Colorado Rider News

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Colorado Rider News and Motorcycle Rider News Merge to bring you more updates and events

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By Laurie Montoya, Editor, and Publisher

Colorado Rider News and Motorcycle Rider News have MERGED to bring you a more regional and national look at motorcycle riding and what is going on in your area and nationwide. In March 2022, you will begin to see more diverse coverage, more writing contributors, and a more in-depth event calendar for those who take road trips and attend rallies all over the country.

What does this mean to you the reader? MRN will break down our articles and advertising by regions: West Coast, Rocky Mountain, Midwest, Southwest, and Northeast to still bring you the local coverage, but give you the ability to read about national news by region.

Audrey Paulus
Morning Stretch
Stretch is a new inspirational writer to CRN and avid rider in the biker community

Since 2018, Colorado Rider News has brought the Colorado powersports community great articles event coverage and focused on biker-owned businesses within our Colorado community. Publications have gotten slick and filled with so much advertising that you can get thru an issue in a few minutes. With the help of writers Audrey Paulus, Belt Drive Betty, and Morning Stretch with Stretch McClure our writers gave you the pulse and information you wanted to read about. Our success has resulted from our grassroots effort to go back to what Powersports publications used to be….things that matter to the rider.

As Editor and Publisher, it was vital to me to get motorcycle awareness out, keep riders safer on the road, and hopefully give them things to think about when or how they ride. This type of monthly publication isn’t easy, and being smaller our publications stayed more with local advertisers who helped get our message out. It was more important this publication wrote the stories we wanted to write and that readers wanted to read.

In 2020, we launched Motorcycle Rider News in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a year-round motorcycle riding and ATVing community with an old western flare. There are so many national parks, including the grand canyon to visit. Most traveling to California or the west coast tend to ride right thru, but our publication focused on great overnight day trips that riders can take to see all that Nevada and Arizona have to offer.

Shannon “Dazzlin” Ventoro
Nichol Jackie Zamora

MRN worked with great writers who had the pulse on the powersports community, such as Shannon “Dazzlin” Venturo and Nichol Jackie Zamora, who brought to the publication the charitable aspect of what the riding community does every week to help!

The pandemic brought many challenges to keeping these publications going, and our online publication has seen rapid growth and increased followers on social media. Therefore, we have decided to merge the publications and publish 2-3 hard copy issues each year and bring more content thru our website and social media.

We want to THANK each and every reader for their commitment to CRN and MRN and we hope that this new venture will enable us to bring you more and better content, and reach a larger demographic of riders.

Preview – 2022 Colorado Motorcycle Expo

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/588258155/

Colorado Rider News is proud to host the Expo guide for the 2022 Colorado Motorcycle Expo.

Want to know who is VENDING?

Plan out your strategy for seeing everything?

Here is a preview of all that is going on at the Colorado Motorcycle Expo – click here

Denver Judge Clears The way for The Broncos To Be Sold

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DENVER (CBS4) – A Denver judge ruled Tuesday that the Denver Broncos can be sold. A holdings group was petitioning the court that they had the right of first refusal to any possible sale.

(Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Sources tell CBS4 that Denver County Judge Shelly Gilman ruled “the right of first refusal… between Edgar F. Kaiser Jr. and Patrick D. Bowlen… is no longer valid or enforceable in any respect.”

The ruling clears the way for Broncos President/CEO Joe Ellis to lead the process of a team sale without interference from the Kaiser group, ROFR Holdings.

The Broncos are expected to sell for as much as $4 billion, which would set a record for sale price for an American professional sports team. The current record is $2.275 billion, set when hedge fund manager David Tepper bought the Carolina Panthers in 2018

Article provided MSN.COM

Colorado Motorcycle Expo Moved to February 19th and 20th Due to COVID Mandates

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The annual Colorado Motorcycle Expo was scheduled for January 29th and 30th and has now been moved to February 19th and 20th, 2022. This change was prompted by the State of Colorado’s vaccine mandate for indoor crowds larger than 500 people, as well as the surge of COVID cases in the state of Colorado and the staffing shortages this surge has presented.

The mandate will expire on February 3, 2022; thus, it will not impact the February dates. Additionally, Scott Schulz has proactively applied for a variance to the ordinance, which they anticipate will be granted should the mandate be extended through February. They have carefully thought through all the potential conflicts this will pose to our many dedicated vendors, who have committed or were planning on attending later this month. They have reached out to all the vendors, sponsors and this decision was an absolute last resort.

They feel very confident that despite disruptions to travel arrangements and the logistical challenges this may bring, these new dates will allow for a much better experience for attendees and vendors alike. In addition to the COVID restrictions being lessened in February, they strongly believe they will have a much better turnout from the public as this gives us even more time to promote the event and to ensure everything is in place to make this show bigger and better than ever!!

Unlike in previous years, having the Expo during a holiday weekend will allow them more flexibility with our schedule, particularly on Sunday, February 20th when they can have more flexibility to extend hours or even have some sort of event that evening. With Monday being a holiday, they definitely have more options and fewer conflicts!.

The Expo is fully committed to making this transition as seamless as possible for all of you, and we will be announcing more details and exciting plans for the new dates in the coming days.

They asked me to apologize on behalf of the Expo for any inconvenience this may cause and again assure you this was a forced decision.  Also, if you are trying to call us them with questions, please be patient and understand that they are being inundated with phone calls and there are only a staff of 2 of them trying to respond. And as you can imagine, with such limited notice, they are working through many logistical challenges themselves.  We know that email can be annoying, but you may possibly receive a quicker response that way.

On behalf of Colorado Rider News, I commend Scott and Christy Schulz for having to make this painful decision and think about the safety of attendees and put on the best Expo that they can. This is the 3rd year they have attempted to host this event, and last year, it had to be canceled, so it is so very important that WE as a biker community understand and stand by them.

The 36th Annual Children’s Hospital Toy Run is BACK – Run Scheduled for December 12th

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In December, the Toy Run at Children’s Hospital is one of the biggest gatherings of motorcycle riders in Colorado.  For 36 years, bikers have been like the postal service; they would ride their bikes and deliver the toys in rain, snow, sleet, or hail. 

If you haven’t attended this event, there is nothing like the kids at Children’s Hospital steaming up the windows and waving to the bikes as they pull thru the main hospital entrance.  They know when they hear those Harley engines roar, toys are on the way.

I am happy to report that after a year of COVID modifications and mandates, THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TOY RUN IS BACK and set for December 12th, 2021.

Riders will still see some changes, but the time-honored traditions you have come to expect are back.  The big one is that we will all be gathering at Aurora Sports Park again. The first bike in at 8:00 a.m.  

Breakfast, hot coffee, and chocolate will be at the Park all morning, donated by RiderJustice.com and BikerDown Foundation. There will be multiple ride-through toy drop-off lanes, along with lots of greeters in the East parking lot. Procession to the hospital as in the past will begin around 10:00 a.m.

Due to current health restrictions only, patient family members are allowed inside the hospital at this time. Riders will then be directed out of the hospital and are invited to attend the after-party celebration at Mile High Harley-Davidson in Aurora. All riders, all brands, and all clubs are welcome and encouraged to participate in all activities. 

This year, pre-registration will be digital (online) with wristband pickup and pin pickup (pins can be purchased online or in-person) at several dealerships around town and at the Sports Park day-of.

For more detail, contact Robby Farrow at Mile High. It will be an excellent event for the kids and the riders, as always (the 36th year), benefiting Children’s Hospital Colorado!

Dirty Dogs Roadhouse – Celebrates 4-year anniversary October 16th

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By Laurie Montoya

When Mark and Rob ventured into the transformation of our beloved Susie’s bar, no one could have imagined the Dirty Dogs Roadhouse that it is today.  A biker bar that is more to us than a bar to catch a quick drink, grab a bite to eat, and hit the road again.  Dirty Dogs Roadhouse is our HOME. 

There hasn’t been a time in the past 4 years that I haven’t walked in and saw someone I knew who said hello.  It reminds me of the TV show Cheers back in the day when Norm would walk in, and everyone said, “Hey Norm.”    It is a place where everyone knows your name, and if you are riding alone or feeling lonely, you can ride up to Dirty Dogs and see someone you haven’t seen in years and melt the stress of live away.

In 2017, so much work went into the first wave of renovations of the original Susies’ building neglected and renovated by others for years.  It would require more than repainting.   Dirty Dogs had to have a certain biker flair but keep the same vision of the Susie’s we loved.  The biker community didn’t disappoint and supported and packed Dirty Dogs from the moment that it opened.

In late 2017-2018, came Mark and Rob’s vision to create an outdoor patio area that could accommodate the overwhelming number of riders coming in on the weekends.  For months, customers would go just to watch Mark, Bart & Rob doing the improvements themselves, and you could see the excitement each week as another intricate piece of wall or concrete was poured.

In 2019, the 3rd wave was the outdoor stage area that would enable Mark & Rob to bring bigger entertainment and host multiple riding events simultaneously.  The 4th wave was the upper parking lot to allow more riders and vehicles to park safely.

Dirty Dogs is also where most in our community will start or end their charity rides or hold our parties.  Dirty Dogs Roadhouse is also where we have mourned the loss of the bikers that we have lost over the years.  Munky Mark was taken from our biker community 2 years ago, and it was standing room only as we laughed, cried, and remembered a life that was taken from us too soon!  Mark and Rob ensured that Munky’s beloved bike will forever be displayed at Dirty Dogs for his years of service to the community and love and friendship to all of us. 

The history and biker memorabilia around the bars leave no open space, and there is always something that takes us back to a time when Freedom of the Ride was FREE.  Dirty Dogs brings the best entertainment and great food, including their new BBQ trailer.

Biker bars like this are rare, and for Dirty Dogs to have not only shown impressive growth over the years (with more to come in 2022) but to have also survived the pandemic with little to no income and rapidly changing restrictions from the health department, shows their management is solid. The biker community will support Dirty Dogs thru thick and thin.

Dirty Dogs will be hosting their 4th Anniversary Birthday party on October 16th so SAVE THE DATE and Thank you, Dirty Dogs, for giving the biker community in Denver a place to call HOME! Please enjoy this 3-page spread honoring the growth of Dirty Dogs Roadhouse

Do You Know What a Blue Halloween Buck Means?

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Article Contributor: Nichole Zamora

It is almost that fun time of the year when kids dress up in their favorite costumes and go door to door chanting “Trick or Treat“! If you’re lucky, you will get a “Thank you” before they zoom off to the next house, giggling and checking their buckets to see what they got.

What about the kids who show up at your door and do not have a costume on? Or those that show up to your door and do not say “Trick or Treat” or “Thank You”? What do you do when kids that aren’t small kids, but still are waiting for you to drop that piece of candy in their bucket? 

It’s possible that an adult child or quiet child might have autism and be non-verbal.  If a trick or treater comes up with a blue Halloween bucket, do you know what that means?  We live in a different time, and we need to all become more aware that trick-or-treaters at your door may have different needs.

Alicia Plumber started an amazing trend in 2018 for her 20-year-old son BJ, who was autistic and non-verbal, just by a social media post:

Whether you’re out and about this Halloween or staying home to hand out sweets to well-costumed kiddos, you might spot a blue pumpkin today — whether it’s a plastic version used as a sweets-holder or carved and sitting outside someone’s home. This isn’t just a fun style choice. A blue pumpkin symbolizes autism and will be carried by trick or treaters to signal that they may have certain needs.

“This trend seems to be gaining momentum. As the general public becomes more aware of it, we think it could be a wonderful way for kids —the little ones and the bigger ones—to participate in Halloween festivities without the judgment that they sometimes face in social situations,” Wendy Fournier, president of the National Autism Association, stated in a recent Newsweek article.

For those who choose to use them, the blue buckets could provide a subtle, dignified way of alerting people that this child or young adult may not be able to make eye contact, or tolerate wearing a mask, or even say ‘thank you’, but they certainly deserve to enjoy the fun of Halloween as much as everyone else,” she added.

“1 in 160 children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASDs begin in childhood and tend to persist into adolescence and adulthood. While some people with ASD can live independently, others have severe disabilities and require life-long care and support,” the World Health Organization (WHO) reports.

Halloween’s history is for adults and children of all ages to have a night of fun, so keep the true spirit of Halloween and just give from your heart and have a variety of treats, even some available for kids that can’t have sweets.

Letter from the Publisher – We Must Never Forget 9/11

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Laurie Montoya, Publisher

It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.   I know that most of us can remember exactly where we were on that day and how they frantically rushed home to be with their families to ensure that we were all together, as none of us knew what the future held.

Everything changed on 9/11, and it made us understand that there will always be evil in this world and that we must fight that fight abroad and not in our country. It was a time in our country where we all flew a flag on our homes, cars/trucks, and for a very short time, it was us against evil.  

For 20 years, our country hasn’t had an attack of that magnitude, and it seems that pride in our country has faded.  We spend more time arguing and being divided than we are doing to be proud to be American.  There is a reason that millions flock to the United States every year because whether you agree with the government or your neighbor, you have a right to express your opinion and voice against your government.

Colorado Rider News wanted to commemorate the 20th anniversary of this devastating attack and losses with remembrance photographs and a timeline to remind us of the sacrifices that so many made and the lives lost.   Some riders will read this publication that wasn’t born before 2001, and hopefully, they will learn that this country should be more united than divided moving forward

In Colorado, our community annually honors these lives lost in rides and personal remembrance.  Since 9/11, we want to thank those who have served for protecting our freedom by attending the  Colorado 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Red Rocks.  This event is a way to connect, honor, and remember the FDNY firefighters who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live on 9-11-2001.  Each participant pays tribute to an FDNY firefighter by climbing the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center.   We must also not forget the brave souls of Flight 93 that overcame the terror.  Mile-High Harley-Davidson will also be hosting first responders, fire, and police at the Aurora dealership with a free BBQ meal, compliments of Taste of Texas BBQ.

Colorado Rider News and BikerDown Foundation will be compiling a team of other motorcycle riders to come and climb these stairs to honor the fallen and veteran and active military that have fought for our freedom and keeping terrorism at bay from our country.

This will be a day of hope and healing, remembrance and reflection, honoring the heroes, victims, and resilient spirit of everyone affected by 9/11.

Please ride safe out there!

Laurie Montoya

Publisher

Colorado Rider News

info@coloradoridernews.com

Thunder in the Rockies is CANCELLED For 2021.

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Thunder Harley-Davidson announced today that due to circumstances beyond their control such as COVID concerns, staffing, and supply issues, they sadly must cancel their Annual Thunder in the Rockies for 2021. This will be the 2nd year in a row that Thunder Mountain has had to cancel, however, this publication commends them for doing what they felt was best for the community, as well as not settling on an event that doesn’t meet the standards of what attendees are used to.

Here is their post on their ThunderInTheRockies.com website:

a group of rvs parked outside a building

THUNDER IN THE ROCKIES 2021 CANCELLED


We are heartbroken to announce the cancellation of the 2021 Thunder in the Rockies bike rally. This extremely difficult decision was made based on many factors including potential restrictions and entertainer concerns related to the most recent rise in Covid-19 cases. Lack of support due to supply chain issues and labor/inventory shortages throughout our vendor, sponsor, and business partner communities were additional factors.

All 2021 concert tickets purchased through our official Ticketweb outlet will automatically be refunded within 30 days. Any tickets purchased at Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson can be turned in at the Thunder Mountain front desk for a refund anytime within the next 30 days.

The Forever Family Ride will still happen on Monday, Sept 6th. It is very important to the Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson team to support Realities for Children and encourage our customers to get out in the fresh air and ride! Check-in and breakfast will begin at 9 AM at Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson, kickstands up at 10:30 AM. More information can be found at www.ForeverFamilyRide.com.

We have extended our Bike Night series an additional week to hold the 2021 Harley-Davidson Pan America giveaway. This event will be our last Bike Night of the season at Thunder Mountain Amphitheatre on Thursday, September 2, 2021, from 6 PM to 9 PM. The raffle prize drawing will be held promptly at 7:30 PM and the bike giveaway qualifier drawing/key turn at 8:30 PM. You must be present to win for both drawings.


The 2022 Thunder in the Rockies planning is already well underway so mark your calendars, Labor Day Weekend (Sept 2-5, 2022). We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your support. Ride safe!


THUNDER IN THE ROCKIES
4250 Byrd Drive
Loveland, CO 80538
Phone: (866) 646-6296
Fax: (970) 292-0440
For Questions Contact:
marketing@thundermountainharley.com

Rider Justice Partners with Four Corners Motorcycle Rally

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Rider Justice is proud to announce our partnership with Four Corners Motorcycle Rally, an event with a storied past and an exciting future!

Founded by Ben Nighthorse Campbell – “The Harley-Riding Senator” – The Four Corners Motorcycle Rally draws riders from around the country. And, because 2020 was so hard, we expect this year to be bonkers fun, like a family reunion!

The annual event is held every Labor Day weekend in Durango, CO. 2021, Labor Day Weekend and the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally action will be on Friday, September 3 through Sunday, September 5 and the festivities will include:

  • Races
  • Stunt Shows
  • Bike Shows
  • Bike Giveaway: 2020 Harley-Davidson Street Glide from Quaid Harley-Davidson
  • Million Dollar Highway Ride: Colorado’s famous highway includes 284 turns in less than 80 miles, running near old mining towns, over 10,000-foot passes and through the gorgeous San Juan Mountain Range.

Watch the official website for hotel packages, camping and the full event schedule.

A Rally with a Special History

Originally called the “Iron Horse Motorcycle Rally,” this event was launched in the early 90s as the brainchild of Senator Campbell, who was a lifelong rider and understood not only the vibrant motorcycle community, but also the economic impact of great rallies and rides. Sadly, after several decades of success, managerial infighting brought the event to its knees by 2017.

That’s when John M. Oakes, owner of Freeze Management, and friend of owner of Durango Harley-Davidson, Trevor Bird, purchased the rights to run the event. And they are people with big plans and big hearts.

The Four Corners Motorcycle Rally has a long history of fundraising for various causes. One of this year’s benefiting nonprofits is the Warrior Built Foundation, which honors the service and sacrifice of combat veterans and wounded service members by providing vocational and recreational opportunities. Learn more by watching this video. As well, Building Homes for Heroes as a national organization has gifted over 300 mortgage free homes to Veterans. Four Corners Motorcycle Rally with other community businesses is committed to raising funds to building a mortgage free home in the Durango area through various annual fundraisers until they meet their goal.

Oakes said, “This event has a long history of supporting our nation’s heroes. It’s one of the many reasons I wanted to grow it back to its original, proud roots as a destination rally for motorcyclists from around the country. The location is spectacular, everyone needs to ride to Colorado and hit the Million Dollar Highway.”

Scott O’Sullivan, founder of Rider Justice, loves the story and the cause behind this historic rally.

“There is no community on the planet more generous and heartfelt than motorcycle riders,” said O’Sullivan. “I am so proud to partner with John Oakes and Durango Harley-Davidson to help make this event amazing and to raise as much money for great causes as we possibly can.”

This Rally’s Got It All

While the main hub of the rally will be in Durango, specifically around Durango Harley-Davidson and the Million Dollar Highway Saloon, events will be held all over town and throughout the region, including:

  • Sky Ute Casino
  • Downtown Durango
  • La Plata County Fairgrounds
  • Purgatory Resort

Participants will enjoy Hooligan Racing, concerts, stunt shows, charity rides, bike shows, Wheelie Pig’s Hill Climb Challenge, a fishing derby, camping and more. Less than 70 miles away, Four Corners Monument enables you to stand in the only place in the country where four states meet: Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. You can also plan to visit the astonishing Mesa Verde National Park just an hour’s drive away.

Watch the official Four Corners Motorcycle Rally website for updates as our plans unfold! YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THE PARTY IN DURANGO!