Britbike forum Forums Events - meetings / rallies / rides Three state mountain ride forum head count 2021

Will do

color me jealous!

what the other ride I didnt get to go to looked like!

[video:youtube][/video]

Well, since I was staying at the "Americourt" near Mountain City, that meant that I had to ride "The Snake" from Mountain City to Shady Valley a total of about 10 times; what a problem to have! I'm getting to know it pretty well.

The Americourt is fine for sort of camping in; it was clean, but pretty worn down. Only $64 a night + tax, and the staff was attentive, so that's good news. Always some "unconventional" (I'll leave that to your imagination) but friendly folks hanging around in the parking lot for unclear reasons, lots of them asking about the Norton. Towels are frayed at the edges, and they don't come in and make up your room or bring new towels during your stay, you have to go and fetch them if you want them.

So it was OK for me, but it definitely won't be everyone's cup of motelling tea for sure ... I KNOW that Fay wouldn't put up with it, and she's fairly tolerant about motels as girls go. So probably not a successor for the BRI. Experience with and reviews of the only other motel in Mountain City (the Mountain Empire) are uniformly bad. The search continues.

Lannis

Maybe we could all go help Windy build more cabins?
I'm still scrolling on Google Maps trying to figure out where we went. What's the real name for the Goat Path?

the goat path is 194 from banner elk to valli crucis

i would like to thank all of you for taking the time to come to this ride. so far it looks like it will stay as is for several reasons and motels is one of them. i hope every one was well entertained be around the camp fire or the roads. looking forward to next year.

hope all made it home safe.

You did good Windy. I didn’t hear one complaint about the campground or the ride.

I agree with you 100% that the dynamics of the ride would change if you tried to start the old loop from your place.

Did anyone try looking for a motel in Elizabethton? Wonder what the time difference really is between Mountain City and Elizabethton. I know what the mileage is but for a rider like me ( lame and slow) my bet is I can “almost” make Elizabethton in about the same time. BUT...... ( and that’s a big ole hairy Shaun kinda but) I’ve never tried it. Always seems like that road to Elizabethton goes on forever.

Anyway there will always be folks that don’t mind camping.

Job well done and bless you for keeping it alive.

Gordon

PS: Someone fill us in on Marlin’s comic relief please

Richrd thank you for the good deal on your B44. It’s gone to a loving home. The poor thing didn’t even look like a real motorcycle compared to those other bikes in attendance. Also thanks for letting me try out a real 10 meter rifle.

Our Northern friends were sorely missed....you folks keep an eye out for Mike Gs OSMR in the fall. If you’ve never attended...you have been missing out. Great area all around. We all motel camp and the place is perfect for it.

AND......bless Mr Tom ( Fla) for being there and for being a volunteer for the vaccine study. He did kinda glow in the dark and walked with a limp but I’m attributing that to the “apple pie” that was being passed around and that other stuff he kept in his glass.

Good to be home, my fears about the States self induce gas shortage proved to be a non issue. I chose to be the 5th bike out on Saturday morning when the ride began, no particular reason. Didn’t take long to realize I was in trouble. I’ve only owned my little BSA for a couple of months now, and had gotten somewhat familiar with the bike here in Cleveland on the RBR parkway and Wolfpen Gap, but have never taken curves like that, that fast. Since my fall at work back in December of 2019, I have not been the same in some areas, I suppose proficiently riding on challenging roads is one of them. Not sure who was on one of the bikes in front of me, but he was a MAJOR factor in my nervousness. Adamantly splitting lanes, standing, and waving arms was a big distraction for me. I admit, I was splitting lanes on one of the past 3 state rides, and was thoroughly reprimanded for it, but not a word mentioned in this incident... Guess it depends on demeanor or something. By the time my higher power took my clutch cable, I was exhausted and relieved. I would have finished the route, but probably 2 hours later than everyone else...The ride in the truck was very entertaining and educational.... Greg was a freakin HOOT! Didn’t know that lakes had fingers and thumbs, and that cow that wandered into the road could have been really bad! I LOVED Wendy’s property, and hope the best for him. Was good to see Gordon, Marlin, David, Bill, Mr. Richard, Lannis, and meeting all others. I will be attending the BIBR as it’s only like 30 miles from my home, and will GLADLY bring both bikes if someone needs to borrow the little BSA..... New clutch cable arriving this weekend....

Mark, it was good to see you again after all this time. I was riding two bikes behind you, and you looked like you were doing fine, if you were uncomfortable you were hiding it well!

Group rides are funny things and you have to get used to them, and make little adjustments as you go. We all brake at slightly different places, we all ride at slightly different places in the lane, we have different ideas about what a good speed is through a curve.

For example, there are some folks who are willing to ride into a blind hairpin turn with a rock ledge on the inside at a speed where, if there were a stalled truck, a fallen rock, or a fallen tree in the road just around the curve, they could not POSSIBLY stop in time to avoid a crash and getting hurt or killed. I just have a different idea about the risk vs. benefit ratio ... in other words, the pleasure of laying it over hard in blind turns does NOT compensate for the risk of damage and pain IF there is an unexpected barrier or gravel wash in the road. For some people, it's obviously worth it. For me, even though I know I'm taking an unnatural risk just by BEING on a motorcycle on a twisty mountain road with a 200 foot drop on one side, THAT particular corner-speed risk is not worth it, so I do not ride around a turn at a speed that does not allow me to stop in time if there's something there.

So just because THEY are willing to take the risk, or enjoy standing on the pegs and leaning into a turn, that should not bother me too much. I will not ride close enough to them to get hurt with them if the worst happens, and ESPECIALLY I will not consider my manhood at risk if I do not ride as fast as they do or otherwise try to keep up with what they are doing. Everyone ride their own ride.

Next time, we can be at the "back of the line" and ride whatever speed makes it into a relaxed tour, where you can enjoy the ride, and enjoy hanging out with everyone at the gas and lunch stops. Sort of adjust as you go along and don't do anything uncomfortable. The chase truck isn't going to pass you, doesn't matter how far back you drop.

And I've got plenty of experience, when I finally pull into the gas stop where the rest of the group is hanging out, with their drinks half empty and their cigarettes smoked all the way down already, of listening to "Well, you finally got here!" and "What, did your bike quit on you?" or "You'd think a BSA could go a little faster than THAT; you need a tune-up?" Most of that is just good-natured raillery and doesn't mean a thing, and the part that isn't, is just guys swinging their big balls around to see if you'll notice what a bull-goose rider they are. Just ignore that bit, it doesn't hurt and there isn't much of it .... !

There is something to be said to either say or think "PLEASE don't cross the double-yellow on a blind curve to make a pass. If you end up in a Dodge Ram grill, it's going to ruin it for the rest of us!" Just gotta be tactful if you can ... !

My 21st year in a row, I think, and I enjoy every ride regardless of who else is there ...

Lannis

Mark/DPO-Ride your own ride, not the other guys. It was years before I ever knew that Bob AKA Howard Inough, had a working headlight cause all I ever saw was his tail light. But we have fun just the same.

on the lane crossing i sure dont condone it and when i see it the offender will get an ear full and i hope the riders that do see it speak up to the offender also. like has been said ride your own ride as you will not left to fend for your self.

Like herding cats! Ought try it when riders number 300+!
LOL!

anyways, input for southern route lodgings...
In addition to Big Lynn Lodge in Little Switzerland, there is another place I have frequented to add to the mix.

Pineola Inn in Pineola NC. Tidy affordable motel, bike friendly, ON SITE camping with bath house!
Fairly sure they sell coonskin caps at the store! Cabins as well, situated with the camping. Some even have jacuzzi baths...
Site of an ADV ride that proceeds go to MD Anderson cancer research that I have attended many times.
{anyone wanna ride the Gravel Dragon? 22 miles without an intersection or driveway!} (can also access other more paved routes}

https://www.thepineola.com/

Guilty as charged. But I only use the whole road when I can see clearly through the whole corner. I rarely ride fast enough to be tempted to pass on the double yellow. I'm actually relieved sometimes to get 'stuck' behind a slow vehicle, unless it's a gravel truck.

I only have one problem with most group rides. While I love riding with others, I like to stop and take pictures when I see a nice view from the road. Most times whoever planned the ride keeps going until we hit reserve.
Then I get home with no pictures to post for Shaun.

home film whenever I get around to it

Glad you made it back safe and sound. I’m hoping you took some photos of your tour.

Gordon

The Jeep is in Johnson City.

Rode the Rocket 3 home with minimalist camping gear. Met a unicorn in Damascus waiting for the tow truck. She used to ride a Ninja, knew what a BSA was and took this picture.

I've got some video of us riding but don't know if any of it is good.

Had a great time riding with the gang of English missfits. All britbikes this year I think. Weather was Flawless and gas was to be found despite all the fearmongering. I still have 2/3rds of a bottle of Gumout Octane booster. This converts 87 oct into Britbike fuel.

Thank you Gordon for posting my pics. Much appreciated!

Five Nortons, four Triumphs, and three BSAs on the ride.

We were chuckling a bit about the fact that two of the BSAs came home on the trailer ... BUT ...

One of them was due to a dead Trispark electronic ignition. If it had still had proper Lucas points and condenser, it's unlikely that they would have died to the point that it couldn't be ridden home. And the other was a broken clutch cable, which can be chalked up to either aftermarket parts or "I'll check it before I go next time", not anything dodgy about Birmingham Small Arms' quality or design. I can tell you that I had my Norton's clutch cable off yesterday, carefully checking it for broken strands and lubing and greasing it liberally (lubing the inside with non-petroleum graphite and the barrel end with grease).

So, we'll all learn for next year ... !!

Lannis

I finally get a chance to put in my 2 cents. been busy around here, confusor and photo host problems, and I need to get going on a bike trip. so this will be quick

Not much to say that hassent been said already, The campground is looking betterr this year, Don't know if its the big new mower or better looking clientele

met this very "interesting" lady there. had a lot of fun talking to her but she scared the hell out of me when she told me she had been riding only 3 weeks, had a new Honda 1300 cruiser, and her boyfriend brought her up to ride the mountain. We road up to backbone rock and did a bit of "rock climbing."


This year can be remembered for the lack of. bad weather, and the lack of good weather. actually the weather changed every 5 minutes. but there were plenty of pepsis cans to kill, as Marlin is demonstrating


the relaxed pace on this years ride was kind of nice. other than that the only thing different this year was the missing faces and one day gas shortage.
No one died and a good time was had by all.

found this in W.Va. not sure, but I think this is one of those time portals I've heard about.

other pics in no certain order or purpose



this is what Gordon calls campground tv.












latest in tribal tats










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Afterward, I went home with Lannis to spend a day investigating civil war history. Lannis was a hell of a guide, knowing what each man was thinking, who was riding which horse and what color it was. It was educational for someone whose only exposure to it was from movies.

I love the drive chain tattoo........epic.

I'm glad you had a guide and I can't think of a better one for that area than Lannis. I've got a deep history in that conflict......I'm interested in it but at the same time horrified by it. I've reenacted it.....but you can't really duplicate the circumstances.......not that anybody in their right mind would want to. It had to be horrible.

More photos????

Gordon

Gordon, that tattoo was the first comic relief I provided. I was trying to fit a chain, and everyone else was laughing! They finally told me about it, so I could laugh too.
Come to think of it, that is the second time the back of my head made me famous! Ron Howard might even recognize it.

Now if Rich can post the video of the bike being loaded into my truck....

You know, if you can't laugh at your friends, who can you laugh at?

Amen my friend........I like to think of it as “ laughing with” instead of “at”.

Oh we’ve all had our share of laughable events happen to us. Thank goodness my brother wasn’t videoing me trying to ride his trials bike out of the bed of my truck.......it would have been a you tube classic.

Take care and stay healthy.......Gordon.

And it's not a proper Britbike Rallye without Semper Gumby hunched over, fettling someone's bike.....good on ya Bill!

Thanks to all who posted photos/stories. Not sure if y'all missed me, but I sure missed you guys.

Cheers,

Steve

Oh, we most definitely missed you, never fear! There's always next year, and you are always welcome to just come for a visit.