Clevelander and motorcycle aficionado Dan Davis and his biker buddies tackled a 7,000-mile round-trip ride to the West Coast and back in 2022. But last year, they opted for an epic road trip closer to home...and headed to southeast Ohio’s legendary Windy 9.
“The Windy 9 routes are like roller coasters for motorcycles with twists and hills galore,” Davis says. “Many of the roads require your full attention because they’re full of blind hills and tight turns. Having grown up in northwest Ohio, where the roads are flat and straight, riding the Windy 9 feels like being in another state.”
Ohio’s Windy 9 is a motorcycling destination that encompasses nine routes — nearly 800 miles of winding roads that twist through southeastern Ohio’s hilly Appalachian region.
Ohio’s Windy 9, promoted by the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau, is a motorcycling destination that encompasses nine routes — nearly 800 miles of winding roads that twist through southeastern Ohio’s hilly Appalachian region. The abundance of curves and the elevation change along the roads make it a hugely popular draw for motorcyclists.
“All of the routes start and end in Athens,” says Amy Spoutz, the bureau's marketing manager. “Riders can start off here, ride, and explore Appalachian Ohio, and end up back in Athens.” Navigating eight counties, riders can choose from routes like the Rim of the World, the Southern Dip, the Black Diamond Run, and the Zaleski Zipper. The exceedingly popular Triple Nickel is admiringly compared to North Carolina’s legendary Tail of the Dragon.
Seven years ago, the visitors bureau partnered with Roadrunner magazine to develop the Windy 9 route map. The website also includes turn-by-turn directions for the routes as well as roadside attractions, suggested eateries, fuel stations, and places to stay overnight.
“Every time we advertise the map in Roadrunner, we immediately get about 400 requests for information,” says Spoutz, adding that it’s been a strong lure to the Athens area and a boon to local hotels and restaurants, with thousands of riders tackling the routes each year.
The pure fun of riding the routes, plus low traffic and good upkeep of the roads, is what attracts visitors to the Windy 9. “We are packed with riders in the summer,” Spoutz says. “People come from all over. I remember two gentlemen last summer from Nebraska, and one of them said he wished he had put a video camera on his bike when they were riding the Triple Nickel. He said he was like a kid on a roller coaster — he’d holler, then laugh, then holler again.”
Davis, who bought his first motorcycle two decades ago, says, “I’ve owned about a dozen bikes and currently have five. How many motorcycles does one need? Infinity plus one!”
Windy tidbits
The routes
Nine routes loop throughout the hills of southeast Ohio, and all start and end in the hip college town of Athens. Routes vary in length; some are more challenging than others. A few of note:
- The 87-mile Rim of the World loop. The popular, winding route cruises along State Route 78 through Wayne National Forest to McConnelsville, past the Stockport Mill and the Chesterhill Produce Auction.
- The 101-mile Lazy Rivers route. This one snakes along the Ohio River, where riders pass river locks and dams and hit the biker-friendly town of Pomeroy, which boasts excellent river views.
- The Hocking Hills Nipper, about 92 miles. The Nipper showcases the Hocking Hills region, taking riders past Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave.
- The Triple Nickel (not recommended for beginners). The most technically challenging of the routes, its 92 miles (184 round trip) are twisty, hilly, and scenic, thrilling riders along OH-555.
Pies and more
Quaint towns, unusual attractions, and delectable diners await riders on the Windy 9. A sampling:
- The Blue Bell Diner in McConnelsville offers breakfasts and a top-notch coffee bar.
- The Triple Nickel Diner in Chesterhill is a great place to stop when riding the Triple Nickel, Davis says. “Did you know it’s okay to have pie for breakfast? No, really!”
- More favorite lunch stops listed by the tourism group: Boathouse BBQ in Marietta, the Restaurant at the Mill in Stockport, Court Grill in Pomeroy, and the Lake Hope Lodge in McArthur.
- A few oddities also dot the routes. The Big Muskie Bucket at Miner’s Memorial Park in McConnelsville is the enormous bucket from the largest dragline excavator ever built; navigate the gravel portion of the Zaleski Zipper, and you’ll come to the Moonville Tunnel, said to be haunted by ghosts of railway workers who wave their lanterns at night; and just across the Ohio River from Gallipolis is the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, W.Va., devoted to the legendary 7-foot, red-eyed cryptid.
A ride of their own
The annual Athena Ride for Women is a four-day event based in Athens that offers not only a variety of guided and self-guided routes each day, but also workshops, evening activities, games, and educational sessions on everything from confidence building to riding skills and maintenance.
“It’s a lot of fun, and we get women riders of all ages. Last year, we had 130 women taking part, ranging from age 18 to an 83-year-old who rode a trike (motorcycle) with her husband co-piloting on the back. They even camped overnight,” says Amy Spoutz of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
This year’s Athena Ride for Women is scheduled for July 31 to Aug. 3. The event builds a community of women riders and supports My Sister’s Place, a local domestic violence shelter for women.
