Cruisin’ 60/50

When my brother called to say that he had heard about a great motorcycle trip I thought he was referring to one of the day-long jaunts we do on the back roads on Central Ontario. Instead, he wanted to take a week-long trip to do the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. This is apparently a de rigueur trip for southern Ontario bikers, like doing Cape Breton or even Port Dover on the 13th. Clearance to travel was granted by the power-that-is and the bike prepped by the boys with wrenches.

Undertaking a 4,500 km trip on a Cruiser raised some eyebrows, but you ride what you got. My ride is a ’99 Shadow 1100, while Gary rides a ’05 VTX 1300, both courtesy of Mr Honda. As it turned out, the Cruisers were just the right bikes for the ride. Not as comfortable as the big touring bikes on the American Turnpikes and Interstates, the bikes nonetheless rumbled along at the appropriate 15% over the speed limit on the Interstates with ease. The windshields deflected or mashed the bugs, kept most of the rain off and created a little pocket from turbulence as transports whizzed by at well over the posted speed limits.

The plan was to drive straight to Virginia and spend a couple of days running the Parkway and Skyline. Purchased maps were unnecessary as the tourist information booths had plenty of free maps and even more important, advice for bikers. Other biker friends had said the pace was slow but enjoyable on the Parkways, with many overlooks and camera opportunities. The idea was to cross at Buffalo and run down I 79 / 19 / I 77 to Fancy Gap and start the Parkway from there. Heavy rain on I 79 forced us further west to I 77 and this turned out to be the best decision of the trip.

Gary had never seen the bridge over the New River in West Virginia so I asked the older woman (my age) at the Charleston Welcome Centre where we should cut across country to pick up Hwy 19 and see the bridge. Apparently, our accents gave us away as Canadians and the leather chaps as bikers, so she strongly recommended that we take Hwy 60. All bikers love the ride along the Midland Trail, she said with the conviction of a former rider. There are many photo opportunities she said, and with a smile added, lots of curves and hills.

One could easily spend the better part of a week touring the sites along Hwy 60. On the other hand, that road was a real hoot to ride. The Cruisers were nimble enough to challenge every corner and hill, although I suppose a Sports bike would be even more fun. However, the rumble of the twins echoing off the rocks and through the thick forests was enough to keep the adrenalin pumping. Riding a big Touring bike might be as enjoyable but sparking the pegs seems improbable on a bigger bike. Later on the Parkways, we met many Wings, BMWs and big Harleys, riding two-up and towing trailers, but the back roads were Cruiser country.

The single span bridge over the New River is a required stop for anyone with an engineering or photographic interest. Road 82, which winds down to the river, is a must for every biker. There is even a place to wash your bike where water conveniently siphons out of the mountain. The rivers were all in flood following the heavy rains that drenched the east the last week of June so we saw none of the many rafting trips normally floating down the New River. Back on 60 we had so much fun that we followed it to its end at Hwy 311 and then into Roanoke.

For the next day and a half we followed the Parkway, taking many pictures and thoroughly enjoying the scenery. The speed limit was 45 mph and seemed realistic for cars. (The Skyline enforced speed limit is a crawly 35 mph.) We amused ourselves by coasting down the gentle grades but the steeper hills required that we ride under power. The international hand sign for jumping deer ahead became common, while the tapping of the helmet meant a photo stop. Somehow, as pleasant as the ride was, Hwy 60 kept calling to us.

One thing we both commented on was the friendliness we met everywhere. Every biker waved, unlike the snobbishness of some of our Canadian counterparts. Hoteliers greeted us warmly and every waitress we met insisted on giving us ice cream on our 11 a.m. pie break. My brother greets everyone with a ‘sir’ or ‘madam’, part of his police training politeness, but when he engaged a coloured gentleman in conversation about the sights at Gauley Mountain, the older man got quite excited, relating how Car and Driver sent seven sports cars along the Trail for a performance comparison. He also told us about the Mystery Hole, which we somehow missed. He wished me a safe trip with my son. Hell, I am 67 and Gary is ten years the younger! I guess my white hair and Gary’s shaved head fooled him.

Running on four and six-lane highways was not our first choice so we decided to follow Hwy 50 from Winchester west to Hwy 219, and then north to Buffalo. Hwy 50, although busier than 60, had lots of big sweepers and sharp curves as it wanders through the Appalachian Mountains. There are enough historic locations in the Shenandoah Valley to last a month of touring, but that would have to be for another trip. Riding point through one double switchback on Saddle Mountain, I heard the scrape of first the left and then the right pegs on the 1300, followed by a whoop of Hee-Haw! I guess the floorboards on the Shadow are not as low as the pegs on the 1300, for all I heard from my bike was the snarl of power out the single pipe behind me.

Hwy 219 is dotted with many little towns, but even though it was slower than running up I 79, it was a good way to end our trip at Buffalo. The Customs agent at the Canadian border may have thought that our grins were a sign that we were happy to be back to our home and native land, but they were simply a reflection of a great week of riding. The higher price of Canadian gas soon wiped the grins from our faces.

If you are a biker and someone suggests that Virginia Parkway in the Blue Ridge Mountains would be a great ride, go for it. If your are down that way in your automobile be sure to spend at least half a day on the Skyline or the Parkway – you will enjoy it. But if your ride is a Cruiser – take Hwy 60 and 50 – you will love it!