Yep Hwy 181 is a good road but sometimes has way too much truck traffic. I live a short 20 minutes from it and ride it often. Just didn't know they were calling it the rattler though...lol

 

The good thing about NC181 is the passing zones, high speed curves, nice view near the top. The bad, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxIF3rs4FNA, which in turn draws the NC Highway Patrol in packs, especially on the weekends. I ride it mid-day through the week, daylight on Sunday mornings. You can have plenty of fun on it running 55.

 

Looks like a pretty straight road to me. What's the point of the video?

 

Have you ridden it? It's a blast at 60 mph or more..the long sweepers are pretty good ...

 

Nah, not ...yet. I get the most fun out of peg scraping switchbacks, since big Harleys aren't real speeders. Still, I enjoyed the Cherohala a lot because you could fan the big curves at speed while taking in the big vistas. Just not very challenging. Is it sort of like that?

 

Sorry I didn't make that point very clear. The ricers that went on past the camera guy are the ones that run 120+, hit you in the **** or run into a guard rail and get carried out in 3 pieces.. which in turn brings out the NCHP. It is not a slow road, 55 is the posted limit, mostly long curves. 80 and 226a are more switchbacks and narrow roads, just different eras. 181 was widened in the 70's, 80 and 226a were built in the 30's maybe.

 

I understand, it is a very nice road ...ride it one day.

 

I will be there at the end of April with a fairly large group. Some which have never been. Deals Gap will be our place of stay for the week (forget the weekends). Can some of ya'll give me some information of good places to eat. The destinations will be around the lunch time. Some of the places that are planned: Wheels Through Time, Highlands area, one day is a run to Ashville for pizza at the Mello Mushroom. Dinner should be around the Robbinsville area, looking for ideas there also.

Thanks

 

My mouth is watering. My bike is ready but Uncle Sam said I couldn't take that much time off this year. Oh well, Sounds like its time to be " in between " jobs......lol

 

There will be 18 of us (Florida Crew) up there the last week of April, but we aren't staying in Deals gap all week...That'd be like going to Disney and riding the "It's A Small World" ride over and over....
We'll ride that area one day, and the rest of the week will be riding other roads...