Athens, Ohio, has always been special to me. My great aunt, Jean Drevenstedt, has lived there since the early ’70s. She was a psychology professor at Ohio University for decades, and until recently, she lived in a charming home in a charming neighborhood on a brick-paved lane called Ohio Avenue.
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Jean has always been one of the most gracious, upbeat, and engaging people I’ve known. She never married or had children, and she has always welcomed my brother and me with open arms. Anytime we’d visit, she’d update us on local happenings and give us a tour of Athens, the OU campus, and surrounding areas, beaming with pride for her town, community, and region. She delighted in taking us to local points of interest, such as state parks, Indigenous burial mounds, The Wilds safari park, and the Portsmouth Floodwall Mural, which spans 2,000 feet along the Ohio River and includes a panel about the Portsmouth Motorcycle Club, which was established in 1893.
Athens is also special because it’s located in southeastern Ohio, in the heart of a motorcycle playground of roads that wind through the Appalachian foothills. It’s the winding nature of these roads that prompted the Athens County Visitors Bureau to create Ohio’s Windy 9, a network of nine motorcycle routes that begin and end in Athens and provide a smorgasbord of the best riding in the region. Information about the Windy 9 is available on a paper map with turn-by-turn directions for each route, recommended places for lunch and dinner, points of interest, and lodging options. (Request a free map on the Windy 9 website.)
In late 2023, at the age of 96, Jean had a bad fall at home and broke her hip. While recovering at a local rehab center, it became apparent that Jean’s dementia had advanced to the point that she wouldn’t be able to return home. I hadn’t seen Jean since before the pandemic, so I was overdue for a visit. Last fall, I traveled to Athens to see Jean and to ride Ohio’s Windy 9.
As good fortune would have it, contributing editors Eric Trow and Scott “Bones” Williams were able to join me, riding to Athens from their homes in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. I flew into Columbus, picked up a BMW that I rented through Twisted Road (see sidebar below), and rode an hour south to Athens. The three of us shared a spacious top-floor suite at Athens Central Hotel (see sidebar below), which is located within walking distance of the thriving Uptown area and OU’s campus.
Having been to Athens many times over the years, visits feel like coming home even though I’ve never lived there. I know my way around the lively college town that’s home to roughly 20,000 students and 5,000 permanent residents. Founded in 1797, Athens is largely defined by the Hocking River that flows through it, the red-brick buildings of the sprawling Ohio University campus, and the adjacent historic Uptown district, which is full of bars, restaurants, and student-centric businesses.
See all of Rider‘s Ohio touring stories here.
Upon arriving in Athens, I visited Jean at the small, cozy nursing home where she now lives. Jean has some memory challenges these days, but her inner light still shines brightly. She’s fond of sweets, so I brought her some cookies. I showed her an issue of Rider and told her about some of my recent travels. Pushing her walker, she gave me a tour of the facility and introduced me to nurses and friends.
After checking into our hotel, Eric, Bones, and I walked a few blocks to Uptown for dinner and then had beers at the Smiling Skull Saloon, a dive bar I hadn’t been to in 20 years. It still has the same motorcycle-themed decor, the same beer-keg barstools, and the same cheap pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
The next morning, over free breakfast at the hotel, we spread out our Windy 9 map and plotted our first day’s ride. While the logical, type-A part of me wanted to ride all nine routes in order, three per day, Bones and I deferred to Eric’s more freestyle approach, as well as his expertise since he and Larry Grodsky used to host Stayin’ Safe training tours in the area. Some of the routes, which range in length from 63 to 104 miles, cross and overlap, so we mixed and matched over the course of several days.
The routes are named and numbered, and on the first day we rode 1) Rim of the World, 6) Pioneer Pass, and 4) Lazy Rivers. Rim of the World heads north from Athens on U.S. 33, one of two national routes passing though Athens (the other is U.S. 50), and continues northeast on SR-78, what Grodsky used to call a “feel good” road because it has gentle curves with no surprises – the perfect warmup. We then enjoyed a pleasant cruise along the Muskingum River on SR-376, followed by a more free-spirited ride on open, twisty SR-377.
Rather than return all the way to Athens, we jumped over to 6) Pioneer Pass and got our jollies for 50 miles while heading east on SR-676 through farmland with a great mix of tight and open curves, like a kid’s Hot Wheels track that got twisted and paved. We gassed up in Marietta, a historic town located at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers. We dropped our kickstands at a riverfront park and enjoyed a riders’ lunch – salty snacks washed down with caffeinated drinks – while watching tugboats push enormous barges downriver.
We headed west toward Athens again on SR-550, which had some decent curves but also more traffic. At the junction with SR-144, we turned south, jumping onto the 4) Lazy Rivers route. SR-144 was empty, and it has a fast, organic flow as it runs alongside the Hocking River. Next up was SR-124, which is part of the Ohio River Scenic Byway. We were surprised to find it devoid of traffic – most trucks and travelers take more direct routes – and enjoyed views of the river and bluffs. At Pomeroy, the Lazy Rivers route turns north on U.S. 33, a direct freeway route back to Athens.
See all of Rider‘s Midwest touring stories.
After a full day of riding with a light lunch, we refreshed ourselves with cold beers at Tony’s Tavern, a dark, friendly locals bar in the heart of Uptown that isn’t on the OU student radar. Then we walked across the street for a fantastic dinner of Mexican food and margaritas at Casa Nueva.
On Day 2, we packed in a full day with five Windy 9 routes: 3) Hocking Hills Nipper, 5) Zaleski Zipper, 2) Southern Dip, 7) Pomeroy Dash, and 8) Black Diamond Run. Routes 3 and 5 go through the Hocking Hills and Zaleski state forests west of Athens, Routes 2 and 7 explore backroads south of Athens, and Route 8 is a loop north of town.
All day we were in and out of shaded woodlands or riding past corn and soybean fields, cow pastures, barns and silos, rambling farmhouses, and old churches with cemeteries. Whenever we paused by the side of the road to take photos, friendly locals would stop to ask if we were okay or needed help.
On the Hocking Hills Nipper route, we loved SR-595’s rolling hills and curves, and SR-664 through the state forest was fast and flowing. On the Zaleski Zipper, SR-278 also allowed a fun pace with little traffic, and we stopped to check out the Hope Furnace, one of 69 charcoal iron furnaces that were active in the region in the 1800s.
On the Southern Dip, we had a blast on SR-689, and SR-160 was what Eric called a “stereotypical Ohio road” because it had a little bit of everything, including a few surprises. We encountered some rain as we approached Gallipolis and splashed our way through some industrial traffic on SR-7. As we turned onto the Pomeroy Dash route, the rain let up enough for us to enjoy the winding curves through farmland on SR-143. We ended our day on the Black Diamond Run, which like the expert-level ski slope it’s named after, was a mix of excitement (SR-595, SR-686), fun (SR-691, SR-278), and challenges, including rough pavement and traffic on SR-13 and SR-93.
After slaking our post-ride thirst again at Tony’s Tavern, we walked next door for dinner at O’Bettys Red Hot, a kitschy hot dog joint. It has menu items named after famous burlesque dancers and decor like a red-light district museum, but the delicious all-beef franks and brats and hand-cut fries are the stars of the show. Gotta love college towns!
We saved the most famous route for Day 3: the Triple Nickel. Rather than take U.S. 50 to get to the southern terminus of SR-555, we rode part of the Pomeroy Dash route that we skipped the day before, added a fun road that’s not part of the Windy 9 (SR-248), and rode part of SR-124 (Ohio River Scenic Byway) in the opposite direction as before. This choose-your-own-adventure quality is what makes Ohio’s Windy 9 so fun. The routes provide options and inspiration while leaving plenty of room for improvisation.
The Triple Nickel (SR-555) runs for 62 miles, from Little Hocking in the south to Zanesville in the north. It’s a fantastic road, and the 12 miles between Chesterhill and Ringgold are the best, a true roller-coaster thrill ride with blind curves, steep drops, and surprising hillcrests. We rode it from south to north, and before reaching Zanesville, we turned east on SR-669, another thrill-a-minute route that’s not part of the Windy 9.
After the ride on Day 3, Eric and Bones departed and I visited Jean again. As I showed her the Windy 9 map and photos from our rides, she became excited as she recalled visits to places like Burr Oak State Park and having lunch at the Blue Bell Diner in McConnelsville.
The riding on Ohio’s Windy 9 is fantastic. But what really impressed us about the area is the hospitality. Everywhere we went – our hotel, restaurants, diners, coffee spots, bars, and gas stations – we were welcomed. People were friendly, curious, accommodating, and appreciative that we were visiting.
We were visitors, but we didn’t feel like outsiders or strangers. People asked us where we were from and if we were enjoying our visit. Ohioans are proud of their communities, and rightly so. They live in a beautiful, bountiful state. They love God, country, and family. They support their veterans and their local teams, such as the Eastern Eagles and Trimble Tomcats. And they welcome visitors with open arms, like Jean has always done.
Southeastern Ohio is a special place, and it was a privilege to explore it. Put Athens and Ohio’s Windy 9 on your list of places to ride and visit. You’ll love it as much as we do.
See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.
SIDEBAR: Athens Central Hotel
Located in the heart of town within walking distance of restaurants, bars, shops, and Ohio University’s campus, Athens Central Hotel is a great basecamp when visiting Athens and riding Ohio’s Windy 9. It has clean, modern rooms with small fridges stocked with complimentary water and soda, a fitness center, free breakfast, free wi-fi, and free parking. Visit the Athens Central Hotel website for rates and reservations.
SIDEBAR: Renting a Motorcycle from Twisted Road
To visit Athens, Ohio, I flew into the closest major airport in Columbus, which is about an hour away. There aren’t any brick-and-mortar motorcycle rental locations in the area, so I found a bike on Twisted Road, a nationwide peer-to-peer motorcycle rental network.
Twisted Road vets motorcycle owners before allowing them to rent out their bikes. Renters must provide their driver’s license number and a credit card, and Twisted Road verifies that they have valid motorcycle endorsements. All rentals are covered by up to $40,000 for damage and up to $1 million for liability.
I found a 2008 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure equipped with aluminum luggage, and the rental price was a reasonable $100 per day. As a first-time renter, I was credited one free day. There are multiday discounts, and Twisted Road’s One, Two, Free program gives renters one free day after completing two rides.
Creating my user profile, submitting a rental request, and communicating with the owner was easy. I took an Uber from the airport to the owner’s house, and when I arrived, the bike was in the driveway, clean with a full tank of gas. The hand-over process took only a few minutes, and turning in the bike five days later was a breeze.
For more information about renting a bike or listing your own bike for rent, visit the Twisted Road website.
