I live right near the Snake. It's a fun ride! Even more fun is to ride the entire "Hungry Mother" ride. It encompasses The Snake, The Back of the Dragon, and the Widow Maker. Talk about some crazy riding!! Thanks for sharing your video!! It's nice to see people enjoying our roads here in Tennessee, southwest Virginia, northwest North Carolina, southeast Kentucky, and parts of W. Virginia. Fantastic riding here!!
I grew up in Bristol. My dad worked at the Jacobs Creek Job Corps Center. I learned to drive on 421 in a Dodge D-50 with 36 dozen eggs in back. I’ve ridden the legendary California roads like Ortega Highway, Big Bear & Angeles Crest. I will put 421 up against them any day.
I used to live right near the Ortega Highway. I've ridden it more times than I can remember. Now I live in northeastern Tennessee. I've been in 49 states, and the riding in this part of the country is the best I've experienced. Big Bear is still one of my favorite rides out west, but the rides here are my favorite!
Have riden the snake, the rattler, the tail, the back, the moonshiner, the cherahola parkway, and a few more, looking forward to riding the devils whip this summer and a few more as we stay in Maggie Valley for a week. Been on many parts of the Blue ridge parkway and skyline drive as well and to be honest living in Roanoke VA we have a ton of routes that are as awesome as these and some more difficult. I enjoy them all on my 08SG and can never wait to get back out there and ride. tons of respect for those that ride safely and respectfully. enjoyed this video and the fact you wear all the right gear.
Love your video. Great narrating. Thanks for introducing me to the snake. If i get the opportunity to go biking in the states, this is my top bucket list item now. Hi from new Brunswick, Canada
I came across your video and watched it it was very nice I ride that road around eight times a year I'm from Cleveland Ohio and I love that area my mom and dad is from Gate City
Hey Timmie! Your parents picked a beautiful place to live surrounded by mountains. And how lucky you are to visit often. You might recognize many of the places I ride in my other videos.
I will I ride all over that area all year long when the weather is permitting have you been to that little Orchard Campground over off of 421 that area is beautiful
I laughed when you said you could ride the Snake every day. I once talked to an employee of the Shady Valley Country Store. She said she lived in Mountain City and commuted to work on US 421 every work day.
Nice video and narration, thanks for sharing. I noticed few leaves on the trees. You uploaded the video at the end of April, and I would expect spring to be in full bloom by then. Wrong assumption? Do you remember when you filmed, or is this normal for this area? Tires, my Dunlops were good for 8k on the rear and 16k front. I switched to Michelin Commander II and now III's. They're a better riding tire, and I get twice the life out of them. I've run them on a Street Glide and a Road King.
Glad you liked the video-it was recorded in March. Thanks for sharing your tire experiences-I just got 11k out my last rear tire. I hope to get at least 16k out of the Dunlop Elite I am trying this time. If not, I will try the Commanders!
@ShesShiftingGears The Commanders don't get the unsettling feeling of slipping on tar snake patches or getting pulled around on lane grooves when changing lanes on the expressway. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. I'm considering a move to eastern Tennessee, so more information is good. I rode the Snake and the Tail of the Dragon, but another perspective is always nice to see. Bye 👋.
Thank you for taking us along, looks like a great ride. I have a question you can help me with. My wife and I are planning a two-week road trip vacation for mid-October in the TN/NC region this year, We’ve been before, usually much earlier in the year and have enjoyed the endless list of twisty roads in our Mini Cooper, but this time we’ll both be on two wheels, at least that’s the plan for now. My question is, is it too late in the year? I know there’s no predicting the weather these days, and we will be looking at the forecast before heading over from Dallas, but since you’re a local can you give any advice. We love riding our bikes, and we’ve done a few long runs in the past, but I’m concerned about rain being a joy killer, especially on two wheels. What do you think?
You and your wife are going to have an awesome road trip. October is beautiful and chilly -- but it's a great time to ride here! Send me a message through Instagram when you'll are in the area.
How does this compare to the tail of the dragon I am in Texas and we have the three twisted sisters that is about a 100 miles long and if I can get some one to get a comparison to
I rode both roads again last week. Us 129 (Tail of the Dragon) is it is much more condensed, crowded, and has more curves but I think that US421 (Snake) has more technically challenging turns beyond switchbacks, it has pretty views, and is a mix of high adrenaline & relaxing. I actually prefer US 16 Back of the Dragon to both of these roads.
