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Bikers Lives Matter Blocking Team

July 14, 2021 By Laurie Montoya Leave a Comment

By Laurie Montoya, BikerDown Foundation

There is nothing more fulfilling than organizing a charity motorcycle ride and having riders show up! All weekend riders pay for the privilege of riding on majestic Colorado roads to help every type of cause or charity.

The planning involved in putting together a safe ride is very time-consuming, it is so much more than if we route it….they will come. I have been preaching for years to organized charity rides and events that you must have more than just a first aid kit on a ride, you must have a moral compass and level of responsibility when putting a ride together.

When you are sponsoring or promoting a ride, you are taking the lives of those riders into your hands, waivers are of course signed, and every rider should ride their own ride, but it is important that organizers think about their ride and do everything possible to ensure SAFETY FIRST.

BIKERS LIVES MATTER BLOCK TEAM

Blocking or Leapfrogging is a term that most will not recognize unless you have done it. The purpose of those terms is to get groups of riders thru intersections and not break up the group. There are many that don’t feel bikers should be blocking intersections. I am a proponent of safety first and apologies later. I would rather see a group of 100 riders make it to their destination than worry about upsetting a few drivers who are inconvenienced for a few moments.

In 2020, Lyndell “Fuzz” Elliott founded Bikers Lives Matter Blocking Team with a few of his friends. His sole purpose was to help BikerDown and a few other charity rides he attended with a team of blockers that shared the same vision of motorcycle safety in a group setting and to have a Facebook page where others could volunteer to assist him. Fuzz has a long history in the biker community and has ridden on many charity rides in Colorado and has seen the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY when it comes to things that can go wrong on a ride.

MOLLY-DHARMA RIDE

A few weeks ago, I broke out and attended the 15^th Annual Molly-Dharma Motorcycle charity run. If you have never run this ride, put it on your calendar for 2022. This event supports a variety of no-kill shelters in our community and draws a large crowd every year. There were puppies and dogs/cats looking for their forever family running around the Resolute Brewery in Arvada, and it took all my strength not to bring Gerda home for Noel.

150 riders attended this ride which started in Arvada and then headed up Coal Creek Canyon, a route that can be challenging for a large group of riders.

Prior to the ride leaving, I watched Jeff Busch and Fuzz, detail every stop, and turn along the route and the duties and responsibilities of the Bikers Lives Blocking Team. These types of pre-ride meetings can seem overzealous at times, and too much information for others who just came to ride. However, watching Fuzz and Jeff layout everyone’s responsibility is something that most riders don’t get to see which is the goal of a good ride.

The weather was warming up and Fuzz and Jeff did the safety meeting to the crowd, and I thought to myself, guy’s you are going too long…you are losing the crowd. This ride thru Coal Creek has a lot of sharp curves at 10-15 mph and it was important that riders understand and be prepared for the ride ahead.

My responsibilities during the ride was to ride behind approximately 10 blockers (which to me, seemed like way too many) and when we did the 3 designated hard stops, I was supposed to leave enough room for the blockers to get back in the front. I was up to the task but nervous as I have never had that level of responsibility.

As we proceeded thru Coal Creek it became clear that had any of the riders listened to the safety meeting, they should now be prepared for the tight curves and to watch their speed. I would glance in my rear-view mirror and could see that everyone was leaving enough room and being patient with other riders that may not have had their skill level.

As we proceeded to the first hard stop Hwy 72 meets Hwy 119 – the road gets quite steep to the intersection, so the blocker in front of me stopped about 75 yards before the intersection. I began to understand right away that the pre-riders had decided that they didn’t want the riders to come to a full stop on such a steep road. I did my job and stopped the riders about 10 feet away from that blocker. Suddenly all the blockers caught up and several went ahead to the intersection. This break also gave all the riders time to catch up so that when we turned, we could get everyone thru at 1 time.

Our ride on Hwy 119 to Black Hawk was beautiful and the weather while warm was cooler than in Denver and we all really began to enjoy the ride. However, I still was pondering why did we have so many blockers in the front. I was given my answer when we entered Black Hawk and I began to see Fuzz designate each blocker to go to each of the 3 intersections and block so that 150 riders could get thru with ease. Hard Stop #2 was at Johnny Z’s Shell Station on our way down and again, my job was to stop and leave enough room for all the blockers in Black Hawk to catch back up and get in line.

I won’t finish the number of incidents where the blockers made sure the group got safely to the END stop. What was noticeably clear to me was how important it is to have a good blocking TEAM with you on an organized ride. The precision and planning to ensure that 150 riders didn’t get lost or left behind made the event all that more enjoyable for everyone. Riders at the end of the event kept commenting that the ride was great and how much they enjoyed themselves.

These are the comments that you want when hosting a charity ride. A ride was so enjoyable that riders will come back the next year and support you again. A huge thank you to Jeff Bush and Fuzz and their team of riders with Bikers Lives Matter Blocking Team.

The TEAM has accumulated quite a resume of rides that they have blocked for including

International Female Ride,
Cruizin for Kruzer,
BikerDown’s 9^th Annual Look Twice Save a Life ride; and
15^th Annual Molly-Dharma Motorcycle ride.

A special thanks and honorable mention to their TEAM members including

Fuzz,
shiner
Steve Cox,
Superman John Dentin Asdourian ,
kickstand Joe Rivera,
Rick Bouska,
Jeff Bush,
Michael Valles

And a special thanks to the Team for Molly-Dharma included

Rob Bagforb
Jake Marr
Charles Holland Jr
Joey Hackney
Dave Wynn
Chad McCullough
Randy Barnett

Morning Stretch – Thoughts & Inspirations

July 14, 2021 By Laurie Montoya Leave a Comment

By: Stretch McClure

With all the crap going on in this world, people are offended by everything. To me, too many people have that “want everything for nothing attitude!” The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!

It is the possibility that keeps us going, and though you may call me a dreamer or a fool or any other thing, I believe that anything is possible. Well done is better than well said. So believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who said it, no matter if I have said it unless it agrees with your reason and your own common sense.

The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most challenging thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t let them put you in that position. If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying.

There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever. It is not the failure of others to appreciate the abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs. Nothing will work unless you do! If people refuse to look at you in a new light and they can only see you for what you were, only see you for the mistakes you’ve made, if they don’t realize that you are not your mistakes, then they have to go.

Then, start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible! Sometimes it’s not enough to know what things mean. Sometimes you have to know what things don’t mean.

Be safe and keep the shiny side up!

Sober Souls MC – Celebrate 30 Years – Saturday, July 17th

July 14, 2021 By Laurie Montoya Leave a Comment

On behalf of Colorado Rider News and BikerDown Foundation, a special Thank You and Congratulations to the Sober Souls, MC for 30 years in the motorcycle community. I personally want to let you know how much I appreciate all that you have done to help people with their battle of sobriety. Your support for BikerDown over the 10 years has never gone unnoticed.

Got Motorcycle Towing/Roadside Assistance Coverage?

July 14, 2021 By Laurie Montoya Leave a Comment

By Michael Levy (Owner of Rider Rescue Denver)

In Colorado, Tows Can Cost you a Small Fortune… If you don’t have the right tow coverage.

(But with the right info, you can get your tows for FREE OR reimbursed in FULL)

Colorado is one of the most expensive places in the country to have your motorcycle towed. But if you have the correct type of roadside assistance coverage, you can make towing your motorcycle (when you need it) a whole lot less financially painful.

But you may also be asking why towing rates are going up… when Munky Mark was able to tow people in town, at really reasonable rates? Since Munky (God rest his crazy soul) passed away, gas/diesel costs have more than doubled, liability insurance for tow providers has skyrocketed, and traffic in and around Denver has only gotten more atrocious.

The other reason why motorcycle tows in Colorado are so expensive is those beautiful mountains to the west of us, where we all want to ride. Unfortunately, if you have a mechanical breakdown or get a flat tire in the mountains, there are very few places in the mountains where you can get that sort of work done. So unless you have a buddy with a truck or trailer (who is willing to come to get you), you are going to have to call a tow truck to come up the mountain and then haul you and your bike a bunch of miles BACK down the hill.

Below is the INSIDE SCOOP on how to get most of your motorcycle tows for free or reimbursed in full.

Step 1: Get a Biker Down Membership

For $35.00 per year, you can have the BD Roadside membership that gives riders nationwide motorcycle roadside assistance

Why? Because Biker Down does so much for riders in need when they have accidents and are having difficulty taking care of themselves and their families. Additionally, your Biker Down membership comes included with 1 or 2 tows with a $150 Benefit Limit. Generally speaking, a $150 Benefit limit will get you an approximate 15-mile tow in town. Always know that mileage and prices will vary depending upon a number of factors. As a general rule, the further away you are from the tow truck driver and the bigger the pain in the ass the tow is, the more the tow could cost. To join, please click here

Step 2: Add Roadside Assistance Coverage to Your Insurance Policy!

Why?: Trust me, and do it, TODAY. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Just add roadside/towing coverage to your insurance policy, NOW. Depending upon who you are insured by, your insurance company’s roadside assistance coverage could cover most of your tow costs reimbursed to you in full. This coverage is as low as $7 with Progressive, $14 with Geico and comes included with State Farm motorcycle policies (IF you have “comprehensive” coverage on your policy). Just add roadside assistance coverage to your policy TODAY. If your insurance company does not offer roadside coverage, consider switching to a company that does. If you are going to use your insurance company to get your towing bill reimbursed, remember to call your preferred motorcycle towing specialist first… to make sure that your bike does NOT get jacked up by a towing company (that your insurance company wants you to use) who may not have the proper motorcycle specific equipment or expertise to tow your bike).

Step 3: Add at least one more layer of roadside assistance / towing coverage to your MacGyver Rider Emergency Tool Box

Why?: Because when you live in Colorado and ride motorcycles, you can easily find yourself getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, where you are more than 100 miles from the closest shop. And believe me when I tell you that I have towed folks where the round trip was more than 300 miles… where the tow bill was $1,000 or more. So if you ever find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere, you will want to make sure that you have multiple layers of coverage, IF and WHEN you might need it. Here are some of the additional roadside assistance options you might want to consider adding to your bag of motorcycle tricks:

AAA: Not cheap, but they have coverage options that will tow you up to 100 miles

AMA: Great industry group that fights for our motorcycle rights. Towing up to 35 miles

Factory Roadside Assistance Programs: Harley’s come with the first tow of up to $100 included with your HOG membership. New Indian Motorcycles come with at least 50 miles of tow coverage for at least the first year. And new BMW Motorcycle owners are covered for at least 100 miles of range for the first 3 years of ownership.

Step 4: Call your preferred motorcycle towing specialist FIRST!

Why?: Because that’s who you should call when you don’t want your bike jacked up by a tow vendor who does NOT know how to secure a motorcycle properly. When you reach your preferred motorcycle tow specialist first (with the right roadside coverage in place)… you will likely get most or ALL of your tow bills reimbursed in full.

When using your motorcycle tow specialist, always make sure to get a receipt for your tow bill to present that to your insurance company to have them reimburse you.

Editors Note: A very special THANK YOU to Michael Levy, from Rider Rescue who wrote this amazing article and still promoted competitors towing businesses. To me, this is about the biker code and Michael is showing that it is more important for a rider to be safe off the road than it is to make the mighty dollars.

World Record Poker Run 2021 Comes to Dirty Dogs Roadhouse On Way to Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

July 14, 2021 By Laurie Montoya Leave a Comment

On August 4th, over 140 Registered riders who started in Florida will be making a pit stop in Golden, Colorado, at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse. These riders began their ride to break the World Record Poker Run on July 30th, and on August 3^rd, riders will arrive in Durango for their 2^nd to last poker card stop.

On August 4th^, they will navigate the Million Dollar Highway to Grand Junction, up I70, and ending in beautiful Golden, Colorado, at the infamous Dirty Dogs Roadhouse.

A Moto Meetup Party and Fundraiser for BikerDown Foundation has been planned for the evening of the 4th at 6:00 pm at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse, 17999 W. Colfax Ave.

These riders voted to re-route their journey to come thru Golden and up thru I-25 to see the #1 Biker Bar in Colorado. So let’s show them a BIG COLORADO WELCOME by coming out to Dirty Dogs on the 4^th.

While riding to break the World Record is a big deal, all these riders are also riding to support the BikerDown Foundation and help this 501c3 organization help more riders nationwide. Funds raised thru this poker run and sponsors will replenish the national accident fund to enable BikerDown to reach more injured riders.

For 11 years, BikerDown has worked within the state of Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. The Biker Badgers have a massive network of riders all over the country, and BikerDown with the assistance of this network is being recognized on a more national stage.

Everyone is invited to come to meet some of their favorite moto vloggers and Facebook personalities. The Moto Meetups along the World Record Poker Run Route are open to anyone who wants to come party. Bikers wishing to join the official riders on their way to Sturgis for the Rally will sign a Guest Book and are encouraged to donate BikerDown.org to participate.

Avalanche HD Giveaway at Black Hawk Ameristar – 2 Weeks Until the Drawing

June 19, 2021 By Colorado Rider News Leave a Comment

The weather is HOT and riders are heading up the mountains to beat the heat. If you are riding thru the mountains and ride thru Black Hawk, be sure to make a pitstop at Ameristar in BlackHawk and check out the Avalanche Harley-Davidson motorcycle promotions they have going on until July 3rd.

This Friday, I headed up to see some friends at Ameristar and try my luck at a few slot machines. As i came thru security, i couldn’t help but see the magnificent collection of Harley-Davidson motorcycles displayed.

The concept is simple, All mychoice® members get on free entry. For more entries, play June 1 – July 3. Every 10 tier points earned is an additional entry.

From Tuesday thru Friday you can boost your entry earnings by playing on entry multiplier days!

Tuesdays = 2X Entries
Wednesdays = 3X Entries
Thursdays = 4X Entries
Fridays = 5X Entries

Plus, on Saturdays, Advantage, Preferred, Elite and Owners Club members can claim bonus entries at any promotional kiosk!
Advantage = 250 bonus entries
Preferred = 500 bonus entries
Elite = 1,000 bonus entries
Owners Club = 1,500 bonus entries

See mychoice Center for complete details.

Why We Honor Memorial Day

June 2, 2021 By Laurie Montoya Leave a Comment

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and while this year’s holiday looked different because of the state of the world, Memorial Day is still a very important commemoration. But how many people really know why we celebrate Memorial Day in the first place?

Well, a new poll by University of Phoenix finds a lot of Americans are clueless to the fact that it’s a holiday to honor military members who gave their life serving in the armed forces.

In fact, only:

43% of Americans know that’s the true reason for Memorial Day.
28% of Americans look at Memorial Day like Veteran’s Day, a day where we honor all military veterans, not just the ones who lost their lives serving our country.
36% of people admit they are unsure of the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day.
46% of Americans know Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday in May.
21% thought it fell on the last Sunday of May.
83% of people believe it’s important to do something to commemorate the day.

Among the ways Americans plan to celebrate this year:

43% – Fly a flag, leave a flag or flowers on the grave of someone who died serving in the U.S. Armed Forces
30% – Attend a local ceremony or patriotic event
30% – Fly a flag at half-mast
29% – Visit a military monument or war memorial monument
27% – Educate my children about the meaning of Memorial Day
25% – Wear a Memorial Day button
24% – Aid a family who lost someone serving in the U.S. Armed Forces
22% – Educate myself about the meaning of Memorial Day
22% – Memorial Day is a solemn day of remembrance for everyone who has died serving in the American armed forces.

The holiday, originally known as Decoration Day, started after the Civil War to honor the Union and Confederate dead. It’s unclear exactly where the holiday originated—Charleston, S.C., Waterloo, N.Y., Columbus, Ga. and other towns all claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. The event in Charleston that may have precipitated Memorial Day offers poignant evidence of a country struggling to rebuild itself after a bloody war: 257 Union soldiers died in prison in Charleston during the Civil War and were buried in unmarked graves, and the town’s black residents organized a May Day ceremony in which they landscaped a burial ground to properly honor the soldiers. In the years following the Civil War, Memorial Day celebrations were scattered and, perhaps unsurprisingly, took root differently in the North and South. It wasn’t until after World War II that the holiday gained a strong following and national identity, and it wasn’t officially named Memorial Day until 1967. The final event that cemented the modern culture of Memorial Day in America was in 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Holiday Act, designating Memorial Day as the last Monday in May rather than May 30, as it had previously been observed. This ensured a three-day weekend and gave the day its current status as the unofficial beginning of summer, mixing serious reflection with more lighthearted fun.

#MarneStrong – Candlelight Vigil for Marne

May 14, 2021 By coridernews Leave a Comment

By Andrea Clarke

So I’m sure a lot have you had heard that my friend Marne got into a very bad motorcycle accident on Saturday April 10th 2021. As a result she sustained severe brain damage on the left side of her brain, a broken collarbone and damage to her kidney. She was put into an induced coma for approximately 5 days, at that point she took another 3 days to become a bit more awake. We don’t know what the outcome will be for her and what her quality of life will be yet, it takes a very long time. A few of us put together a candlelight vigil about a week after her accident to send her prayers, white healing light and positive vibrations. We also are in the process of raising money for her.

The vigil raised about $5,000 and the GoFundMe has raised over $8,000. I was overwhelmed by the love and support at the vigil held at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse. The amount of hugs I personally received was amazing. Thank you all so much.

As I’m sure you all know insurance covers only so much, next week the doctors are most likely going to put her in a long-term care facility where her rehab will continue. She has a tracheotomy and a feeding tube so they want to try and wean her off of the tracheotomy slowly. Marne is a strong and fiery woman, she is fiercely independent and one of the most giving and compassionate humans I have met. I miss my girl. She needs all our prayers right now.

I will give you all her GoFundMe information so please do whatever you’re comfortable with to help her no amount is too small. We are also selling #marnestrong t-shirts to raise money. You can contact myself or Nathan through our emails, addresses will be below.

Thanks again to everyone that has helped out and has kept her in your prayers daily please continue it as she will be needing it for a long road ahead of her.

TOMORROW: BikerDown’s Motorcycle Awareness Ride: Can YOU SEE Me NOW starts at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse

May 14, 2021 By Laurie Montoya Leave a Comment

By Laurie Montoya

Tomorrow, May 15^th BikerDown will again be hosting their 9^th Annual Look Twice Ride and our theme again this year is CAN YOU SEE ME NOW. Motorcycle fatalities are up 33% from 2019 to 137. These are un-imaginable statistic and one that riders hope will not happen to them, however, there is hardly a week that goes by that someone in our network of friends isn’t reported to have gone down or passed from a motorcycle accident.

It is a well-known fact that the public does not watch for motorcycles no matter how many billboards CDOT puts up or lighted signs that are only up a few days in May or in August during Sturgis. It is a well-known fact that most motorcycle accidents involve a car and/or some sort of distracted driving. Distracted Driving comes in many forms including texting/driving, use of handheld mobile devices while driving, putting your makeup on while the vehicle is moving, looking in the back seat at your kids, eating while driving to changing the radio station.

Our riding community continues to be the victim of irresponsible drivers who are out driving with no driver’s license and little to no insurance and driver’s leaving accident victims on the ground and leaving the scene. Driver’s change lanes without looking and run stop signs/lights, hit the biker, and keep on going.

We are asking all riders who have been injured in a motorcycle accident or know of someone who is currently hospitalized from an accident, riders who have lost a loved one on the bike to STAND with us on Saturday, May 15^th and show this community of drivers to WATCH FOR US!

Riders will need to pre-register for the ride to guarantee themselves 1 of our motorcycle awareness t shirts. T-shirts will be available the day of the event in limited sizes. Registration is $25.00 per rider. Each rider who pre-registers will get 1 free month of motorcycle roadside assistance sponsored by Motorcycle Towing Services.

Our ride will start and end this year at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in Golden with kickstands up at 10-10:30 am. The Look Twice ride is known for great rides routes and safety is always key for this event. Dirty Dogs will have some great entertainment for our event, and our sponsors and biker community always donate great raffles and 50/50 drawings prizes.

Our sponsor for the ride is again Rider Justice. For over 8 years, Scott O’Sullivan from RiderJustice.com has supported this event as well as BikerDown Foundation to ensure that injured motorcycle riders have a resource to go when they go down.

This is BikerDown Colorado’s primary fundraiser that will enable us to continue the mission of helping injured riders until the end of the year!

Rolling Thunder 2021 will Go Forward on Memorial Day despite Pentagon pulling 30-year staging permit in Pentagon Parking Lot

May 5, 2021 By Laurie Montoya Leave a Comment

May 5,2p021 By Laurie Montoya

Representatives Executive Director Joe Chennelly from AMVETS and Rep. Brian Mast, R-Florida a 12-year Army veteran and who was injured in Afghanistan (double amputee) today were on Fox News Faulkner Focus today discussing the Pentagon’s decision on rescinding a permit for a 30-plus year Memorial Day tradition that stages thousands of motorcyclists and veterans outside for the Rolling to Remember Rally.

Representative Mast blasted the Pentagon and current administration for rescinding this permit using the excuse of COVID-19 for this outdoor 30-plus years Memorial Day tradition for veterans that has always been staged in the Pentagon’s parking lot. He is quoted as saying “Memorial Day traditions like Rolling to Remember have been granted permits by every administration, Democrat and Republican, for the past 30 years. The Biden Administration’s decision to end this Memorial Day tradition flies in the face of the freedoms that so many have died to protect,”

Joe Chennelly Executive Director from AMVETS stated, “Our biggest disappointment with the Pentagon’s decision here was that they never gave us an opportunity, despite us asking many times, to be able to present a plan of how we would be able to meet at the Pentagon parking lot outdoors in a safe, responsible way,”

Rolling Thunder is traditionally an event that has been all about is our missing in action. Motorcycle riders from around the nation, and even around the world rally in the Pentagon parking lots and then begin riding a designated route thru the Mall area of Washington DC. We have more than 80,000 Americans who are still missing in action since World War II. Chennelly and his staff are committed to still having a central staging area. … We have a Plan B and that is staging near RFK Stadium and but at this late date it is unclear if they will be able to get those plans into action

AMVETS will know by the end of this week whether Plan B, staging near RFK Stadium, pans out, Chennelly said.

“If COVID-19 conditions permit, the department would gladly consider supporting a future event request from AMVETS, potentially as soon as this Labor Day weekend. The department looks forward to supporting future events with AMVETS,” the Pentagon’s statement continued.

The coronavirus pandemic forced Rolling to Remember to go virtual in 2020 and it is clear the organization’s determination to find another way to do this event in 2021. For updates, please visit their website – www.rollingtoremember.com

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