9 minute read
AMISH COUNTRY RIDER
Spring is in full Swing!
Hello!, and may I say to our TRO readers; Happy New Year! I trust you are getting off to a great start in 2020! It’s already March and according to Punxsutawney Phil, spring is going to be six weeks early! As for me, I have my plane ticket in hand and a Spyder rental on hold to attend a Spyder Ryde in Globe, Arizona the first week of April. I hope to share a couple of photos and write about that experience for the April issue. Locally, riding season is gearing up in many ways. For starters, the Greater Akron Motorcycle Group held their annual meet and greet at Buffalo Wild Wings in Medina to compile the 2020 event calendar. The Greater Akron Area Motorcycle events calendar is the most comprehensive resource pocket guide to reference rides, bike nights, and benefits around the Great Akron area. 10,000 guides are distributed through sponsors and partners throughout the state of Ohio by Thunder Roads Ohio. It will be available online by April 1 and distributed digitally to more than 250,000 motorcycle enthusiasts. Over the winter, motorcycle groups have been busy working and fervently planning to offer rides that support various charities and community needs. It’s going to be a year packed full of ride opportunities to support these fine organizations. Events@ReasonsToRide.com
Bikers for Boobs is in need for volunteers. If your group, club or organization is interested in volunteering at the Bikers for Boobs event, your group will receive a free T-shirt and free meal. If you are part of a group, club, or organization and volunteer together with your group of 10 or more, your group, club or organization name will be put on the event T-shirt. Contact Amy Hunting at 330-730-1566.
Just a reminder… If you’re in the market for a better fitting vest, the ladies at 3 Mom’s Stitchin’ in Creston have just the right size for you! Now you are able to have your very own custom made, and fitted vest! In a world of “one size fits all,” we know that’s far from reality. So, check out their location on SR 3 in Creston and get fitted the right way. Bring along anything you want to add patches to and they often can stitch on a patch or make repairs to your leather. www.3momsstitchin.com
Our friends at Amish Country Leather in Berlin, Ohio are all stocked up with new boots, chaps, jackets and helmets. You’ll also find a nice variety of purses, sunglasses, cup holders, and biker apparel and accessories. www.acleather.com I’m very excited about 2020! I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of a family that
Opportunities to volunteer… I had the pleasure of meeting Amy Hunting, organizer for Bikers For Boobs. I have attended and ridden in this event the past two years, but it goes without saying, it is a huge undertaking to make this a successful day. shares in the love of the ride as well as community.
“Don’t count the wheels, just enjoy the ride” Spyder Lilly Luvee
Over the last several years, Thunder Roads Ohio has worked to develop the TRO Championship Bike Show Series as a means of showcasing both the rides that our readers have and the amazing works of rolling art that local shops and builders have been producing in an informal, fun format. Along the way, we discovered that many local riders had never participated in a Bike Show – never considering that their bikes were “show worthy”. It turns out though, that most riders have an appreciation – even a love of motorcycles that goes beyond the amount of chrome on a bike or if there are water spots and dust on them. We’ve hosted Bike Shows at indoor venues showcasing bikes with less than a dozen miles on them – and we’ve hosted Bike Shows at outdoor venues ranging from dealership parking lots to grass fields with countless entries still hot from riding in from across the state! Throughout, we’ve discovered that it’s not always the most polished that gets the attention, but it’s the love and work that goes into the bike that everyone appreciates. Even if you’ve never participated in a Bike Show before, we encourage everyone to participate and have fun with the shows! Chances are that you’ll discover a greater appreciation for what makes your bike unique and meet some other folks with a similar passion. And we’re certain you’ll have a blast!
The TRO Bike Show Series features local, regional, and nationally recognized shows that all builders and bike owners are welcome to participate in. Vintage, metric, v-twin, customs, restored antiques, “resto-mods”, trikes, and radicals are all welcome to the show.
These shows are RIDE-IN shows, meaning the bikes are expected to be ridden and a little bit of road dust is fine. We don’t split hairs over trailering in bikes, but we do require that all bikes must be functioning. They must start and be able to be safely ridden on the road.
Most of the shows include voting by event attendees and weighted judges scores. We use this approach to make certain we include both the “popular opinion” and an objective review of the bikes.
Interested in coming out? It’s easy!
Just visit us online at ThunderRoadsOhio.com and you can register for whichever show you’d like. By Pre-Registering, you are locking in your spot, saving a few dollars, and you’ll even get a FREE T-Shirt!
NEW SHOWS ADDED
XDL FREE RIDE FEST Friday, June 26th – Sunday, June 28th Muni Lot, Cleveland OH Thunder Roads Ohio is teaming up with the XDL Championship Series to bring a Bike Show to downtown Cleveland as part of FREE RIDE FEST 2020! This is going to be a blast along the shoreway, as we present custom motorcycles and vintage racers with all the high-octane excitement of Freestyle Riding Competitions and Live Music! IRON PONY Bike Show Saturday, July 25th Iron Pony Motorsports, Columbus OH This will be the 3rd year that we bring our ride-in bike show series to Iron Pony and it’s already become well established as one of our most diverse and exciting shows. This year will be placing additional focus on the Vintage categories – with several new categories being introduced. Indian Motorcycle will also be on site with their Demo Trucks, so folks will have a chance to both admire some classic rides and ride some cutting edge new bikes – all at the same event! How cool is that?! Fink’s Harley-Davidson Bike Show Saturday, August 15th Fink’s Harley-Davidson, Zanesville OH The Fink’s Bike Show was one of the highlights of the 2019 Series, with a packed lot showcasing a wide variety of bikes. We had custom touring, cool café’s, and one of the most unique Rat Bikes we saw all year! We can’t wait to return! Resurrection Island Tattoo Convention / Motorcycle Rally Saturday, September 5th Wheeling Island Hotel / Casino, Wheeling WV We are excited to head over to this area along the Ohio River, bridging West Virginia and Southeastern Ohio. There will be a wide range of activities for everyone to enjoy with the Tattoo Convention, Live Music, Vendors, and plenty of unique things to see and do! And oh, yeah – there’s a Casino there too!
Thanks to Dan Hare and Dave Eggert for Bike Show Photos.
Email BikeShowInfo@gmail.com TODAY to reserve your spot with TRO for Upcoming Shows!
Piston Power Show March 13-15, 2020 I-X Center, Cleveland
The Piston Power Show has undergone a number of changes the last several years, adopting the ISCA Judging and changing up the Awards and Prizes. Thunder Roads Ohio though, will still be sponsoring a number of custom and vintage bikes at the show. Series Exhibitors interested in participating in the Piston Power Show and exhibiting in the Thunder Zone motorcycle area should email us at BikeShowInfo@gmail.com and include photos of the motorcycle(s) you’d like to bring. Priority will be given to those already placing or winning at TRO Bike Show Series events previously, but consideration will be given to all submitted. This show will still be a qualifier for the TRO Championship Show held at Ohio Bike Week.
BIKE SHOW: Saturday, May 23, 2020
The BIGGEST Motorcycle Event in the Midwest falls at the end of May, and we will be once again hosting our Championship Bike Show on the water the first weekend in Sandusky. This is our first MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW of the year, and you don’t want to miss it. So, mark it on your calendars now… First weekend of Bike Week, Saturday, Sandusky, on the water downtown – see ya there!
ERIE BIKEFEST, Erie PA July 14-19, 2020
BIKE SHOW: Saturday, July 18,2020
Erie’s July motorcycle rally has fully evolved into ERIE BIKEFEST for 2020, with multiple locations all working together – including a NEW HOME right on Erie’s beautiful bayfront. Liberty Park, with its amphitheater and spacious lawn and covered pavilions, will host the THUNDER ZONE with LIVE MUSIC and VENDORS right on the water! Come on out and join the Thunder Roads crews for this great regional rally.
10th ANNUAL THUNDER ZONE, Geneva-on-the-Lake
VINTAGE & CUSTOM BIKE SHOW: Saturday, Sept 6th
The Championship Bike Show Series returns to the shores of Lake Erie for Geneva-on-the-Lake’s annual biker blow-out and TRO’s 10th ANNUAL THUNDER ZONE BIKE SHOW! Last year’s show at the Old Firehouse Winery and Marketplace Landing was an incredible success and the overwhelming feedback was that it was one of the year’s best outdoor Bike Shows. Over 100 show bikes were on display under the trees in the park-like setting – and thousands came through and admired the rolling works of art! We will be adding CUSTOM BUILDER DISPLAYS for shops looking to exhibit and an expanded vendor / exhibitor area for the weekend – including NEW Indoor vendor areas. For more information, email BikeShowInfo@gmail.com
