Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
8/4/04
 

Greetings Riders,
 
After riding
3058 miles, going through 1 Canadian Province, 1 Provincial Island and 4 U. S. States, We are back safe and sound. We spent 10 days on the road, over 65 hours in the saddle, $170 in gas all while living out of a T-Bag strapped to the back of the V-Rod traveling through Washington, British Columbia, Vancouver Island, Oregon, California and back to Arizona. We were blessed with great weather, no rain and mostly sunshine except while traveling down the coastal highways where there was the typical fog and low 60's greeting us every day. We met lots of nice people on the road, saw tremedous scenery, got out of cell phone range and experienced a different country EH!
 
As most of you know, taking a 10 day cross country ride on a motorcycle is nothing like spending a week laying on the beach in Maui.
The beach is a time to let your senses vegetate and become idle. Riding is a way to awaken your mind, body and soul to the outdoors and experience this beautiful Country we live in, almost as if it were from the inside out. The countryside was alive with the smells of the pine trees and redwoods in the forests, the cattle and the grass in the farm lands, the smell of the fish near the ocean, and the crisp air with the sea breezes. In my mind, there is not a better way to experience travel. Our philosophy on trips like this is to ride as many miles as we can, soak up as much as we can, and spend the next year recalling what we have seen, done and experienced. There are so many beautiful sites, experiences and memories developed over a trip like this that it is hard to even comprehend, much less try and recall to share with everyone.
 
With over 1500 digital pictures to go through,
a couple of hours of video and so many fun stories, sites to share and what some might call one crazy experience to tell you about, I have decided to bring all of this to you over the next 3 weeks starting in next week's letter. Let me just say that on our second day of the ride leaving Whistler, we "Jumped" off to a great start to the trip. I will have maps of our route and plenty of great pictures that will give you the essence of the ride and the land we travelled.
 


 
OCC Update:
Our ticketing agency did not meet our timeline for online ticket sales.
It looks like it will be sometime next week before that is ready to go. I will be adding a FAQ about the event in the next couple of days to answer all of your questions. Vendor packages will be emailed on Friday. If you have an interest in a vendor spot, email me at info@cyclerides.com .
Check the front page of www.cyclerides.com to see the new flash animation for the event. Very cool. 

 
Be sure and check the "Extras" Column below for a great story on the new Motorcycle Awareness bill boards that are located around the valley. There is a link to a picture of one for you to see. 

  

This Week's Events 

Wednesday 

The Wild Hare Wednesday Bike Night. Looking for a Bike Night on the East side? Here is a bike night for the East side of town at a really nice location. Stop by and take a look, you will be impressed. It is called The Wild Hare located at 4910 W. Ray Rd. That is the NE Corner of Ray Rd. and Rural Rd. This is a really nice place with a very large outdoor patio. The inside has just been remodeled to double the seating along with adding a DJ, pool tables and games. The Wild Hare has a broad menu including 20 different appetizers, salads, wings, 17 different sandwiches, chicken, filet mignon, burgers and desserts including strawberry cheese cake. There will be food and drink specials that will run during bike night from 6 PM till close.  Stop by and take a look, I'm sure you will like what you see. Info: 480-897-6200. 

Thursday Night
 
Thursday Night features 4 Bike Nights all over the Valley.

Hooters at Arrowhead Bike Night. Ride by and join in on the fun! Hooters will host a Bike Night every Thursday at the Hooters at Arrowhead located just 1 block S. of Bell on 83rd Ave. Stop by for some great food and Hooters Hospitality. There will be 20% off menu items (25% off with Cyclerides.com V.I.P. Card). $2.00 Corona Thursdays and plenty of parking next to the outdoor patio. Stop by for some giveaways and raffles from Hooters and Arrowhead Harley as well as great wings and fun at Hooters. Click Here to see Pictures and all the detailed information.

Casey Jones Grill Bike Night  The evening riding weather is good. You can always count on lots of bikes here. Ride in for what I call the Best Cheesesteak Sandwich in town. This thing melts in your mouth. They have 3 new pool tables, darts and foosball. Located in the Mervyns Shopping Center on the SE corner of 43rd Ave. and Thunderbird Rd. Casey Jones is a great place for a bike night featuring a large outdoor seating and over 150 people inside. And for those of you that want to watch a sporting event they have 50 TV's scattered throughout the restaurant connected to satellite to get any game you can think of. They have a full menu for lunch, dinner and a Happy Hour from 11:00AM - 7:00PM and a reverse happy hour from 10:00PM - 12:00 Midnight. $1.75 domestic bottles and $2.00 Jacks. There are always a lot of bikes showing up for bike night at Casey Jones Thursday night. Join them for open mic night on Wednesdays. Sunday.

Hooters at Ahwatukee Thursday Bike Night. Continues Giveaways and Raffles. The riders in Ahwatukee were wanting a Bike Night of their own, so Hooters Ahwatukee stepped up to provide a great place to come on your motorcycle on Thursday nights. Stop by for raffles, good times and good food at Hooters in Ahwatukee located at 4804 E. Chandler Blvd. There will be raffles and giveaways from Chandler Harley and Hooters as well as 20% off menu items (25% off with Cyclerides.com V.I.P. Card). $2.00 Corona Thursdays and plenty of parking next to the outdoor patio. Click Here for the pictures and all the details.
 

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. 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 right next to Genesis Custom Cycles 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. 

Saturday and Sunday 

Pioneer Restaurant and Saloon. Now opening at 6:00AM for Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. All of us are looking for that quick getaway out of town for an early morning breakfast on the weekends, or a good stop on our way up North. The Pioneer Restaurant and Saloon is the perfect place for that and they are inviting all motorcycle riders to stop by for a good old fashioned breakfast on the patio or a cool drink on the way home. Sundays feature a $6.99 all you can eat breakfast including drinks and any day you can get my personal favorite 1/2 order of biscuits and gravy for $1.95.  This is a great dish. Breakfast starts at 7:00am. Pioneer is also open for lunch and dinner until 9:00 pm. On Saturday nights Canyon Walls plays from 7pm - 11pm. Pioneer is also a great place to get your group together for a sunset dinner ride. Sit out on the patio or the air conditioned dining room. Click Here for the complete menu. If you are organizing a ride, it is the perfect place for a ride end. Pioneer is located just 1 mile North of the Carefree Highway exit on I-17 at Pioneer Rd. exit 225. For private parties call Joey at 602-696-5245 or 623-465-1821. 
 
Hungry Bear Roadhouse In Mayer.  Many of you remember Hailey's Grill in Mayer, AZ. Hailey's went out of business last fall and the building was purchased by the owners of Grand Canyon Harley and has re-opened as The Hungry Bear Roadhouse. The Roadhouse has been completely remodeled to provide meeting rooms for motorcycle groups or any special events. The usable space has now been expanded to the front patio. You can now sit out on the huge patio and eat your breakfast or lunch and watch the bikes roll in for a weekend ride. There will be tables and chairs as well as stools next to the railing to relax and enjoy your favorite beverages. Roadhouse hours are 8:00am - 10:00pm. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be served. Stop by the Hungry Bear on your rides to Prescott. More Info at: 928-632-4211.  

Sunday

Cocomo Joe's Sunday Bike Day. Live Music Every Sunday from 1:30-4:30pm. Live music is also Thursday - Saturday nights at 8:30pm. Many of you have been to Cocomo Joe's in North Phoenix. There is now a day just for riders. Cocomo Joe's is a very open and comfortable place to hang out that is decorated in a Jamaican theme. They have a new large outdoor patio as well as 2 smaller ones around the side. There is a large dining area with TV's all around to keep up on all NFL football on Sundays. See the pictures here. After football season they will be bringing in live entertainment on Sunday afternoons. There is also 3 pool tables and games for your enjoyment. There will be food and drink specials for ride days starting at 10:30am as well as blocked off preferred parking for motorcycles. The day starts at 10:30am with breakfast foods available. Bike day is from Noon - 6pm. Cocomo Joe's is located on the NW corner of Tatum and Dynamite Rd. So if you are riding to or from Cave Creek, or want to take a ride up North and not have to run the DB gauntlet, stop by Cocomo Joe's. 28244 N. Tatum Blvd. 480-538-8008. Stop by this Sunday for opening day. Click Here for all the details.

Sugar Daddy's Blues Biker Sunday Brunch.
Now is the perfect weather to be sitting out on the Sugar Daddy's patio, listening to Live Music while dining from the Brunch Menu. And Sunday Brunch Just Got Better! You now have 3 options to choose from. Option #1: Eggs Benedict – Grilled English muffins, smoked ham, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce.
Served with your chose of fresh fruit or crispy potatoes. ($8) or
Sugar’s Pancakes – You won’t eat pancakes anywhere else. Buttermilk pancakes served with butter and syrup. ($5)
Option #2: Can’t decide what to eat? How about an All-You-Can-Eat buffet for ONLY $12.
Option #3: Order off our regular 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 - 5pm. Enjoy live music from 1-6pm Or maybe just relax on the patio with your favorite beverage and enjoy the beautiful weather 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.

This Week

This week there are no major events in our area. But I know a lot of you are going to one major event in Sturgis, South Dakota. The main site for Sturgis is http://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/ But if you go on Google you can search for Sturgis Web Cams and even find some free web cams to watch what is going on. Those of you going...Have Fun.

Saturday, August 7th
Dedication of U.S. I-40 as "The Purple Heart Trail". On Saturday, August 7th Interstate-40 will be dedicated as "The Purple Heart Trail". The ceremony will begin at 10:00am at Little America Inn's parking lot in Flagstaff, Arizona. Click Here for a picture of the sign and the official press release from the Department of Arizona, Military Order of the Purple Heart.  

Next Week

This is a slow time of year. Not much going on. I will see what I can find for next week.

Extras

Finally! Motorcycle safety awareness will be coming to the masses. That is, drivers of cars, the ones that we need to have heightened awareness of motorcycles. In the past it seems we have been preaching to the choir about safety around motorcycles. Now, thanks to ‘lobbyists’ from Motorcycle Rights Organizations (MRO's) such as ABATE and MMA of Arizona and the Arizona Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (ACMC) they have made this happen. The $1 per year that we were paying with our motorcycle registration was going into the general fund. Now, that money is being used solely to promote motorcycle safety and awareness through bill boards and other avenues. There will be billboards all over town. Here is one of the first boards that have been completed. I am very proud of the hard work and thank the motorcycle lobbyists for the tireless work they have done on this and am hopeful that these new sources of motorcycle awareness will help curb the frequency of car/motorcycle accidents. Click Here for a complete list of the bill boards to be placed around the Valley and the complete details about this program.

As for me this week, I will be catching up from 10 days of emails. If you have emailed me and have not gotten a response, hang in there. I will get to it.

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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