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MC-1 Honor Run now starts at Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson

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Due to COVID-19 Pandemic related restrictions, the MC-1 Foundation has changed is starting point for the 7th Annual MC-1 Honor Run (being held Sunday, September 27, 2020).

Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson at 2885 West County Line Road, Littleton Colorado will be hosting the starting point for the ride with the ride ending at The Summit in Thorton.

This year’s Honor Run will be dedicated to all Law Enforcement, Firefighters, and EMS personnel whose service and sacrifice keeps our communities safe.

Sgt. Baldwin’s call sign was MC-1

This year will be the 7th year for the MC-1 Honor motorcycle ride and was started in 2014 for Sgt. David Baldwin from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office who was tragically killed in the Line of Duty after being struck on his motorcycle by a wrong-way driver

Registration is online ONLY, and all riders participating in this event, must pre-register, please click here to additional information. There will be no registration at the event.

Loco4Noco Rides

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By Audrey Paulus – Stormy

LoCo4NoCo Rides is a Facebook biker group page that focuses on Northern Colorado residents.  It is the only active one that organizes and hosts rides.  I met the founder, Coy Wylie, back in May when he and some riders and the Cool Biker Lunch and Rides group stopped at the Mishawaka Amphitheatre along Poudre Canyon.  We introduced each other and instantly became great friends.  He told me now he has time to ride, “COVID started it all. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought global suffering but has also brought some unexpected benefits.”  He is a professional real estate agent and when the Colorado Real Estate Commission virtually shut down his industry, from late March to early May, right at the peak of the buying and selling season, he needed something to fill his time.  He wanted to find some new people who were as enthusiastic about motorcycles as he was and make some new friends.  He posted in a biker Facebook group and invited people to join him on a ride out of Fort Collins for that same Sunday afternoon.  I then encouraged him to start up his own group page where he can control it, post rides, and meet new people in his area.  We also talked about how this is a good way to network and that it helps you become more visible to the right people and you can gradually become that one person that “knows everyone”.  I jokingly call him the King of the North.

Coy had just begun to use the brand “LOCO4NOCO” (crazy for Northern Colorado) with his real estate business, so he called the group LOCO4NOCO Rides.  Within a few days, the group began to grow.  From the start, the focus has been on group rides and community.  He stated, “In three months, we’ve grown to over 350 members with regular group rides and a weekly bike night at various venues around Northern Colorado.  It has become evident that this is more than just riding, it’s about finding like-minded people who love the motorcycle culture.”

Over these months, since COVID-19 has impacted the world in such a negative way, LoCo4NoCo Rides has become a positive force for motorcycle lovers in Northern Colorado. They have covered a lot of miles, drank a lot of beer, and built a community that has helped them weather these trying times.

I brought some members from Cool Biker Lunch & Rides with me to join LoCo4NoCo Rides on a ride to Cameron Pass and Snowy Range one sunny afternoon.  Coy led us up Cameron Pass to a small-town Riverside in Wyoming where we had lunch at Bear Trap Bar and Cafe.  Riverside has a population of 50.  It is a quaint town; I always believed tiny towns have so much character that may otherwise get a little lost in the bigger towns.  After lunch, we proceeded to Centennial via Snowy Range Scenic Byway.  It was more scenic than any of us could have imagined!  If you get tired of the Peak to Peak route, you need to head over to Wyoming and explore the beauty of Snowy Range. If you live in Northern Colorado or if you want to ride some different roads from time to time, I highly recommend joining Loco4NoCo Rides on Facebook and get all the info about their next ride, bike night, or event.

Bucks FUNday Motorcycle Practice

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Slow Speed Motorcycle Skills Handling for ALL Riders.

When someone hears “slow speed precision riding” the topic instantly brings to mind the finely tuned skills of our Country’s Motor Officers zipping through seemingly impossible curves at extreme angles at unbelievable speeds, in a seemingly endless sea of traffic cones; which usually provokes a sense of wonder and amazement at what can be done with a motorcycle in skilled hands.  Many of us look on wistfully, sometimes secretly wishing we could ride like that. Others are dismissive, feeling there is no real-world use for such maneuvers on a bike.

The fact of the matter is that none of us ride motorcycles because they are safe. All of us can ride; not all of us can ride extremely well. The necessary instruction can be prohibitively expensive; and not everyone learns at the same pace. Many of us need some extra help. I would always recommend that everyone pony up and take one of the many available Advanced Classes in Colorado; but what happens after that? One weekend of a skills classes a month is insufficient to instill the ideals and professional teachings you can learn at one of these classes. Riding skill is perishable and must be nurtured in a positive way, unlearning bad habits and cementing new ones in our skills repertoire, which will only happen with repetitive practice of whatever it is we need to learn.

Bucks FUNday Motorcycle Practice (BFD) in Lakewood CO was created to bridge this skills gap. The idea was to create an arena, an outlet, where riders of all skill levels can meet up regularly to practice what they know, build on their existing skillsets and foster an intimate relationship with their motorcycle, giving them the confidence and tools to progress to their next level, their next Class, and rinse and repeat. Practicing will save your life; your safety and capabilities on the roadway depend on you knowing what it is you need to do, and effortlessly being able to perform it, often in matter of microseconds. As skills are put through the repetitive wringer, they become muscle memory and second nature, freeing our minds to more efficiently process what is happening around us and dealing with emergencies without the burden of “what do I need my bike to do, right NOW?”

BFD hosts a weekly free and open, semi-structured arena that is dedicated to the practice and discipline of Slow Speed Motorcycle Skills Handling, braking, and evasive maneuvers, for all bikes and all riders. In its two years of operation, Buck Lynn and Christy Tyo have been fortunate to be able to assist several hundred riders improve their skills and confidence at slow speeds. They have nurtured and built relationships resulting in the distinct advantage of a nationwide support system through the National Civilian Motorcycle Competition Network, Motorcycle Skills USA, and the Skilled Motorcycle Riders Association, that consists of many of our Nations finest Motor Officers and Civilian Riders and Expert Instructors, all of whom share their passion for Motorcycle Skills and Safety and often lend their knowledge and critiques, all in this National group effort to spread the skills, enable relationships, and produce Safer Riders.

Locally BFD is proud to work to foster training relationships with the local Denver Grom Squad, and the Canyon Riders Association as well as several local Police and Sheriff Departments, resulting in a delicious smorgasbord of cross training, enhancing the all-around skills of a vast, diverse selection of riders.

MCRider ™ said it best when he said that it doesn’t matter how many times you succeed or fail in Practice; out on the road it most certainly does; life is often a game of inches, and Skilled Riding is ALWAYS a game of inches. In your practice, the error on one gate makes it impossible to succeed at the next. Out on the road, the inch you needed to avoid an accident (THAT gate) was offered to you a few seconds ago. As riders we must learn to recognize these inches and scrape and claw for them because on the Practice Range those inches mean the difference between success and failure; but out on the road, they mean the difference between life and death. Out there, the consequence is greater.

You can find Bucks FUNday in Lakewood in one of two locations, every week, year-round, if its above 40 degrees and there is no snow on the ground. They try to avoid inclement weather, but they do practice in that, too. Visiting BucksFUNday.com will direct you the FB Page and Group where much of their current schedule and training information can be found.  Their Practice is free, regular,  and completely accommodating and customizable to all skill levels of already-endorsed riders. They only require that you wear a helmet. Full gear is encouraged.  Show up anytime for an hour, or the whole session, and practice whatever it is that troubles you or join us in an exhaustive list of exercises; Bucks FUNday has successfully removed every conceivable barrier to training, and rendered irrelevant the many excuses one may use to NOT become a better rider. All you have to do is show up. Love for the Ride. This is FUNday.

I-25 driver who swerved into motorcycle rider arrested and charged.

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Exerpt from 9News: “The driver of a truck seen in a video swerving into a motorcyclist  (Quentin Quidley) on Interstate 25 last month faces numerous charges, including attempted first-degree murder, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) announced Thursday.

Alberto Mota, 38, faces other charges that include vehicular assault and child abuse because his 12-year-old daughter was in the truck with him at the time of the incident.”

Thanks to a good Samaritan with a dash cam who caught the whole incident on video and with the help of 9news, CSP was able to investigate this matter with live action video, as Mr. Mota claimed to troopers he had simply made an unsafe lane change, which resulted in the crash.

This type of road rage is all too often not prosecuted because there is no live video of the crash.  However, that is beginning to change as more riders are wearing or have dash cams on their bikes and drivers are now putting them in their vehicles.

Colorado Rider News will keep you updated on this case.

BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY HOSTS “Stop the CHAOS” Rally despite Colorado Health Event Regulations

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Thousands of Denver residents took Bandimere Speedway’s invitation to attend the “Stop the Chaos” on Tuesday night seriously and came out in droves by cars, motorcycles and by buses.  The event was an expression of “Our God given right to demand a stop to the COVID Chaos Governor Polis has inflicted upon all of us with his Executive Orders and Public Health orders.”

“We are beaten down, but we are not broken,” the family said in a news release. “The support we have received from those who understand civil rights has been remarkable and we will continue to fight on their behalf of all venues.”

Bandimere family

Bandimere violated a Court order over the 4th of July weekend and went ahead with their fireworks display.  Bandimere did not limit the attendance to their holiday event and had record attendance.

The Jefferson County Public Health took the racetrack to court to enforce social distancing requirements at the speedways events and the Judge issued a temporary restraining order limiting their crowd size to 175 people per activity and that fans from different families stay 6 feet apart, which has caused Bandimere to have to cancel many scheduled summer events including the Mile High Nationals one of its’ biggest races of the year for the 2nd time. 

The Bandimere family has said that limiting events to 175 people would put them out of business. They also believe that the governor’s orders are unconstitutional.  The public was invited down to the racing surface to stand in Unity and group photo.

Gov. Polis Orders Bars and Restaurants: Stop serving alcohol after 10pm

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In our last issue we updated our readers that on June 30th Gov. Polis ordered the closing of bars, nightclubs due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases, with the exception of bars that also function as a restaurant could stay open. Luckily for quite a few of our biker related stops such as Dirty Dogs, The Stagecoach, Takoda Tavern and The Piper, food comprises of over 45% of their sales. Our hopes were that they had dodged a big bullet that could have potentially caused many of these establishments to just not re-open at all.

However, on July 21st, Gov Polis struck another blow to bar/restaurants by mandating a 10pm last call for alcohol for 30 days. Bars/restaurants can stay open past 10pm, but they must stop serving alcohol.

The question is what does this mean for our local biker restaurants and bars? I spoke with 2 bar owners in Aurora and Golden who said this will have an adverse effect on their businesses. “We are still trying to overcome the last 60 shutdowns; I don’t know how we will survive this.”  Another bar owner who asked to remain anonymous said, there is no data to support this type of 10pm cut off of alcohol, and it is hard to not feel profiled by the Polis, when you see hundreds of protesters in the 20-29 age bracket protesting every single night. Why can they gather all evening, and our patrons cannot have a beer after 10pm. 

 Polis said he typically disagrees with last call laws that bars, nightclubs, and restaurants must stop serving alcohol at 2 a.m. in Colorado. 

If you want to get drunk, nobody is saying alcohol causes coronavirus, it doesn’t. Have three or four people over in your home, and a small event with them, not 40 people in your home, and not at a bar/restaurant. So, there’s a safer way to do these things in a pandemic. I know part of the fun is being around 80, 100 people, we cannot do that now. Learn the new way, learn to do three, four or five people … have fun in a safe way.

Colorado Governor, Jared Polis

A group of more than 200 bars and restaurants in Colorado filed a lawsuit against Gov. Jared Polis (D) and the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment to block coronavirus guidelines that ban alcohol sales after 10 p.m. and limit capacity.

The Tavern League of Colorado filed the lawsuit on Thursday in a Denver district court, alleging that bars and restaurants have been singled out for “unfair and different treatment” and arguing there is no evidence suggesting they are contributing to the spread of the disease, according to report from Colorado Public Radio.

“We are extremely disappointed with the action Governor Polis took,” Stephanie Fransen Hicks, executive director of the Tavern League, said in a statement. “Restaurants and bars have gone above and beyond to keep both employees and patrons safe and continue to aggressively follow all health and safety guidelines.”

Colorado Rider News will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available.

From the Owner of Wrigley’s Chicago Bar and Grill

By Skip Perry

The 10pm liquor curfew is just an additional means by our democratic government (Polis) to devastate the restaurant and bar industry in Colorado. You would think with the ten-week shut down from March 17th through May 27th the powers that be would help us out in every way possible. According to the CRA (Colorado Restaurant Association) over 20% of Bars and restaurants did not reopen after the initial shut down and with current restrictions upwards of 57% would end up throwing in the towel by the end of September. These are not just small brand-new bars and restaurants that have just opened in the last year or two. Its large restaurants including well known chains, small restaurants, and sadly many Mom & Pop restaurants that have been in business for decades. The reopening in May albeit a joyous announcement at first, came with many dire restrictions that almost certainly will doom many in our industry. The first and most consequential being “occupancy at 25% to 50% of normal with a maximum total of 50-100 customers” depending in which County your business is in. Imagine you are a bigger venue that holds 400-2000 customers, we have the Buff in Golden and so many in Denver, how can you possibly operate and pay bills let alone keep employees? Let us get back to the 25%-50% occupancy put on all of us. What business can stay afloat doing only 50%? 

What if you told your insurance agent, real estate agent, your grocery stores, your gas stations, your airlines, Amazon, Home Depot, etc. they could only service 25-50% of their customers? Do you think they would stay in business? The restaurant industry has a nationwide mortality rate of over 50% for new restaurants after one year and 80% fail by their fifth year. It goes without saying in a perfect economy the restaurant and bar business is as tough to succeed as any business. We in our industry are hanging on by our teeth. We have let many employees go, we have cut back on products making menus smaller, we have made cuts wherever possible to keep our doors open. So, what does the governor do to help us? He says, “you can sell drinks to go so people can drink and drive!” What the hell!!! That is not a help (the rewards are not worth the risk) and puts us at an extremely high risk and makes us vulnerable to lawsuits should accidents happen. When he first announced that new guideline, I said he must be trying to put us out of business!!! Now he comes up with alcohol sales after 10pm are the cause of the rise of covid-19!!! I believe he has a dart board and randomly throws darts every month to see what his next decision will be. Unfortunately, he always manages to hit the bar and restaurant industry. Does he have any accumulated data to validate these new laws? I think not!!! Do people randomly congregate more after 10pm than a normal happy hour 4-6? Do people drink more from 10pm-2am than 6-10pm? Does the Corona Virus wait in hiding and attack at 10:01pm? I wholeheartedly believe these rash decisions do not have any merit and cannot be substantiated with empirical data. In a nutshell the 10pm liquor curfew will take 100’s if not 1000’s of dollars a day away from each owners business in a struggling/dying industry, and will be the straw that breaks the restaurant/bar camel’s back!!!

Lunch at Riverbend Eatery, Bailey

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By Audrey Paulus – Stormy

One Friday afternoon, I took six of my male riding buddies to Bailey to try out The Riverbend Eatery, right along the North Fork of the South Platte River.  Once the owner, Mike Abbondanza, heard the roar of our seven bikes pulling up, he immediately came out to greet us and to make sure we parked next to his Honda Valkyrie.  I enjoy supporting business owners who ride.  I always feel that sharing in a mutual goal with others creates a bonding experience that is based on a support system, which is a healthy way to build upon a relationship with friends.  

We sat on the patio that had an incredible view of the rapids and the forest.  Inside seating is just as good as the outside seating as it has large windows which are wide open in the warmer weather. 

Mike is Italian, so of course, The Riverbend Eatery serves Italian dishes.  We all shared calamari, mussels, caprese salad, raviolis, calzone, and smash burger.  Frank said the burger was incredible and the best he ever had.   Mike boasted, “we often receive unsolicited praise about our cuisine and the dining environment. All of our dishes are “homemade”, and it makes a difference.”

The Riverbend offers 14 beers on tap which is a nice break on a ride to wet your whistle.  They also have a full cocktail and wine selection.

Mike was telling us that he has been serving Italian food/pizza in Colorado since 1980.  Since he is from New York and was having a hard time finding the foods he grew up with, he basically got into the business for that reason.

Since our visit to The Riverbend Eatery, Mike has joined our riding group Cool Biker Lunch & Rides, so we will be seeing him again on some rides.

If you are ever riding through Bailey, stop by The Riverbend Eatery and hang out on the patio and dine on some scrumptious Italian and American cuisine.  We all gave it a thumbs up!

www.riverbendeatery.com 
60006 Us Hwy 285, Bailey Colorado 80421
303-838-0264

Salute to Veterans Rally Canceled

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33rd POW RIDE TO GO ON AS SCHEDULED

In an unexpected announcement last Thursday, the Cripple Creek City Council voted 4 to 1 to cancel the 28th annual Salute to American Veterans Rally, scheduled for August 21-23.

The rally’s founder and organizer, Jim Wear said “This decision completely blindsided us. The city of Cripple Creek approved the event and the sponsorship funding on June 17. Our huge hurdle was then to get approval from the county health department for the gathering.”

After a huge amount of work, rally organizers obtained the coveted county health permit with full approval from state and county health departments. “Most folks thought we’d never get the county permit” said Wear. “We had a solid plan in place which met all the guidelines and we were prepared to keep the crowds outdoors, safe and happy. The last thing we expected was for the city of Cripple Creek to pull the plug.”

City Council woman Meghan Rozell stated that Cripple Creek businesses and residents overwhelmingly wanted the rally canceled due to concerns over COVID-19 and the potential for the Governor to close the casinos down if an outbreak occurred. There was however a lot of feedback which seem to be contrary to Rozell’s supposition. “The first three casino owners we spoke to immediately after the decision told us that no one from the city had contacted them, and that the decision was a complete surprise to them.” Said Wear. “We also heard from many residents that they were upset at the decision.”

The other thing that came to light immediately was that rally attendees were coming anyway in spite of the Rally being canceled. The city of Cripple Creek area hotels have reported almost no room cancellations, and social media indicates that most rally attendees plan to be in Teller County on the weekend. “our belief all along was that after 30 years, the rally has a life of its own and people were coming anyway” said Wear. “We know that this is part of the reason that the county commissioners granted our permit as they understood that we needed to work together to manage the crowd, keep everyone safe, and happy outdoors. Clearly, the city of Cripple Creek did not believe the same to be true.”

Immediately after the announcement came overwhelming pressure from the community of Veterans to keep the 33rd annual POW/MIA recognition ride in place. “The recognition ride is a completely separate entity from the rally.” Said Wear. “As the ride stages in Woodland Park, they issue the permit, and their City Council was unanimously in support of the ride. We also had already put our permit from the Colorado State patrol in place and the Veterans we serve demanded the ride.” Wear added “At a time when millions of protesters nationwide have been not only allowed, but encouraged to gather in protest against America, the police, capitalism and more, it is only right that those of us who love America, the constitution, our flag and mean to celebrate our freedom would be allowed to gather, peacefully and in much smaller numbers, then those who mean to show their disdain for our country.”

Additional annual rally features that are still in place and will not be canceled include the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association POKER RUN, Friday in Cripple Creek, the “Red Friday” T-shirt giveaway in downtown Woodland Park, and the dedication of a bronze plaque to a fallen Marine in Cripple Creek city Park at 1 PM Saturday. “Chuck Geertz died on his motorcycle after last year’s rally. Chuck was a proud and loyal American who dedicated his life to serving his fellow veterans after he retired from the military.” Said Wear. “Like so many we have heard from, Chuck’s family told us that they were coming anyway as their flight and hotel reservations were in place. We decided then and there that we would be honoring Chuck and dedicating his bronze plaque on our memorial in Cripple Creek’s city park as planned.” Wear added “There are many things that City Council can hold back. There are also many things that they cannot stop from happening. Our rights to assemble, ride our motorcycles on our POW/MIA Memorial Highway and honor those veterans who so gallantly gave us our freedom will not be withheld.”

In closing, Wear added “No one can cancel FREEDOM.”

For more information on what is and what is not happening with the ride and the rally go to www.theveteransrally.org

Ride to Guanella Pass Brewery

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By Audrey Paulus – Stormy

It was a fun Friday afternoon when Steve Skalski, owner of Guanella Pass Brewery, led the Cool Biker Lunch & Rides riding group and myself through Guanella Pass in Grant all the way to historic Georgetown to his brewery.  Guanella Pass Scenic Byway is one of my favorite rides.  The spectacular panoramic views of Mt. Bierstadt and the accompanying range is a must see, especially on a bike.  Steve is an avid rider and rides a 2015 Road King.  Steve’s mantra is where you drink your beer is just as important as what beer you are drinking.  We all loved the open-air taproom and patio!  This area will eventually connect to expansion space scheduled to be completed this summer that will include craft cocktails, wine, and a full kitchen.  

Two current featured beers are the Colorado Strong Pale Ale, of which a portion of revenue goes to front-line COVID-19 responders that has been brewed by 125 Colorado breweries using all Colorado grain, as well as Guanella Pass’ own summer favorite Raspberry Blonde Ale.  I had the Snowflake Seltzer, a hard seltzer brewed at the brewery.  Current flavor is passion fruit!  

We were blessed to have met Parker the Snow Dog who was sworn in as the honorary mayor of Georgetown, Colorado, on February 11, 2019.  Parker sat at the head of the table and posed for pictures with us.

I learned that Steve also just opened his second taproom and kitchen in Empire, Colorado at the foot of Berthoud Pass that has a back deck with mountain views and a full kitchen (espresso bar, breakfast, lunch and dinner) as well as the same great Guanella Pass beers found in Georgetown.  Born and raised in Detroit, Steve’s specialty is Detroit Style Pizza.  That will be our next riding excursion because no matter which mountain pass you are riding over, both locations make for a great stop. 

Guanella Pass Brewing
501 Rose St, Georgetown, CO
(303) 569-5167