Deals Gap

flyor64

I've not ridden it on a bicycle either. I have the dubious pleasure of riding both bicycles and motorcycles so Deal's Gap is a big deal to me from the motorcycling perspective. However, while I fully respect all cyclist's on the road, I've witnessed some pretty ignorant behavior from cars and motorcycles towards cyclists on the road. I can tell you Deal's is a bit dodgy even for motorcyclists due to the 18-wheelers using that road. All four wheeled conveyences seeme to cross the double yellow quite often and the blind curves can be sketchy...which is where the "rub" is. One of the defensive maneuvers used by motorcyclists is called "white lining" blind curves. Essentially they ride at or close to the shoulder line to afford themselves an "out" in case a truck comes around the bend in their lane...pretty much the same space we tend to occupy on our bicycles. While I've never seen nor heard of an incident on the Dragon involving a bicycle I'm sure they've happened.

If you really want to ride it though, may I suggest a weekday? That is the best time to ride no matter what type of two wheeler you are on. The sheer number of motorcycles and sport's cars there on the weekends is mind-boggling...and almost every weekend in the spring/summer/fall timeframe has some club there which equates to multiple up and backs by the same cars.

An alternate path you may consider is the Chearahola Skyway (sp?). It's a connector the south that a lot of folks use to make the Dragon a loop instead of back-n-forth. It's seriously underrated. Not nearly as dense with the curves but dang close...and gorgeous scenery.

Another alternate are the roads in and around Suches, GA just to the south a couple of hours. Pretty regurarly populated with cyclists and warning signs are abundant. It's also a haven for sports cars and motorcycles but the knowledge of the cyclists and their apparent protection by the local authorities is well known in the area. They do have a single-file ordinance in effect for group riders but other than that I believe it's as close to the right as practicable.

You get the added bonus of the occasional domestic pro team overtaking you on the climbs too! Or maybe you won't...but I do...my climbing legs just aren't that good...