Quote Originally Posted by dazn
Richard Russell is a great road for bikes. one of my favorites in North GA. There is loose gravel in the winter when it gets cold enough to snow. and you will get ice at the top and some crazy fuckers climbing the ice wall but gravel is nothing to worry about in the summer. Ive ridden it hundreds of times and never had an issue. Never seen anyone crash there due to gravel. awesome road, eats your tires too. not many roads that can make your tires ball up like a track.
the only roads that I worry about gravel is 60 north from dales(two or three corners that almost always has gravel) and 180.

and yes, stay on the Loop. do not stray from the Loop. There are no other good roads up there. Only the Loop. Dont even think about going anywhere else.
Unless they repaved Richard B. Russell with a new mix I'm 100% positive there is gravel on it in places year round. That's why that road eats up tires so because of the mixture is eroding itself, too much gravel mix and not enough tar...then having near flat shoulders on both sides with gravel the cars tend to drop a wheel. I'm mostly talking about the middle near a couple of the look outs though. From the cliff to 180 is fine and from the last lookout to 75 tends to be ok...it's the center portion, particularly one sweeping turn on one of the hills always has gravel.

Yes, zero chicken strips with balls of rubber on not just the rear tire but the front too is good

If you go north on Hwy. 60 in Suches past the T.W.O. on the left and 180/Dales on your right it's a great 5 minute run to Gaddistown to heat your tires up for 180 (is this where you are talking about loose gravel in 3 turns?)...or you can continue 25 miles to Morganton and Blue Ridge Lake but the roads are BORING from there. Best bet is to turn around and head back to Suches and get back on the main loop.

I have a detailed figure 8 loop I wrote with mileage, landmarks, and maps in PDF form that I may post up. I just REALLY don't like making it available to people that aren't comfortable on those roads. Especially those in cars!