Deal's Gap (AKA "The Dragon" or "Tail of the Dragon") - By Martin_And_Tiger

July '17. For me, this was 5 stars. I am hesitant to admit it, but I will to stress caution for any newer/greener riders out there. This stretch of road was part of a cross country road trip for me and I loved ALMOST every moment of the experience. It challenged me and taught me MUCH about riding. The day that I was there, a body was discovered from a wreck a couple of days prior. This pass is not to be trifled with. In some of these curves you have to use every inch of your lane and you must have nerves of steel because of the little rice rockets that love the road as well, if you flinch... just don't.
My first two trips were amazing! Heart pounding adrenaline and challenging curves to tackle were the theme (even at relatively sane speeds).
My third trip was just to get me back across the mountains so I could continue my trip West. DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. I wasn't pushing myself in any way on this third trip, just trying to get where I was going.. the Dragon got me. I rode into one of the very few ditches that this road has to offer on a decreasing radius curve... something about target fixation and some other nonsense. Anyway, the moral of the story is to enjoy the hell out of this ride.. but gear up, ride smart, and don't lower your guard for a second.