June Biking

Although Orlando has more blue sky days than Northeast Ohio I'll take our area's curvy roads any day. Couldn't believe how flat it was there and the roads are straight shots. Granted the water areas are pretty - but I think that just makes the bugs more prolific and BIGGER. And granted the asphalt is smooth as the day it was laid down due to no freeze-thaw-freeze abuse.

Even so I think NEO is the way to go on a bike. So here's my toast to Ohio - May your roads be well repaired, may your curves and hills offer safe thrills and may your bikers be blessed.

I've noted a few June bike happenings below. Some are local and some require some mileage. Not an exhaustive list and certainly not meant to be exclusive but I've included a couple listing links I've posted before so you can pick your own fun from the growing itinerary of summer rides and events.

6/2/10
B.A.L.D. Run Bikers Aiding Local Diabetics
Painesville, OH
The dice run starts at the American Legion Post #336, 60 Chester St. in Painesville. The first bike will leave at 12:00 pm. The ride fee is $15.00 and includes dinner, and entertainment. $100.00 will be awarded for high role and low role. The ride ends with door prizes, and 50/50 drawing. Proceeds will go to Lifeline, Inc. For more information call (440) 259-3303, or go to http://baldrun.org.

6/5 & 6, 2010
AHDRA-Ohio Bike Week Nationals
Norwalk, Ohio
Sponsored by Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts
Drag racing will take place at Summit Motorsports Park, 1300 State Route 16 in Norwalk. Racing starts at 9:00 am on both days. Drag bike classes are pro drags, pro stock, street bikes and more. Riders must have a AHDRA membership to enter the races. General admission is $50.00 for the weekend or $30.00 for a single day. For more information call (336) 924-2095, click here to send e-mail, or go to http://www.ahdra.com.

6/6/10
Cleveland Ride for Kids
Rocky River, Ohio
Sponsored by Ride for Kids, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
The ride starts at Rocky River High School, 20951 Detroit Rd in Rocky River. Registration is from 8:00 am to 9:45 am and the ride leaves at 10:00 am sharp. The ride includes breakfast pastries and light lunch. The ride fee is $35.00 for each bike. All bikes welcome and event happens rain or shine. The fully escorted motorcycle ride will go through through the Cleveland Metroparks to help kids with brain tumors or cancers. For more information call (216) 645-7239, or go to http://www.clevelandrideforkids.org/.

6/5/10
Bike To Biker Safety Day
Medina, OH
Family Event - 11am - 3pm...Just in time for summer, be ready to ride and be safe. And, there will be other goodies for everyone in the family. For our young cyclists –bring your bike to ride on our protected course and learn safety tips for riding on the road. All participants will receive •Safety lights for wheel spokes •Re-useable "green" bags •Entry for a chance to win "Be Safe, Be Seen backpacks". For our licensed motorcyclists – Bring your bike and ride our protected course to test your skills and learn safety tips. Safety sessions on other important skills. For More Information see website www.centuryhd.com/node/3300.

6/9/10 - 6/13/10 (Wednesday - Sunday)
Rally On The Rock
Put-in-Bay, OH
Five-day bike rally along Put-in-Bay's picturesque downtown harbor on South Bass Island. Free two-day Music Fest, Wednesday and Thursday with Tony Rio and Relentless, Mustang Sally, Mike "Mad Dog" Adams, Bob Gatewood, Westside Steve Simmons and Ray Fogg performing. Enter the Rally King and Rally Queen contests, Tattoo Contest and the Rally Poker Run for a shore of $1500 in cash plus other prizes on Wednesday. Contest entry is free. Five days of a Bikers' Vendor Rally Alley plus everything this Lake Erie Island has to offer, including 30 bars, live entertainment, kayaking, jet skiing and more. Website: rallyontherock.com
Contact: Maggie Beckford at 419-285-2213

6/21/10
Ride to Work Day
http://www.ridetowork.org/

6/27/10
Rotary Ride
Middlefield, OH
The "Ride" will benefit Geauga County Veterans. The "Ride" will depart from Harrington Square at 15551 W High St, Middlefield, OH at 10 am. It will be led as usual by Sheriff Dan McClelland and "Midge." They will lead you on a 60 mile trek through scenic Geauga County. There will be a drive by of the Geauga County Veteran's Memorial. The ride ends with a picnic lunch provided by sponsor Dave Harrington and the Burton-Middlefield Rotary. See http://www.bmrmotorcyclerun.com/ for more info.

6/27/10
Northeast Ohio Safety Forces Poker Run
Willoughby Hills, Ohio
Sponsored by Warthogs MC, Iron Pigs MC, Usual Suspects MC
The ride starts at Pat O’Brien Chevy, 2810 Bishop Rd in Willoughby Hills. Registration starts at 11:00 am and the last bike will leave at 12:30 pm. The run will end in Mentor, OH. For more information click this link to send e-mail: PokerRun

See http://www.lets-ride.com/event/ohio.htm or http://www.bikerplaza.com/motorcycle-events-oh.html for more Ohio events or check out what's going on in other states so you can plan a really good vacation.

Orlando or Bust

I'm in Orlando visiting a bikeless wonderful friend. The sunny weather has me wishing I hadn't flown but since my visit is short due to responsibilities at home it was the only choice.
Next time I get to come here it better be on a bike. Surprisingly I'm not seeing that many motorcycles. If this were Ohio the bikes would be out in force on a day like today.

Bike Parking

We have a problem at our house. Actually we have several but the one that's riding like a burr under our saddles right now is bike parking. Four of us live in our little house in Chardon. Three of us have motorcycles. My mama, who resides in a very nice in law suite through a magic door in my dining room, does not have a bike. She's 91 and says she's too old to ride. I hope I'm never too old to ride.
But back to our problem.
Three bikes plus three cars in additional to the normal accumulation of a 30 year marriage has us cramped for space in our two car attached garage. Don't suggest an additional storage building. The only thing smaller than our house is the lot it's built on so there is no room for an additional structure. We must make do with with we've got thus we've made The Plan.
The Plan includes inviting (an invitiation laced with guilt as almost all parental requests are) our adult children to help us dismantle said garage. We shall eliminate, donate, and deliberate until there is room for everything worth keeping with a high priority on motorcycles, motorcycle gear and accessories. The Plan shall be executed in early June so we have opportunity to sell what it sure to be very high quality discards before the remains get the heave-ho at Chardon's community trash day on the 26th. (this date should be noted by all curb-shoppers because treasures abound on all residential streets until the garbage trucks start round-up really early that Saturday)
The Plan also includes the destruction of an interior "office." We call it an "office" because it was here before us and that's what we guessed it to be. For us it's been a "holding tank" for some of our best junk. The simple stud-wall structure and it's accompanying 1960's paneling will be removed. And - viola! In its place there will be three bike parking spaces, shelves and pegs for all equipment thus opening up the second bay for one of the two cars that have been in exile.
It will be wonderful.
The result that is. The day of The Plan will be work but we've promised the kids a good working atmosphere, food and fun for all involved (LOL). I will try to give you a pictorial review of the project but only if we are successful and our faces are decently pleasant.
All this planning for creating some parking spaces got me to thinking about how motorcycles get to line up at special events and gathering spots. Special event parking is always a colossal operation. Orange cones, tape off corridors and corrals, whistle blowers and steady streams of taillights typify the effort. But for bikers - well as with most things - it's different. And I get a kick out of it.
Bikes get to fit in places that cars can't. Kinda like priority parking but usually unofficially designated by the first bikes to arrive. Gathering places take shape off the cuff along main street curbs. Just cruise through Willoughby on a beautiful weekend evening or visit Chagrin Falls on a Saturday afternoon. There they are - all lined up with their backends to the shops and front wheels angled in display. The bikers are usually lined up too - with a cup of coffee in hand, talking bike talk.
At the Maple Festival motorcycles find themselves on Court Street. Backwheels against the curb, they line up at the edge of the lights and wait for their riders while watching festival folks walk up and down Main Street with fair food in their faces.
At Vintage Ohio Wine Festival at Lake Metropark's Farmpark the fence closest to the red barn style main building is the hitching post for the motorized steeds of visiting wine tasters. However - the grass islands dotting the end of each row of cars in the main parking lot and the corners of the roped off parking fields may hold small bunches of bikes. Bikers must like wine.
When the Great Geauga County Fair rolls around motorcycles line up right near the ticket booths at Gate 1 in a small grass island seemingly made for bikes. After pulling our bike into the orderly group we linger before moving on into the fair. These rides are much better than the rides inside the gate for us and it makes for good talk. "Who do you think rides this one?" "Did you see these awesome pipes?" Contrary to popular belief - not all bikers like fringe and studs and the variety of personalization at the fair represents bikers well.
Though riding is ALWAYS better than parking, bike parking has a sense of order and commeraderie. Plus those bikes just look good all lined up. I'm looking forward to seeing ours looking good against the newly painted wall in our soon-to-be cleaned garage.

Female Ride Day 2010

Well I'm in a pickle. It's Female Ride Day today and I'm not on my bike. This predicament exists because - we're heading to Columbus for an overnight to visit the youngest and the weather is not going to let us take the bikes. Today is ok - tomorrow is not so okay and I'm not feeling up to the challenge of rain gear for over 150 miles.

I'm not feeling up to the challenge because I fell on my face the day before yesterday. Literally. On my face. It was spectacular. I look like I lost in the second round. Seems I need to simplify my life in that I should not walk quite so fast while holding several items and digging for my keys while looking all around instead of scanning my path ahead. Dumb uneven sidewalk.

So I'll cheer all the women who are hitting the road on their iron ponies while my husband and I whip down Rt. 71 in my Tib and visit THE Iron Pony Superstore. Almost a decent substitute...nah, not even close but I'll have to make do.

Balanced Life on a Bike

We'll all heard the saying that "you'll never see a motorcycle parked outside a therapist's office." Whether that's true or not (maybe the therapist is a biker, right?) I know that being on a bike brings a balance to my life that wouldn't be so easy to achieve without the wind in my face.

I was out today before these stupid storm clouds gathered. Just a short trip around the middle of Geauga County. It was nice. I'm getting use to my cruiser and it's getting use to me. So as I went along I was thinking "all is well in my world." My mind was letting go of the stress as my hands took hold of those handlebars. Road thoughts are not like my everyday thoughts where my to-do list, local community concerns, family situations take center stage and create due stress in my core. Road thoughts are free and unencumbered.

Freedom. Bikers have stood for freedom since the beginning of motorcycling. Freedom for all. Well I can tell you - I beleive in freedom for all too. I also believe in the kind of very private freedom my bike provides me. I know I'm a better person for it. Too bad more people can't enjoy having such wings. The world would be a happier place.

Going down to Burton now for Geauga Power Sports grand opening. I'll report soon about how Matt has brought a new resource to the area for all of us who use our freedom to ride off road and on road on our sport vehicles. And I might just learn to change a tire while I'm there!