Anybody drive (or ride) the Dragon for fun?

[GoneBallistic]

I've been itching to drive the Dragon for the past few months but I haven't been able to make it. Any of you guys go semi-regularly? It would be cool to meet up and make a TGO run sometime...

 

Those of you who do, post pics of your ride. Mine will be up as soon as I can take a good pic. She's really dirty right now.

[wareagle]

Anytime. I drive it a couple of times per month. Leading a. Group in the morning. Dragon//Moonshiner/Wayah/Dragon.

Here a pic from Bristol last weekend

Edited June 15, 2013 by wareagle

[Tncobra]

I'm more likely to hit the dragon from parsons branch. Either by motorcycle or 4x4. Just about every Saturday.

[GoneBallistic]

What time are you heading up Wareagle?

[GoneBallistic]

Here's what I used to ride...still miss it sometimes. But I do love my GTI!

 

[runco]

I drove the dragon two weeks ago coming back from the beach, I40 was stopped at Maggie valley. My wife's Honda odessey hugged the 300+ curves well, but the wife and kids all got car sick, puke! Btw the bridge at Fontana is closed as of June 3rd for like 1 or 2 years.

[wareagle]

We are meeting at 8 am in Alcoa. Group is headed to Franklin, NC, but I will be paying on 129 and moonshiner unti noon.

[10-Ring]

I travel the road every single day.  Sometimes by bike, sometimes by car.  Please, if you go, 1) Stay in your lane, 2) Use the pull offs, if someone is behind you and they were not a minute ago that means they are faster than you, using one of the 108 (really there are 108 of them) paved pull offs is the courteous thing to do.  3) Ride your own ride at a pace you are comfortable with, if your adrenaline is flowing you are pushing yourself and endangering everyone else on the road.

[Murgatroy]

I grew up in Tellico Plains, I have run the Dragon and Robbinsville Road (The Skyway) so many times I have lost count.

 

I have hosted a yearly meet up there for the last ten years or so.

 

The Dragon is awesome, but with all the traffic and publicity it gets now, it is a car show. Too many squids and bad drivers trying to make it straight.

 

To be honest I am kinda glad that I moved a few hours away so the siren's call isn't as bad anymore.

[GoneBallistic]

I travel the road every single day.  Sometimes by bike, sometimes by car.  Please, if you go, 1) Stay in your lane, 2) Use the pull offs, if someone is behind you and they were not a minute ago that means they are faster than you, using one of the 108 (really there are 108 of them) paved pull offs is the courteous thing to do.  3) Ride your own ride at a pace you are comfortable with, if your adrenaline is flowing you are pushing yourself and endangering everyone else on the road.

^^^This!! My feelings exactly. I may try to organize something this summer. Who would be interested?

[KKing]

Went a couple years back, it was a good time for sure. I'd love to do it again, but I've got nothing to ride/drive that it'd be any fun in. I took my car last time. And yes, it had air ride, it wasn't static. Although it wasn't much higher than pictured when we were carving corners

Edited June 15, 2013 by KKing

[Sam1]

If you go make it up there try to go during a weekday

[bowtieguy]

I have wanted to make it out there for years. I feel I might be dissapointed with all the traffic now.

[GoneBallistic]

Weekdays it's not bad at all. Even if there's a lot of traffic, it's really not bad if people use the pull offs as 10-Ring stated above.

[whitewolf001]

A weekday at about 10pm = :devil:  :rock:  :no1:

[wareagle]

Guys, today was NOT the right day for driving 129. There was a bicycle race down 129. Pace was really slow. Also lots lane crossing to pass bikes. Just as things clerared up, one of the local HD clubs showed up with about a hundred bikes. They were about as slow as the bicycles, so I made a run on 28. The fontana bridge is open between 8am-8pm. Also, the detour cuts from Fontana to Topaco.

I am open for a dragon meet.

[whitewolf001]

Guys, today was NOT the right day for driving 129. There was a bicycle race down 129. Pace was really slow. Also lots lane crossing to pass bikes. Just as things clerared up, one of the local HD clubs showed up with about a hundred bikes. They were about as slow as the bicycles, so I made a run on 28. The fontana bridge is open between 8am-8pm. Also, the detour cuts from Fontana to Topaco.

I am open for a dragon meet.

:death:

Edited June 15, 2013 by whitewolf001

[RobertNashville]

Many times each year!

[Sam1]

There's a forum for deals gap that has a calendar of events so you know what groups will be there on the weekend

[pitt2magic]

The wife, a few buddies and myself spend a week up there every Summer riding.  This year's trip is July 7-14, I can't wait.

[Randall53]

I used to go a lot and was up there a couple of weeks ago. It's way crowded now except sometimes through the week. I usually just run the skyway and Maggie valley areas now.

[frankmako]

i try to ride it several times each year.  not far from the house and makes for a good weekend.  get a hotel across the mountain and have fun all weekend long. good riding roads all around and good food if you were to look.

[GoneBallistic]

The skyway is a lot of fun as well. A little farther for me but not too bad.

[wareagle]

Gone Ballastic, I love the skyway. My favorite run is the big loop of 129, skyway, 360, 129. It's great setof roads, but it's real easy to get a fat ticket on the skyway.

BTW, is anyone going to the Dragon Hill Climb event next weekend? http://www.dragonhillclimb.com/general-course-map/
I am leading a club to spectate. Edited June 16, 2013 by wareagle

[leroy]

I want to second what 10 Ring said in his post above.  It aint been so long ago that i drove the "dragon" pretty regularly.   Be advised that what 10 Ring said is what ya better do if ya want to stay down here in this old world.

Any advanced idiocy or miscalculation (...like meeting an opposing vehicle in the wrong lane can and most likely will be fatal for someone...).  

 

The hillside is steep, the road is narrow, theres no place to go to avoid a head-on crash, and there aint a good way to get to ya if you are hurt or need to be lifted out somehow. Runnin off the road up there will most likely be fatal, especially for small cars and motorcycles.  The THP and the NC State Police used to watch it pretty heavily, and they will punish the foolish.   Remember, up there, the life you save could well be your own.

 

This is a public service message from folks who used to drive this stretch of road regularly.  It is, indeed, a very dangerous and unforgiving place.

 

leroy