Hi {{contact.first_name}},
November is the quiet end of the Kentucky riding year. The peak color has come and gone, but the oaks hang on to their rust and bronze leaves, and the backroads are nearly empty. The clocks went back on Sunday, November 1, so it is dark before the evening commute is over, and the cold mornings can start with frost. Wait for a sunny afternoon, keep the run close to home, and you can still get some of the best quiet miles of the year.
Ride of the Month: Brandenburg and the Ohio River Crossing to Corydon
Wooded knobs, a high bridge over the Ohio and Indiana's first state capital
Head south out of Louisville on US-31W, the Dixie Highway, to Muldraugh at the edge of Fort Knox. Turn west on KY-1638 and roll through the woods past Otter Creek, where the land drops toward the bluffs over the Ohio River, then take KY-448 into Brandenburg, a river town sitting high above the water. Cross the Ohio on the Matthew E. Welsh Bridge and pick up Indiana 135 north through the hills to Corydon, which was Indiana's first state capital. The old limestone capitol building still sits in the middle of town.
Stop in Corydon for lunch, then take I-64 east back over the river into Louisville. The whole loop fits in a short November afternoon. Fuel up before you leave, watch for wet leaves and gravel in the shaded corners, and plan to be heading home by mid-afternoon so you are off the road before dark.
Only have an hour? Ride Mitchell Hill Road and Holsclaw Hill Road through Jefferson Memorial Forest on the south side of town, a short climb through the knobs without leaving Jefferson County. On Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, take a minute to thank the veterans in your riding crew. Plenty of them helped build this community.
Late-Fall Safety: Kentucky Edition
November gives you fewer good riding days, and new ways to get hurt on them.
- Deer are at their worst. November is the peak month for deer crashes in Kentucky. They move most at dawn and dusk, which now lines up with the evening commute. Slow down near tree lines and fields, cover your brakes, and never swerve across the center line to miss one.
- You are riding home in the dark. Since the time change, the sun is down before most people leave work. Drivers are not looking for a single headlight after dark. Wear something bright or reflective, and give yourself extra room at intersections.
- Frost, fog and wet leaves. Cold mornings leave frost on bridges and shaded curves, and fog sits in the river bottoms along the Ohio and the Salt. Wet leaves still cover the edges of the backroads. Let your tires warm up for a few easy miles, and slow down when the fog rolls in.
- Thanksgiving week traffic. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, and I-65, I-64 and I-71 will be packed. The Wednesday night before is one of the worst nights of the year for drunk driving. If you ride that week, ride early in the day and stay off the road that night.
Know Your Kentucky Law
- No-fault does not ride with you. Kentucky is a choice no-fault state, but motorcycles are left out of the no-fault system. Unless you bought basic reparation benefits for the bike yourself, nothing pays your own medical bills right away after a crash. Strong health coverage and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage matter a lot.
- Fault is shared, with no cutoff. Kentucky uses pure comparative fault. Your recovery is cut by your share of the blame, but even if you are found mostly at fault, you can still recover something. How the crash is documented early on still decides a lot.
- The minimums are low, so check your UM/UIM. Kentucky requires only 25/50/25 in liability coverage, which does not go far after a serious motorcycle crash. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is what protects you when the other driver carries little or nothing. Make sure it stays active if you put the bike away for winter.
- You have two years. Kentucky generally gives you two years to file an injury claim after a motor vehicle crash. Evidence and witnesses fade fast, so do not wait until spring to call.
Ride Nation Kentucky
The season is winding down, but the Kentucky riding crew is still out on the sunny days. Post your last good ride of the year, tell us where you are storing the bike, and warn other riders about gravel, wet leaves and fresh potholes on the backroads. Tag us in your photos. This is your scene, run by riders who ride these roads.
Final Weeks for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are already entered for a chance at 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, and the winner is drawn December 10. That is only a few weeks away. Know a riding buddy who has not entered yet? Entry is free, so send them the link before it closes.
Enter the giveaway
A driver who never saw your headlight on the dark ride home on the Gene Snyder. A deer jumping out on a county road in the knobs. A pickup sliding on a frosty bridge over the Salt River. If you ever go down, you want a lawyer who rides these roads and knows your bike has no no-fault coverage to fall back on.