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Hwy. 421 traverses the eastern United States from north to south.
Beginning at the southern tip of Lake Michigan and ending at the
Atlantic Ocean, it is a tribute to a highway system built long
before our modern interstates. In Northeast Tennessee, it can go
from a
modern four-lane highway to two-lane twisty tarmac in about five
minutes—the kind of road that makes truckers panic. Obviously
the latter is what motorcyclists crave, and one section of 421
can rival any motorcycling road in the country
Just south of Bristol, Tennessee, which is famous for the Bristol
Motor Speedway, home of Nascar Winston Cup racing, US 421 makes its
transition to motorcycling paradise. South Holston Lake is the first
obstacle in the path of four-lane expansion, and at this point the
road winds for five and a half miles through fifty turns, to the
entrance of the Cherokee National Forest in a succession of sweeping
right and left-hand curves. This is where the fun really begins as
the road begins its climb and descent of five miles over Holston
Mountain. Consisting of eighty-nine switchbacks, one after the other,
this is but a taste of what’s to come.
US 421
descends into Shady Valley, quite possibly the most
beautiful spot in Northeast Tennessee. A sleepy farming community
of 1800 people, Shady Valley
is the gathering place for bench-racing, tire-kicking
motorcyclists on pleasant Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
The stopping off point is The County Store, which is the epicenter
of motorcycling in the area: there are reportedly 489 curves
within a twelve-mile radius of this old fashioned store. Owned
by Carroll and Peggy Long, The Country Store is one of Johnson
County’s oldest continuously operating businesses and
is the place for riders to kick back on the front porch in
the rocking chairs and swap stories of derring-do on the surrounding
mountains.
From the base of Holston Mountain, US 421 straightens out for one
mile before beginning its climb of Iron Mountain. For those who had
their appetite whetted by the first mountain pass, this second one
is like the entrée and dessert. Covering eight miles, the
following 137 switchbacks and curves are tied together by some nice
short straights that crest the mountain and descend into aptly named
Mountain City. All told, the rider has just traveled 19.5 miles through
some of the best swervery the Southeast has to offer, all in less
time than it takes to watch Friends, even if you fast forward through
the commercials.
US 421 doesn’t disappoint even the most jaded rider; it has
very challenging curves and changes in elevation. The road is newly
paved, and, as all the truckers know, Tennessee has some of the best-maintained
roads in the country. If you are planning a trip through our area
or just looking for a motorcycle playground, check out 421. You’ll
be glad you did.
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