View Archived Road Trips HERE!

The Adventures of Roy & the Iron Horse

Folks who have been reading the website for the past few years have already met River Roy of Albright, WV. For those who don't know him, Roy is a Korean Conflict veteran, a former raft guide, and roofer by trade. Above all, he's a great friend -- even when pushed to the limits.

John and I recently received a phone call from Roy telling us he was riding down for a visit. This in itself was rather strange, for in the 20+ years John and Roy have been friends, Roy has never been to our home.

I had to make a quick ride to the other end of the county that day, so John told me to keep an eye out for Roy. "Just watch for the saddle," said John. Saddle? No doubt. Roy rides an old Shovelhead, and instead of soft leather seat, he has a western saddle mounted to the frame.

As luck would have it, my War Pony suffered some minor problems on the way to my destination that day. As I was stranded alongside the road a brown scooter came roaring past. I looked and there it was -- the saddle. I yelled his name, and Roy quickly pulled in to help. He thought he was helping another "damsel in distress" (as he termed it), until I took off my helmet and he realized who I was.

Together, we got the old Triumph up and running again (yes, Roy carries duct tape in his saddlebags) and he followed me down the road until I started hearing this clanking sound. You've all been in that position -- riding down the road, leaning your ear to one side or the other trying to locate the origin of "that sound". I looked in my mirror and saw Roy leaning down to hear if the sound was coming from his bike. No such luck. The War Pony died, I laid a 10-foot black mark and came to a sudden halt. My pony had been shot out from under me and its guts (the homemade regulator/rectifier) were dangling from one wire. One phone call and John was one his way while Roy and I sat alongside the road comparing motorcycle stories.

Once home, we began tearing into the problem with the War Pony. Roy explained that I wasn't the only one who had a name for my ride. His was just a typical Iron Horse he explained. But when you looked at the saddle, there left no doubt in your mind. In case you're wondering, I did sit on the saddle and, yes, it was pretty comfortable despite my first thoughts of the Pony Express Riders.

Since the Triumph was down for the weekend, I doubled with John as we left on Roy's Adventure the next morning. After a great breakfast at the Farm & Dine near Linn, WV, we decided to ride to Phillipi to see the famous mummies. We had just pulled into Weston and saw the Civil War tents and -- you guessed it -- horses. We pulled in for a look see, and found it was Gold Dollar Days complete with the Civil War Renactors.

Not even 30 seconds after dismounting the Iron Horse, Roy found two damsels in distress. Southern belles who just happened to be strolling along. He quickly positioned himself between them for a quick picture to commemorate the occasion.

The "real" horses were a treat, and I saw Roy eyeing them -- probably looking for more accessories for his Shovelhead. The temperatures were in the 90's, and I couldn't imagine being a soldier in those hot wool clothes.

The day was getting even hotter as we hit the four-lane and headed toward Phillipi. I look across the lane and there was Roy, using a riding whip in his left hand. It must have worked, because he was able to whip that Horse to at least 90 before sliding back into the 'slow' lane. Soon, the famous Phillipi covered bridge came into view. It was in this historic place that the first land battle of the Civil War took place -- with horses, no doubt......

At the end of the Covered Bridge, one finds the historic musuem wherein the mummies are located. Our guide for the day was Olivia Sue Lambert of the Barbour County Historical Society. This lady was a walking history book about Phillipi. Hardly a damsel in distress, but I watched as Roy again turned on the charm. "That's a lovely hat you're wearing today . . ."

These famous corposes were mummified by Graham Hamrick back in the 1800s when he received them following their death at the Weston State Hopsital for the Insane. A copy of Hamrick's patent forumla for mummification is for sale at the museum for 50¢ if you're interested in picking up another hobby.

Don't forget a picture of the Covered Bridge. I figured that everybody has seen the bridge from the outside, so I snapped these while riding through the inside. Figured I'd better check to see how Roy was faring, so I turned to snap a photo. Apparently his Horse has no fear of bridges.

We found new favorites in the roads around Rowlesburg -- nice twisty turns that lets you dance from side to side. As can be expected, thirst overtook us and we stopped at one of Roy's favorites --Buffalo Creek in Rowlesburg -- before heading back to Roy's Beach just past Albright. If you're ever riding around the Preston/Monongalia County area and see an old Shovelhead with a saddle, it's probably Roy. Sit down and visit with him awhile -- he's a great guy to know. And by the way, he drinks Busch Lite. . . . .

Copyright 1999-2003 by West Virginia Bikers - All Rights Reserved Website by Hawk Mountain Designs