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It wouldn’t be a Christmas holiday without Dirty Dogs Roadhouse’s annual Christmas Shop & Swap which this year is set for Saturday, December 18th.

This is a time-honored tradition at Dirty Dogs wherein vendors, crafty friends have a place to sell their things to customers who are looking for that last-minute Christmas gift items. Vendor fees are WAIVED on that day and everyone is asked to come to just have a good time and share some Christmas cheer! Mark & Rob will have some food specials and drink specials to make the day complete.

Vendors are asked to call the bar at (303) 384-3644 to get signed up and spaces are filling up fast. This event goes on Rain or Shine!

By Kristi Strother

Bikers have their traditions. It may be to attend a rally each year or visit a special friend each year; short rides, long rides don’t matter, and they all have a special reason attached to them.

Our tradition: each year, around Memorial Day, we gather a few women riders and leave beautiful Colorado for sizzling Arizona.

Bikes packed, flags waving, we head down I-25 out of Denver with our throttles open and the road in front of us. It’s not that we don’t want guys going; in fact, deep down, we miss our men, but it’s ladies only for this trip. And since we celebrate International Female Ride Day in May, it just seems appropriate that a few of us biker chicks head to the desert on a long ride.

We take the same route each year. On the way down, we stay on I-25 past the Springs, past Pueblo, past Trinidad… and then we hit Raton Pass. Oh! Raton Pass. We all get a bit giddy as we start the climb. The Pass is only about 10 miles long, but it provides us the chance to open them up and race through the swooping curves. Reaching 7,834 feet, we often miss the welcome to New Mexico sign.  It may seem a shame not to slow down to appreciate the National Historic Landmark and all its beauty, but there has never been a year where each of us isn’t smiling ear to ear after racing Raton.

Russell’s Truck Stop on the other side of Raton is the perfect place to fuel up and have some fun:  kiss Elvis, take a selfie with Marilyn Monroe, or even get playful with the deer statues; traditions don’t have to be serious or involve bikes!

Now on to Albuquerque. But wait before we hit the gale force winds of the New Mexico highway (you know the wind storms, where you clutch your grips tight, squeeze the tank with your thighs and pray your glasses don’t blow off )…we always stop for ice cream. The DQ in Las Vegas, NM, never lets us down. Bikers and ice cream, they go together.

Hitting Albuquerque feels good. An accomplishment, 425+ miles. And a new road: I-40

Although the timeline is different in different areas, I-40 once was the historic Route 66. The famous “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” road can still be traveled at various spots along our route. We like to stop in Grants, New Mexico, to ride under the Route 66 neon arch. After that, we ride a short 36 miles on Route 66 up to the Continental Divide. If you know your history, it’s the ‘Great Divide’. It separates the watersheds of the Pacific Ocean from those of the Atlantic Ocean. And each year, we make sure to stop in Winslow, Arizona, and stand on the corner, made famous by the Eagles. And yes, “standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona” plays in our heads for hours.

Outside of Winslow, we head south on Highway 87. Pretty lonely for miles, but then the beauty of Coconino National Forest surrounds us on all sides. Breathtaking.

As the sun sets, we merge with Highway 260, an incredible biker road full of tight corners lined with towering pine trees. We fall into unison, swishing down the mountain, radios blaring, flags flapping, pipes growling. Somewhere around Payson, we connect back to Highway 87 and make our final push towards Phoenix.

Hot, tired, but always grateful.

We spend a few days in Phoenix and surrounding areas, visiting good friends, laughing, and resting up for the adventure home to our beloved Colorado. Our tradition may not be for everyone, but for a few wind-sisters, it is full of adventure, shenanigans, stunning scenery, friendship, and countless tributes to our brave men and women in the military. We remember them; we are forever grateful that we have the freedom to ride every year because of their sacrifice.

It is a tradition we hope to continue for many years to come.

This month, the Washington, D.C. based, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (AHAS) released their 2021 state traffic safety rankings(Report).  The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is troubled that the methodology used in studying motorcycle safety takes the flawed view that safer crashes are better than no crashes. 

The MRF has long believed that proper safety training of motorcyclists and education of other motorists is the most effective tool in protecting all roadway users. The MRF remains committed to working with our partners in the public and private sectors to ensure properly trained instructors impart skills that have a track record of creating safer riders.  

Additionally, the AHAS report takes direct aim at the over 30 states that have freedom of choice helmet laws. Recent studies show the state with the highest motorcycle fatality rate (Mississippi) has a mandatory helmet law, while the state with the lowest fatality rate (Montana) does not require a helmet for those over 18 years old. In fact, the AHAS study shows that 61% of motorcyclists killed were wearing helmets at the time of the crash. It should also be noted that the absence of a requirement does not prohibit someone from choosing to wear a helmet. The MRF firmly believes that any attempt at a federal helmet mandate or blackmail techniques designed to coerce states into enacting a helmet law is unacceptable.  MRF President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard, put it simply, “Encroachment on our personal freedoms and attacks on individual state laws goes against the foundational principles of this country.” He added, “We all agree that deaths on our roadways are tragic but surrendering our freedoms in pursuit of safety is a dangerous path.”

About Motorcycle Riders Foundation
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. The MRF is chiefly concerned with issues at the national and international levels that impact the freedom and safety of American street motorcyclists. The MRF is committed to being a national advocate for the advancement of motorcycling and its associated lifestyle and works in conjunction with its partners to help educate elected officials and policymakers in Washington and beyond.

I don’t know about you, but as a rider in Colorado…. I am loving me some global warming! My theory is that if the mountains in Colorado get daily boost of snow, tourists will continue to come, and our local snowboarders and skiers will continue to head up the mountains every weekend bringing tourism dollars into our state. Having riding weather like this in February is such a treat for us. I am sure many can recall the old days when Abates Last Brass Monkey Run on New Year’s Eve would be cold and blistery, and you would literally freeze your nuts off it was so cold!

Colorado Rider News is proud to feature the unofficial program of the Colorado Motorcycle Expo. This Expo is an annual favorite in the riding community and a great chance to see friends you haven’t seen over the holidays, but also to get ready for spring! We have a new owner of the Expo this year, and I can’t wait to see the new additions, new ownership brings to the Expo.

CRN will also be updating our Biker Owned Business Directory for the 2020 season so if you are a rider who owns a business that provides a service to the community, be sure to go to our website and submit your business. Every month we try to feature a new biker owned business and tell their story.

Our publication is the last motorcycle related monthly publication in Colorado and we feel a tremendous responsibility to keep it going with great stories about what is happening within our community. We have also increased our circulation and distribution. If you aren’t seeing CRN at your local biker business, please contact us and we will do our best to get copies out. As a follower or reader of this publication, we count on YOU to tell us what you would like to read or features that you would like to see in CRN.
We have launched our 2020 advertising media kit and if you have any interest in getting your business seen to your demographic, please email us at info@coloradoridernews.com.

As always enjoy the ride, let us know what we can do better and BE SAFE OUT THERE.

— Laurie Montoya, Publisher
Colorado Rider News
info@coloradoridernews.com