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Greetings Riders,

Well, Arizona Bike Week 2007 is now in the books. It was really kind of a strange year this year. It just didn't seem to have the vibe around town that it had in the past. The crowds at most places seemed to be down as far as I could tell and their really wasn't much of a buzz around town. Usually when you ride down Scottsdale Rd. or the 101 it is filled with bikes going in both directions. It just wasn't there this year and I'm not sure why. One reason might be the lack of out of State plates. But that being said, a lot of the charity rides did well. The Wednesday Ride had over 1200 riders and The Torch Ride had over 1600 riders. I'm not sure of the numbers of some of the others, but I heard they were good. As for Cyclefest at Westworld, I really enjoyed the way that it was set up this year. It was very comfortable and friendly. For the first time it actually made me want to hang around a while. To me, this was the best layout so far. Hopefully they can build on this and get some more Laughlin type hardware vendors in next year. We weren't there for the other bands, but on Saturday night for Foreigner the place was the most crowded I had ever seen, and the band was excellent. This was also the night for the Tribute to Willie G. Davidson and it too was very good. If you missed it, here is a short video of it.

As you can imagine, it is crunch time for me right now with the Cyclerides.com Hearts To Heroes Event. So for the next couple of weeks the letter will be a little shorter than usual. I told you that I would keep you updated and I will do that today. One exciting bit of news came this past Monday during our conference call with the Dept. of Defense and Baghdad. The Pentagon Channel has told us that they would like to show the entire program live around the world, instead of just the last 30 minutes. While that is good news for all of us, it throws a little bit of a curve for me in coordinating the show. But we have made the adjustments and are retooling to accommodate this request as we speak. We have also been told that they are bringing in 50 soldiers to Baghdad for this event with Arizona connections. We have names of some of the family members, so we will surely reunite some of these families via satellite at the event. Should be a really heartwarming experience for everyone involved.

I have done the interview with Jessica Schall, who will be singing the National Anthem and "Soldier I Thank You". Jessica is 21 years old and lost her brother, Kenneth Schall a year and a half ago in Iraq. This interview and the song she will sing will be a high point of the day. She loved her brother very much and was extremely proud of him. She is a brave young Woman and Her words are sure to inspire us all.

Anytime you are dealing with an event of this size, with this many moving parts and locations, things can and will change. PIR informed me last Friday that we would not be able to have sky divers at the track. With that bit of news I have decided to do the ride around the track and then continue on back to Westgate where we will have the closing ceremonies with Jesse McGuire and the end party with Rondavous. This really makes more sense as the location at Westgate next to the fountains is much more suitable for what Jesse McGuire is going to do, and there will already be a stage set up with a sound system and food and beverage available. No sense in duplicating costs in both places. If you are going to ride with the Richard Petty Experience, just simply pull out of the line after your ride around the track.

Other than that, things are going well and are on track. There have been several of the local media interested in covering this event and I have even heard that some will be broadcasting live at CCV that morning. I am still working on one more surprise. If I can get it done it will be the icing on the cake for all of us. Next week will be extremely busy for me as we finalize the program, shoot more interviews, edit video and perform a walk through of the show on Friday night. But I have to admit, even though I am the one emceeing and putting it together, I am as excited as all of you to experience this event. From the way it looks, this will be an awesome opportunity for all of us to do our part in showing our troops, up close and personal, that Arizonans are here to Support them. Thank you for your support of the 2007 Cyclerides.com Hearts To Heroes.

Here are the details of the Cyclerides.com Hearts To Heroes event.

Date: Saturday, April 14th

Sign In: 7am - 9:30am. No pre-registrations.

Program inside starts at 9:30am Sharp.

Location: Christ's Church of the Valley, 7007 W. Happy Valley Rd. in Peoria.

Cost: $15 per person and a small bag of needed goods for the troops. Click Here for needed items and places to drop off if you want to do that prior to the event.

Beneficiary: This year the proceeds will be split between Packages From Home, Operation Homefront and Salute To Military Families at PIR.
Ride Pins: $5.00 each will be sold Separate. Click Here for a picture of the pin. A very limited amount of shirts will be available at the event as well.

This Week's Bike Night Events

Tuesday Nights

Chester’s Harley Davidson Biker Night at the Tilted Kilt in Tempe! If you are looking for some fun on a Tuesday night, With 2 outdoor patios and plenty of excitement, This place is a good time! The Tilted Kilt is home to the best Scotch-Irish experience in Arizona, with an award-winning menu, classic pub fare, and signature Kilt items sure to please any palate, not to mention twenty four globe-spanning beers on tap! Biker Night Tuesdays also mean $3 Jack Daniels and half-price appetizers. And, with a Tilted Kilt Biker Night Card, you receive 15% OFF your total bill. So what are you waiting for? Come on down and have a craic with Chester’s Harley-Davidson! The Tilted Kilt is located at 660 W. Warner Rd. in Tempe, AZ. Just 1.5 miles East of I-10 on Warner Rd. 480-592-0102. Click Here for Map.

Chandler Harley-Davidson Tuesday Bike Night at Nozzlehead's Grille & Pub. Stop by Two Wheel Tuesday Bike Night at Nozzlehead's Grille and Pub located at 4920 S. Gilbert Rd. in Chandler, AZ. Join us for Munchies and Music, Food and Drink, Specials, and good old fashion H-D fun! Nozzlehead's is a fun firefighter-themed restaurant that serves the best pure angus burgers and meatiest wings in the valley. 12 flavors of wings! 11 tap beers served out of the front-end of a real fire truck. Hot Times, Cold Drinks and Great Food! Stop by this Tuesday for the First Night!! Stop by Chandler Harley-Davidson located at 6895 W. Chandler Blvd. in Chandler for a Nozzlehead Food Discount Coupon.

Superstition Harley-Davidson and San Tan Flat are bringing Bike Nights back to the East Valley! Mark your calendars, because every Tuesday means one thing, cheap food and drinks for ALL bikers! Come hit up San Tan Flat from 6pm to 9pm for a good-ole-fashioned biker bash. There’ll be $1.50 drafts, ½ off appetizers, $5 Chilidog combos, and a bunch of prizes! Come sit and relax indoors or outdoors at San Tan Flat were there’ll be music, fire pits and marshmallows to roast-to bring out that biker in you. That’s Tuesday nights at San Tan Flat – the corner of Ellsworth and Hunt Highway. Do it up right, ’Bike Night’ it baby! 6185 W. Hunt Hwy., Queen Creek, AZ. 480-882-2995. This is one of the coolest places in town and worth the ride to check it out. Click Here for Video of San Tan Flat.

Wednesday Nights

Bike Night at Buffalo Wild Wings Mesa-Falcon Field. This is a great new stop for riders on the East Side. Enjoy GREAT FOOD and Live Music every Wednesday night with Soul Catcher, featuring acoustic blues and classic rock from 7pm - 10pm every Wednesday Night at Buffalo Wild Wings located at 4425 E. McKellips Rd. in Mesa, AZ, just across from Falcon Field. Special motorcycle parking in front of the patio. Choose from the extensive new menu including Wings, Chicken Tenders, Huge selection of salads, Wraps, Sandwiches, Ribs & Combos, Burgers, Desserts and Beverages. Click Here for complete menu. Bike Night specials are 50 Cent Legs all day, $2.50 Coronas & Pacificos, $2.00 Well Rum and Coke, $2.00 Well Vodka Tonics, $1.75 Bud Light Pints, $1.75 Miller Light Pints. Sit inside and watch your favorite sporting events on over 50 TV's and 5 Giant Screen TV's or sit outside on the huge patio where there are more TV's and enjoy the evening air. Wherever you find to relax, you will be sure to have a good time, good food and good entertainment at the Buffalo Wings Wednesday Bike Night. 480-218-9464. Click Here to take a look at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Thursday Night

NEW This Week!!
Arrowhead Harley-Davidson Thursday Bike Night at Gordon Biersch Brewery at Westgate. Free Gift Bags to the First 100 Riders! First night is Thursday, April 5th. There will be Live Music by Soulcatcher. This is a great band playing Blues and Blues driven rock featuring Tim Hern, Leslie Gray and Emmy Award winning bassist Mahlon Hawk. It is worth the trip to hear these guys play. There will be free giveaways from Gordon Biersch and Arrowhead HD. You can also sign up for the Gordon Biersch Passport card. What a great deal! Pay only $10 for the card, and you will get a $20 gift certificate to redeem for food and drink. On Bike Nights you will receive double rewards to build points for free food and drink. Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in Glendale features the best Beer Garden you will find in this State, an impressive bar area equipped with TVs and speaker system, great food, and a large outdoor patio seating. Bike night specials include 1/2 off appetizers plus beer and drink specials. Try my favorite, the Gordon Biersch "Golden Export" or a sampler of all 5 of their beers brewed on site. Plenty of motorcycle only parking. Stop by the first Bike Night for your free gifts AND the music of Soulcatcher 7pm - 10pm. Gordon Biersch is located at 6915 N. 95th Ave. at Westgate City Center, Loop 101 and Glendale next to the Cardinals Stadium. An easy ride from anywhere in the Valley. 623-877-4300.

The Bike Night At The Billet Bar. Voted "BEST BIKER BAR IN PHOENIX" by New Times. There is no better place to watch all the Bikes ride down Scottsdale road than from The Billet Bar Patio. The Billet is ALWAYS packed with bikes Every Day. Stop by and take a look at the New Flamed Booths on the Paradise Patio. The new bars front and rear provide spacious seating, fresh air atmosphere, perfect temperature and courteous staff. The food is amazing and always the latest in cold libations await. You can sit at the back bar and watch your favorite TV on any of the seven big inch televisions. Play pool, listen to the latest music and socialize. The front patio seats over 75 people and is perfect for people watching on Scottsdale Rd. The Billet Bar is located on 3752 N. Scottsdale Rd. Check it out this Thursday night and all weekend long. Info: at 480-941-1876. Click Here for the New Billet Bar Page with pictures.

Every Saturday and Sunday

NEW This Week!!
Harold's Cave Creek Coral Bike Weekends. Free T-Shirts to the First 100 Riders Each Day for the Grand Opening of Harold's Cave Creek Corral Outdoor Patio on April 7th and 8th. This is the patio that we have all been waiting for in Cave Creek. The new 4000 Sq. Ft. patio at Harold's is finally finished complete with misters, TV's and an outdoor bar. There is plenty of room to put some tables together and hang out with your riding group for breakfast, lunch or the cold beverage of your choice. Live Music from Noon to 4pm every Saturday and Sunday with Bob Bouchard, the man who plays at Greasewood every weekend. Enjoy TV's all around the patio with a walk up bar. Ride out on Sunday's and enjoy the All You Can Eat breakfast buffet for $8.99 on Sundays from 8am - Noon. Or grab one of Harold's fantastic hamburgers and watch the bikes roll by on Cave Creek Rd. from the patio. 50% Off Appetizers and $2.00 Bud/Bud Light bottles. You can also choose from their full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu every day of the week. Plenty of new motorcycle parking right in front of the patio. A great destination patio for your weekend rides. Harold's is located at 6895 E. Cave Creek Rd., in Cave Creek. 480-488-1906. There are still no tickets being given for DB violations. Just continue to keep the noise down as much as possible when riding through Carefree.

Western Trails Ranch Bike Weekend. Take a nice ride out of town and Enjoy a relaxed country atmosphere with good food great Music every Saturday and Sunday Afternoons from Noon to 4pm. See the upcoming band list below. Loud pipes? No problem! You can ride out to Western Trails without worrying about DB metering equipment to greet you. Hang out under the covered patio at the Buzzard's Saloon or in front of the stage for some impromptu dancing. Buzzard’s Saloon now has Appetizer’s available at the Bar. Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, Chicken Tenders, Fries, Jalapeno Poppers, Breaded Mushrooms, Onion Rings, Beer Battered Mushrooms & Zucchini and Spicy Chicken Wings. Fast food service from the Bartender. Buddy Boom’s Real BBQ is also open for those who don’t mind walking 300 Feet for the best Burgers, award winning Ribs & BBQ on the Westside of town.
So take a ride out to Western Trails for some Lunch, Music and Fun every Saturday and Sunday. For more information on Western Trails Ranch go to www.westerntrailsranch.com . Located on Hwy. 60 in Morristown, just 12 N. of Sun City West on Grand or just 3 miles South of Carefree Hwy. Click Here for Map. 623-388-0450

Every Sunday

Sugar Daddy's Blues Biker Sunday Brunch.
Sugar Daddy's welcomes you back to riding with the Award Winning Sugar Daddy's Sunday Brunch voted "Best Sunday Brunch" by Newtimes 2006. Enjoy a $9 All You Can Eat Buffet, $2 Mimosas, $4 Bloody Mary Bar from 10am - 4pm. Relax to Live Music from 10am - 4pm on the 5700 sq. ft. climate controlled patio. Riding by later? Grab a quick BBQ from Noon - 5pm on the patio. You can also order off of the extensive menu.Our 5,000 sq. ft. temperature controlled patio has six air conditioning units, misters, and plenty of shade. Sugar Daddy's patio, food and entertainment is becoming a regular Sunday stop. If you haven't tried it yet, give them a try. Complimentary coffee is now served. Make Sugar Daddy's Blues your stop on your ride down Scottsdale Rd. for Brunch or Lunch from 10am - 4pm. Or maybe just relax on the patio with your favorite beverage and watch the bikes roll down Scottsdale Rd. Click here to see the awesome pictures and details of Sugar Daddy's located at 3102 N. Scottsdale Rd. between Indian School and Thomas on the West side of the road. Stop by and check it out. A great place to hang out. Plenty of Bike Parking. If you have suggestions, email them at sugardaddysaz@aol.com . 480-970-6556.