{"id":4156,"date":"2016-10-15T00:53:34","date_gmt":"2016-10-15T04:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.etotheipiplusone.net\/?p=4156"},"modified":"2016-10-15T01:09:00","modified_gmt":"2016-10-15T05:09:00","slug":"completing-uberclocker-4-the-leadup-to-franklin-institute-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etotheipiplusone.net\/?p=4156","title":{"rendered":"Completing \u00dcberclocker 4 & The Leadup to Franklin Institute 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

We interrupt this irregularly scheduled build report for VAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNN <\/strong>TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contrary to most years that I’ve returned from Dragon Con<\/a> by road, I did not have a job<\/strong><\/del> pressing need to return to Boston, so could take a few days to roam around Atlanta. This time, I revisited a couple of old haunting spots from the high school days – namely, junkyards, flea markets, electronics shops (what remained, anyway), aaaaand McMaster-Carr. When it was time to return, I decided to do something which I’d been thinking about for a while, and had been recommended by “car people” friends – hit up the mountain roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Many moons ago, my parents took me on a road trip to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in North Carolina via some scenic routes such as U.S. 441, and I’d been reading up on the area as of late. Back then, I certainly didn’t appreciate the scenery or natural surroundings as much as I d…. nah, I still don’t, but those mountain curves I remembered as being awesome<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I solidified the plan as diffusing through North Georgia using U.S. 19\/129<\/a> through Blairsville into North Carolina, then ascending via U.S. 74 eastwards until the intersection with N.C. 28<\/a>. From there, I would follow the Tail of the Dragon<\/a> (returning to U.S. 129) and eventually end up in Knoxville, from which it is easy to return to the Interstates. It was an incredibly scenic adventure – I definitely want to return here next year and perhaps try a different tourist trap<\/a> on the way down – I’m hankering a little for the Diamondback 226<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The careful reader would notice that yes, this means I took a heavily-loaded Mikuvan filled with an entire Dragon Con of robot gear with Overhaul in the back and everything up and down twisty two-land forested mountain roads.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

b o d y\u00a0\u00a0 r o l l <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

And bought the “unflattering water slide photo<\/a>” at the end!<\/p>\n

I must point out – loaded heavy in the back with about 500 pounds (Overhaul, all the robot gear and tools, all of Jamison’<\/a>s robot gear and tools, and whatnot) made the handling and ride better than empty, I’m pretty sure<\/em>. I tend to throw MV around like a go-kart, and the back end does get light due to the front mid-engine and front driving position. In winters, I regularly keep tools and heavy objects in the hatch to get more purchase during slushy or snowy weather. So I think riding empty might not have been any better, and it’s not like you can actually go that fast on the road while maintaining your lane. It took a few turns to “get it” (and probably warm the tires up a little) before I began really tossing it into the curves. “Continuous tire squeal” must have been concerning to bystanders…<\/p>\n

Here’s the whole run from my high-mounted dashcam. Note that this is a very different and weird position compared to most dashcam videos – it’s mounted high up on the very tall cabin, pointed more down than forward, and Mikuvan has no front. Some people actually have said it made them dizzy due to the different motion experienced.<\/p>\n