THE S.O.A.B.'S WELCOME YOU TO SOUTHEAST OHIO
The initials S.O.A.B. don't stand for what you think they do. We're the Southeast Ohio Athens Beemers, based in Athens, and we're a group of 15-20 riders who have the great fortune to live amongst the best riding roads in Ohio.
You will find at the registration building, a number of self-guided tours of this area. We hope you enjoy them. Please remember, though, a few guidelines for riding safely in this region:
- This time of year you will encounter school buses everywhere and not just in the morning or afternoon. Ohio State Law requires motorists in either direction to stop if the bus is stopped and its lights are flashing. This applies even if you come over a blind rise or around a blind curve to find the school bus loading or discharging passengers. Be careful and take it easy.
- All the usual cautions regarding rural two-lane highways apply:
- Watch for gravel in the curves.
- Watch for animals, wild and domestic;
Deer are everywhere, and dogs are best avoided by slowing slightly until they've committed to a path of attack--then accelerate away. Turkey vultures are an interesting hazard; I have encountered them dining on roadkill around blind corners: their ability to gain altitude on takeoff resembles a 747 in miniature!
- Speaking of animals, dead ones are also a hazard, especially when they're in your line. Be prepared to adjust.
- Watch for blind driveways; they, too, are everywhere.
- Watch for tractors and other agricultural equipment.
- Watch for motorists who sometimes drift left of center. Give them a margin around left-handers and over blind rises.
- Watch your back, especially when stopped (as for instance at construction sites). Keep your machine in first and watch your mirror.
- While in other areas of Ohio speed advisories around corners can be taken with a grain of salt, here they often really mean what they say! Just as often, corners are not marked at all; this is especially true on SR 555, 676, and other secondary routes.
As a general rule, if you can't see the corner exit, treat it as though the proverbial refrigerator lies in the road just out of sight.
- Use common sense, and you'll have a great time!
Again, welcome to Southeast Ohio, and we hope you come back soon...
Don't forget your Ohio map!!
The Southeast Ohio Athens Beemers (S.O.A.B.'s)
Allyn Reilly, President
Rex Ballinger, Secretary/Treasurer
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Updated 03-07-01