Cyclerides.com Weekly Update 9/29/04

Greetings Riders,

Well, after last week's letter, I found that I was not the only one who has had some "select" issues when going through the airport. (If you didn't read it, Click Here.) I got personal stories from some of you that I saw on bike night last week and got emails of similar visits with the "selectors". Some of the stories from the Women that were going through the airport, not expecting to have their bags checked, were even more embarrassing than my experience. Apparently some of these workers are very thorough AND inquisitive.

One guy emailed me that worked at the airport and said you would be shocked at what they see go through there, especially in checked bags. He said "there is everything from TV’s and stereos, to frozen pigs and other meat (unknown types, and we REALLY don’t want to know), engine blocks, various other car parts, “adult pleasure devices”, medical supplies, and the list goes on." He also said that one of the screeners found a human head (from a cadaver) in a bag. She screamed and fainted on the spot. The owner of the bag was arrested. I guess you are only allowed one head per ticket, and that's the one on your shoulders.

I know I make some fun of going through this situation, but the TSA staff was nice about it and are just doing their jobs. I would rather take a little longer to get through these lines and know that I will have a better chance of getting to my destination safely. In today's world, unfortunately, this will probably become "business as usual".

For those of you that would like to go to the OCC Event on Saturday and have not gotten your tickets yet, here is a good way to go. We have donated 200 tickets for the RE/Max Ride for Miracles on Saturday, November 6th. So if you want to go to the OCC Event in Tempe AND give to Phoenix Children's Hospital at the same time, this is the ride for you. All proceeds go to PCH. Registration is from 7:00am - 8:15am. Meet at Arrowhead Harley-Davidson for registration and continental breakfast. 8:30am leave on a police escorted ride from the dealership East on the 101 to SR 51 past the Children's Hospital and on into Tempe for the event. All money raised goes to PCH. $30 per rider includes admission to the Best of the Southwest event and 1 raffle ticket. This ride is sponsored by RE/Max professionals. To insure your spot Click Here to pre-register. For more information call 602-942-7000 or go to www.rideformiracles.org. Corporate sponsorships are available.

OCC Update:
Discovery Channel has verified that they will be at the show filming the Teutul's and the event. This will be a great opportunity for the Custom builders in the bike show to get discovered as the next great custom bike builder for TV. Daily tickets are now on sale for the OCC In Tempe Best of the Southwest Motorcycle Show. Click Here for the link to buy tickets. Read the instructions before going to the purchase page.

VIP Tickets:
There are still a few tickets available for Don Birchfield's V.I.P. reception with OCC on Thursday night. If you would like to get "Up Close" with The Teutul's and their bikes, this would be a memorable way to do it. On Thursday, November 4th from 5-9 pm there will be a V.I.P. reception with The Teutul's in the tent that will include: Live Music, Food, Giveaways, Autographs With OCC, Photo Ops With OCC, Up Close Bike Viewing and Other surprises. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that would be a perfect Birthday or Christmas present for the OCC Fan in your life. Or if you have a business, this would be an ideal incentive or reward for your special employees. Seating will be in tables of 8. You can buy individual tickets. Cost is $300 per ticket and will be sold on a first come basis. This will be a special time. Click Here to order your VIP Tickets online. Questions at info@cyclerides.com .

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. 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 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.

Sunday

Cocomo Joe's Sunday Bike Day. Cocomo Joes's is now your place to ride to for Sunday NFL Football Games. Enjoy breakfast starting at 10:00am with $5.95 for a Burrito Loco, French Toast or 2 Eggs, Hash Browns, Bacon and Toast. Cocomo Joe's has the full NFL Package to make it easy for you to watch the game of your choice all day long. Cocomo Joe's is a very open and comfortable place to hang out and watch the games. 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. There is also 3 pool tables and games for your enjoyment. There will be food and drink specials for ride days starting at 10:00am as well as blocked off preferred parking for motorcycles. The day starts at 10:00am 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 - 4pm. Enjoy live music from 10am - 2pm 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.

September 30th - October 3rd
BiketoberWest. This time around we're taking the action to 2 locations in the east county. The beautiful Barona Valley Ranch & Casino will provide a picturesque setting for our custom bike show and tattoo exposition, plenty of outdoor space for our vendors, Food & Drink including beer, live entertainment and The Discovery Channel Biker Build-Off between contestants Hank Young of Young Choppers & Hot Rods in Marietta, GA and Cole Foster of Salinas Boyz Customs in Salinas,CA. SoCal Custom Choppers and Run-What-U-Brung Racing will host Biker Drags a few miles down the road at Barona Drag Strip. They will also have vendors, including many San Diego area performance shops.
Included in the BiketoberWest festivities will be poker runs and a VIP ride to the USS Midway Museum to watch the annual Sea & Air Parade on San Diego Bay, celebrating our fantastic heroes in uniform! Visit our website, www.biketoberwest.com for more details and to pre-register.

Saturday, October 2nd
AZSTAR 3rd Annual Paws of Life Poker Run. This ride is to benefit the Arizona Search Track and Rescue search and rescue dog teams trained to assist with locating lost or missing persons. Sign in at the Steelhorse Saloon (1768 W. Bell Rd.) from 9am - 10:30am. Ride entry is $10 per bike, $5 for extra rider. 1st 100 participants receive a ride pin. Prizes for Best Hand, Worst Hand, Raffle and Auction. Last Card in at 6:30pm. For more information call: 623-266-3268.

Yavapai A.B.A.T.E. & Young's Farm Annual Pumpkin Fest, Bike Show and Poker Run. This run is to benefit Yavapai A.B.A.T.E. Youngs Farm 9am - 4pm. Jct. Hwy 69 & 169 in Dewey, AZ. Poker run sign up at Pinon Pines, 2701 E. Hwy. 89A, Prescott, AZ. Sign in 9am - 10am. $10 single, $15 couple. Bike Show 11:30am - 4pm, registration $5. Biker Rodeo 2pm. Free pumpkin w/bike event entry, 50/50, raffles, door prizes, live music, beer garden biker clowns, hay rides, paint ball, photos, haunted house, merchandise. Food, Fun and Entertainment for the entire family. More info: Pat Rogers, 928-639-4675.

Saturday, October 2nd
Biketober Poker Run. This is a late afternoon/evening poker run to benefit the Fire Fighters Association Charities. Sign in from 3-6pm at V-Twin Consignments located at 1716 W. Bell Rd. in Phoenix. $15 for single, $20 for couple. Every sign in receives a T-Shirt, 2 Raffle Tickets & Food and Drink Specials at each stop. Cash prizes for Best and Worst Hands. More information call 602-548-5799.

Saturday, October 2nd
Darrell Ashford Jr. 3rd Annual Charity Poker Run. Sign in at 10am at Chopper Kings & The Paint Shop located at 3232 W. Virginia Entry fee a $25 donation, $10 per passenger. Includes T-Shirt, Entry into the Monastery, Lunch and Raffle Ticket. Winner of poker run will win a 45" Big Screen TV. Trucks and cars are welcome. Click Here for all information. More information at 480-491-8568.

Sunday, October 3rd
15th Annual Lost Dutchman Poker Run. This is always one of the bigger runs of the year and to a great destination at Canyon Lake. Registration from 7:30am - 10:30am at Chosa's Harley-Davidson in Mesa. $25 registration fee includes poker run, ride pin (first 1000), event entry at Canyon Lake and lunch. All event and raffle proceeds are donated to the East Valley Charities. Poker Run with cash awards, Bike Show, Door Prizes, 50/50, Vendor Mall plus Silent Auction & Bike Games at Canyon Lake. Enter now to win a 2004 lava red Road King® Custom. Raffle tickets are only $10 each and are available for purchase from East Valley H.O.G. Chapter members or at Chosa's Harley-Davidson. Drawing will be held at Canyon Lake on Sunday, October 3, 2004. (Tax and license to be paid by the winner). All event and raffle net proceeds benefit the East Valley Charities. Call the East Valley H.O.G. Chapter Activities Hotline (480) 844-0803 for additional details.

Saturday, October 9th
2nd Annual Founders Ride. The Second Annual Founders Ride, sponsored by Bucky's and Yavapai Casinos is set for Saturday, October 9th. The ride through the Red Rocks will raise funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northern Arizona. Funds will go toward the granting of wishes to children between 2 1/2 and 18 who suffer from life-threatening medical conditions. The founders of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, Frank and Kitty Shankwitz will lead the way. The ride will start at Grand Canyon Harley located at 10434 Hwy. 69 in Mayer, AZ at 9am with the last riders out at 10am. $25 Singles, $30 Doubles. Includes a barbeque luncheon with live entertainment at the casino. Ride pin to the first 200 riders and t-shirts to the first 100. Free refreshments will be available. The ride will wind through the red rocks of Sedona, up to Jerome, across Mingus Mountain through downtown Prescott then on to Bucky's Casino. Approximately a 125 mile ride. Upon registration you will receive a raffle ticket for a new Harley. More info at 928-282-2625.

Saturday, October 9th
AZ Choirboys LEMC C.U.F.F.S. 2004. This ride benefits families of fallen Police Officer, Firefighters and Correction Officers killed or injured in the line of duty. Registration at Chosa's Harley Davidson at 922 S. Country Club Drive in Mesa, AZ. Registration starts at 8:30am, last bike out at 10:00am. Final destination Phoenix F.O.P. Lodge 2. Vendors, Live Music, Raffles, Door Prizes, Auctions, 50/50. Entry fees: $20 for riders, $15 for passengers which includes one poker hand and lunch ticket. Ride pins to the first 500 entries. High Hand $300, Low Hand $150. Enjoy ice cold Sparkletts water, brewed coffee and Krispy Kreme doughnuts at registration. For more information visit www.azchoirboys.com or www.chosashd.com.

Sunday, October 10th
HOGtoberfest. Registration: 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM at HD of Tucson; 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM at the Wildcat House. Poker Run: $5 per hand. 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM. Starts at HD of Tucson, 250 E. Grant Rd. Bike Show, Bike Games, Tattoo Contest, Door Prizes, Live Auction, Live Music, Food & Drinks, Vendors, 50-50 Drawing and a chance to WIN a $500.00 gift certificate to Harley-Davidson®/Buell of Tucson. $1.00 of each ticket sold will be donated and distributed equally to: Pima Youth Partnership, Las Familias, Tucson Area Reading Council, and TROT. On site registration: $15.00 per person – Includes admission, pin, (while they last), and a chance to win a $500.00 gift certificate to Harley-Davidson®/Buell of Tucson. Children under 12 free when accompanied by an adult.