I just moved to Charlotte from Ohio. I live in the Waxhaw area. My job doesn't start in Charlotte until September so I actually commute and am only in Waxhaw on weekends. I'm looking for some nice rides that range anywhere from about 2-5 hours. (since I'm only home on weekends, the wife wouldn't appreciate me going on longer rides than that). I was hoping to get some ideas as to some nice routes to take.

 

Welcome to NC sgl0226. We've got some of the best ridding of anywhere in the country. To be able to ride just 2-5 hours from your area, maybe up near Morrow Mountain. Good roads to ride there. For a few more hours or a good day trip the western part of the state is the best.

Yoman

 

Welcome to NC
How do YOU define "nice roads"
We got super slabs,
easy back roads
rolling country roads
and tight twisties

there are folks that like one, and not the other
I like back roads, and twisties

You're about 1 hour to either Kings Mountain, or Morrow Mountain. There's a lot of Revolutionary war, and civil war sites near you as well.

there's a regular "bike night" at Quaker STEAK and lube"

 

Thanks for the info so far. I like the country roads and rolling hills the most. That's the kind of riding I did up in southwestern Ohio. Not real fast, not real twisty. I just like to relax and enjoy the ride. I'll have to find the nearest Quaker State too. I did that up in Ohio quite a bit. I know the ultimate would be to ride up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and I'm trying to get some friends from Ohio to meet me there. Working in Chicago and living in Charlotte right now just doesn't give me the time to do that.

 

there is a quaker up on bruton smith blvd. formally speedway blvd. across from that is Pat Rogers harley davidson. I'm in Mint hill and usually head east to ride, alot of country roads, no traffic, and there's Badin lake to ride around. being in waxhaw i'd probably head south and loose the helmet at the SC border. plenty of country down there to see. you'll enjoy it here, alot more comfortable riding season, and much longer.

 

Here's a link to a route you could take from Waxhaw towards Camden, you don't have to go all the way to Camden, but I've dragged the map to various pointss to keep you mostly on backroads down towards 200, then to 97, that stretch of 97 is a nice road and has a couple biker spots, about half way down on the right is Kickstands II, and a little further on the left at a bridge is a gas station on the right and The Flamingo on the left, you have to sign in as a 'guest' due to laws etc.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,1.783905&z=10

If you come back up 97 and turn left on 200 and make a quick right onto 21 N, there's also another spot on that road just changed the name from Double Door to Big Daddy's, and that part of 21 is ok. You could take 21 North up to either 9 or 5 and head east on either one of those roads to pick up 521 again to head back to Waxhaw.

You can play w/ that map and explore a lot of other roads to and take slightly different routes each time to more or less go to the same areas.

I even plotted a longer route all the way through Camden and coming up the other side of Lake Wateree before.

Also headed out the east side you could take a ride out to Cripple Creek a bar / restaurant that caters to bikers, and is a decent ride w/ multiple routes you could take to get there...

http://atcripplecreek.com/map.htm

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,1.783905&z=10 Here's one way to get there, I just dragged the map over to one point to get a different road as you got closer to CC, but you can play w/ the map and see what looks good to you...

Hope that helps, you could also try to hit some of the spots around that cater to bikers, like in Charlotte McKoys has bike nights starting this Fri, someone already mentioned Quaker Steak in Concord, soon to come will be a Suck Bang Blow in Concord too, and there are a few locations of Mac's Speed Shop (not a garage but a restaurant/bar), depending on your personality you might run into some ppl you want to ride with.

A longer day trip would be to go to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area, http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...c&ie=UTF8&z=10 if you zoom into some of the roads up there, there's some great riding up there, but you have to make a day of it to make the most of it.

Good luck...

 

Thanks. This is great info.

 

I am just below waxhaw in lancaster. Next time your around hit me up and I'll ride with you is I can to historic camden by way of flat rock road then we'll take 97 back and make some bar stops. The flamingo is on lake wateree.

 

Here's trip my wife and I took Friday. If your interested it's all country scenery except for thru the towns. there's places to stop in every town. I stop at the bars starting just before entering camden and each on the rest of way home. I can make the trip with you sometime if you want or we could make a day trip to myrtle beach and back too. Either way good riding.

http://www.mapquest.com/mq/3-hgIj85*f