can understand the offroaders being a little secretive, but why all the hush-hush from the Asphalt Set? I've always enjoyed discovering a new route- and sharing it with other riders. That's essentially why this site (and blog) exist. But based on recent submissions to our list of "places to ride" it looks like I'm in the minority.
Most of the rides we receive these days are MX tracks or hangouts- biker bars, destinations, motorcycle-friendly campgrounds, etc. The roads shared by fellow riders are few and far between, figuratively speaking. I've heard it said, "Bad roads bring good people, good roads bring bad people." While there may be some truth to that, it won't hurt to share a little of the joy. So step up- let your fellow bikers in on a little secret.
Share your favorite ride.Labels: article