Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
1/26/11
 
Greetings Riders,
 
Well, I have now officially completed 9 days as being a Grandpa. As far as I know, I haven't taught him any bad habits yet, but I'm sure my daughter will let me know when I do. It is quite a bit early at this point, but I am on still listening for his first word and anxious to see if it will be Harley or Cessna. Either one would be fine with me. It is amazing how cute they can be, and even get cuter when they are crying and you can hand them back to their Mother. Definitely the perk to being a Grandparent. If you missed the newsletter last week about the new grandchild with pics, Click Here.
 
A couple of weeks ago in the newsletter I talked about my Top 5 Destinations in the State of Arizona. If you missed that letter, Click Here. With the weather that we have been having, it is not too early to be planning your trip to some of these destinations. But what do YOU use to plan your trips? I will give you a couple of ideas to play with while you are setting around day dreaming about your next ride.
 
Google Maps: One of the first things you are going to want to know about your upcoming ride is how far it is, so that you can start carving out some time to make the trip. I've looked at most of the online mapping programs including Map Quest, Harley-Davidson Planner, etc. But for what I consider the to be the best all around, easy to use site is Google Maps. Over the last few years, Google Maps has added so many cool features to this site that you really don't need to go anywhere else.
 
Simply go to maps.google.com, zoom into the area that you want to start, right mouse click on the starting point, a box will pop up and click "Directions from here". Move the map with your mouse to where you want to go, right mouse click on the spot and click "Directions to here". It will draw a nice magenta line, give you directions in the box to the left and tell you how far it is. If you want to add a few stops along the way, simply place your cursor on the magenta line, hold the left mouse button down and drag the line to your desired location along the way. Simple as that to get going. When you get your route done, you can click the link to send it to your riding group. Click Here for a sample route that I did to the Grand Canyon with a stop at Munds Park and Walnut Canyon. Zoom in for details of the route.
 
I always like to see the terrain that I am going to be traveling through and now Google does a great job of that. Hold your mouse over the satellite logo in the upper right and it will expand to give you a choice of going to the Satellite view or Google Earth. It will also produce a drop down box that will give you many other choices of overlay on the screen including a Terrain view, videos that people have posted, photos and even webcams along your route. This page is really fun to play around with as you are planning your trip. You never know, the Largest Ball of Twine could be on your route and you would never know it. Google Maps is a great tool and usually the first place I go when starting to map out a trip.
 
Here are just a couple of tips for Google Maps. If you pick a spot and zoom in as far as you can go, it will turn into a picture of the street level that you can move 360 degrees. Very cool if you were wanting to see that Largest Ball of Twine before you get there. Google Earth is good for viewing the topography of an area that you are going to. When you go to Google Earth, hold down the Ctrl Key, click the left mouse button, and drag your mouse down the screen. this will give you a view as if you were riding the road. Then let off the Ctrl key and left click to drag the screen along the road. You can literally fly to any place in the world. I do this a lot to view the terrain before I take the trip. If you need more tips with Google Earth go to the User Guide. Or want to download the stand alone version Google Earth 6.0 and really have some fun, Click Here.
 
Garmin Nuvi 1450 GPS: Most of you know that I am a big fan of the GPS. I have been using them for years and am now on my 3rd generation. These things have saved my bacon more than once and take the guess work out of where I am supposed to turn. These little guys will save many stops to look at a map when you are unsure of your route. It also takes the pressure off of navigation and gives me more time to sight see. I have the MapSource software from Garmin that I use to do most all of my trip planning. This allows me in advance to add waypoints of interest that I want to see along the way including gas stops and be able to download them to the GPS and route directly to them. It also gives me detailed information on mileage that helps in planning the daily trips.
 
The Nuvi 1450 that I have now comes with a suction cup that I mount right over the tach on my Road Glide. This allows it to be perfectly viewed right in front of me with out having to look down. It has an internal battery that will work for around 3 hours and you can also plug it into your cigarette lighter as well. This unit has a 5 inch touch screen that makes using it as easy as can be. You can literally change the route with you finger along the way by adding a way point to your route. Another aspect that we always use on our road trips is the Lodging feature. Just click on the Lodging icon and it will tell you all of the motels in the area and even 50 miles away. This saves you a ton of time. We just pull into the town where we want to stop, get the list of motels that include phone numbers, then check rates and availability, find the one we want and it will route us to it. Great little tool for any road trip.  
 
You can get the Nuvi 1450 online at Amazon or Sam's Club for about $130. Click Here for complete details about the unit. You could also get the 1490 I think at Costco right now. Not sure of the price. Also, some come with lifetime map updates which cost a little more. Just make sure that you get the model with the 5" screen, those are the best.
 
There are other map planners that you can also use including Bing Maps and HD Ride Planner that will show you dealerships along your route. Enjoy your planning and ride safe.
 
Barry
 

 
Tidbits and Updates:
 
Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night.
The question that I get most when I am out and about is: "When is the Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night going to start?" After a meeting with Westgate management on Tuesday, I now have that answer. Westgate wanted to begin the bike night as soon as we could in March, but due to Coyote game conflicts with the arena on Thursday nights, the first night that we could start it is on March 31st. The good news is that we are going to be able to run 14 consecutive nights without interruption through June 30th. We are now in the planning stages for programming for each of these nights and look forward to seeing you again this season. If you would like to be a sponsor of this event, email me at info@cyclerides.com .
 
Archives:
The Archives section of Cyclerides.com is now updated. If you have missed a past newsletter or need to refer to one, go to Archives in the menu bar at www.cyclerides.com .
 
Attention Ladies!
Wow! We now have 53 Woman that have submitted their photo to the Cyclerides.com 2011 Women Who Ride photo galleryI decided to kick off 2011 with a new Women Who Ride photo gallery. If you are a Woman who rides your own bike, send me a good photo of yourself either riding the bike or a beauty shot sitting on or standing next to your bike. Email them to info@cyclerides.com and I will add them ASAP. Click Here to see the Gallery, or you can always see it on the front page of www.cyclerides.com .
 
Reader's Rides Gallery!
Since a lot of you are probably starting to get the same itch that I am to ride and have probably taken a look at some of your trips the last few years. Send me a couple of your best photos from the locations you have been. Preferably next to a sign, landmark or landscape that we might recognize. This will be the beginning of the 2011 Reader's Rides Photo Gallery. Email your photos to info@cyclerides.com . Look forward to sharing your rides with you and others. Click Here for the Gallery.
 

 
Bike Nights
 
Every Thursday Night
It’s Biker Bull Night at Western Trails Ranch!  Come on out to the Ranch and watch the bikers ride the bulls. This is a live bull show and Thursday’s are amateur night, starts at 7:00pm every Thursday.  Bull riding is billed as the most exciting sport on the planet and that ain’t no lie.  We have audience games during the intermission with prizes, Happy Hour all night!  Or ride the Mechanical Bull $2.00 a ride. Buzzard’s Saloon and the Ice House will be open, so come early and have dinner in our steakhouse.  Check out our website at www.westerntrailsranch.com. $5.00 admission at the gate; pays for the bull stock production company, which is K4 Bucking Bulls Luke & Gina Kraut.  It’s just a good time – don’t miss the excitement. Western Trails Ranch is located at 37823 NW Grand Avenue Mile Marker 123.5 FROM SURPRISE Morristown AZ 85342.
 

 
This Week
 
Saturday, January 29th
Chandler Harley-Davidson Swap Meet and Classic Car Show. This is your time to clean out that garage and get rid of a few things you have been tripping over. If you don't have anything to sell, then come by to find that nugget you didn't know you needed. Set up for vendors from 8:00am - 9:00am. Event time from 9:00am - 2pm. There will also be a Hot Dog vendor on site and a classic car show. Registration for car show starts at 9am. Trophies will be awarded at 2pm. Limited spaces, so please call 520-751-3389 to reserve your spot vendor spot. Chandler HD is located at 6895 W. Chandler Blvd. in Chandler, AZ. 480-496-6800.
 
Saturday, January 29th
Buddy Stubbs Hogs and Dogs Chili Cookoff. Ride by and enjoy the Buddy Stubbs popular end of the month party. In addition to the usual Hot Dogs and fixings, this month Buddy is featuring a Chili Tasting and Contest. 1st and 2nd Place cash prizes for best chili. Event is from 11am - 3pm. Live Band, Museum Tours, Pool Tournament. Email marketing@buddystubbs.com to sign up. Buddy Stubbs HD is located at 13850 N. Cave Creek Rd. in Phoenix. 602-971-3400.
 
Saturday, January 29th
Renegade Classics of PhoenixWinter Clearance Sale. Cool Nights and HOT Prices! All the gear you need for a warm ride home. Don't miss your chance to get that riding item you have been wanting at 20% Off. Brand New Hoodies and Long Sleeve Shirts, Fleece Lined with Thermal Outer. 20% Off Everything in stock! Saturday and Sunday 9am - 4pm. Renegade Classics is located at 3102 E. Cactus Rd. in Phoenix, AZ. 602-595-9597.
 
Next Week
 
Friday, February 4th
Chester's Harley-Davidson Motorcycles On Main. Join Chester’s Harley-Davidson at Motorcycles on Main in Downtown Mesa on Friday, February 4th!  Always on the first Friday of every month, this outdoor event lets you park and show off your bike STURGIS STYLE with parking on two blocks.  Free auto parking for your car-riding friends, four beer gardens, four live bands and great restaurants to enjoy.  6-10 PM, and no cost to enjoy the festivities.  Please visit www.chestershd.com for details! Chester's HD is located at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa. 480-894-0404.
 
Friday, February 4th
Arizona Stand Down Motorcycle Ride. Help support Homeless Veterans by joining Arizona’s Motorcycle Community on the Official Procession to Arizona Stand Down sponsored by Stand Up and Stand Proug.org. Meet Veterans, be a part of the opening ceremonies and know that you stood up for Homeless Veterans. Monies go directly to Arizona Stand Down as we help those Veterans who need our support and help for their service to this United States. Ride registration begins at 7:00 a.m., Post 41, American Legion, 715 S. 2nd, Phoenix, Arizona. $ 15.00 per person with ALL monies going to the Homeless Veteran Cause. Briefing 7:30 A.M. KSU 8:15 A.M. Ride to Arizona StandDown Friday Morning 8:15 A.M. Feb. 4, 2011.
 
Saturday, February 5th
Red Hot Threads Grand Opening. A lot of you remember Against the Wind Leathers that was located next to the Billet Bar in Scottsdale. With the closing of the Billet, Jennifer decided on a new start and has moved the business to Cave Creek and changed the name to Red Hot Threads. Not only has the name changed, but they have added several new lines to their already extensive lines including Rockabilly and Hotrod clothes, Lucky 13, Too Fast Clothing, Living dead souls, Felon, Sailor Jerry among others. To celebrate the move Jennifer is having a Grand Opening at the new location in Cave Creek at 6245 E Cave Creek Rd, the Turquoise bldg next to Frontier Town. 480-945-3458. There will be a car show, bike show, vendors, pin up girls and Live Music with rockabilly band Rhythm Dragons. Event time is 11am - 4pm. Stop by and see the new store and merchandise.
 

 
Upcoming Events
 
February 25th-27th
Checkered Flag Run. The Checkered Flag Run is a weekend in Arizona hosted by the Second II None Phoenix Motorcycle Club, Phoenix International Raceway and Talking Stick Resort and Casino. The weekend culminates with an escorted motorcycle run from Talking Stick Resort and Casino to Phoenix International Raceway to watch NASCAR Drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson tear up the track in the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, Sunday, February 27th, 2011. 3 days of activities and fun. Go to www.checkeredflagrun.com for more information. Click Here for tickets.
 
Saturday, February 26th
Hogs with Hearts Poker Run. Hacienda HOG Chapter 97 is hosting the Second Annual Hogs with Hearts Poker Run. This run is in support of the MDA Children’s Summer Camp at Camp Shadow Pines east of Payson, Arizona.   We’ll be giving away over $5,000 worth of raffle prizes so don’t miss out on your chance for some great prizes as well as making a difference in a child's life. The entry fee is $25 for a single rider and $35 two-up. Fee includes a t-shirt for the first 100 registered riders, ride pin, coffee and breakfast supplied by Dunkin Donuts at the start, lunch and live music at the end.  The ride will start at Hacienda Harley-Davidson.  There will be prizes for high and low hand as well as dozens of raffle prizes including a Shell Vacation Club week valued at over $2100. Best Hand grand prize is $250 cash.  Ride Registration is from 8am - 10am at Hacienda HD located at 15600 N. Hayden Rd. in Scottsdale. All Bikes Welcome.  Join us for a great 120 mile ride through beautiful Arizona scenery and make a huge difference in a child’s life.  More information and online registration at www.hog97.com
 
SAVE THE DATE!
March 30th - April 3rd.
Arizona Bike Week 2011. Arizona Bike Week is a little over 2 months away. The dates this year are March 30th - April 3rd for Cyclefest at Westworld in Scottsdale. Musical acts this year include Skid Row, Warrant, Heart and Buckcherry. Pre-Rally Days start Friday March 25th with the Chester's Harley-Davidson Backstage Biker Bash featuring Gretchen Wilson and the Herndon Brothers in concert. There are lots of RV and tent camping options available. Go to www.arizonabikeweek.com for tickets and more information.
 
Extras
 
Mid Week Updates will be made on the Cyclerides.com Facebook.
New Easy to remember Facebook address. Go to Cyclerides.com Facebook. Over 2800 FANS!
Take a look at all the new photos posted on the wall. If you are not on Facebook, you can still view the page, but you will not be able to post. There will be a link there for you to sign up for Facebook if you are inclined. Click the LIKE button!
 
The British brand of humor has always been interesting to say the least. This interesting bit hasn't changed that. Click Here to View.
 
Think you want to move back East? Take a look at this snow plowing train before you go. Click Here to View.
 
Video of the Week: This is a video that ALL Men and Women should watch to illustrate how both gender's think. Very True! Click Here to View. Click on the Video of the Week graphic on the page.
 
If you would like to sign up for the Cyclerides.com Weekly Update Click Here.
 
Until Next Week,
Blessings and Safe Riding To All,
 
Barry Caraway
"The Road Is Yours - Take The Ride"
www.cyclerides.com
info@cyclerides.com
 

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