Today (Aug 2, 2009) was day three of the  Cape Breton Bikefest: Thunder in The Highlands.  There was not too much going on  I think most of the bikes were out about.  It was nice out so most of them must have been going around the trail and what not.  Well there is a concert and they are picking the winner of the OCC bike, but that was not till later in the night.  Didn’t take too many pictures today.

Today was day two of the Cape Breton Bikefest: Thunder in The Highlands.  There were a lot more bikes out today (Aug 1, 2009).  Thought there would be.  I achieved my goal of parking my bike, a Yamaha XT 225, next to bigger and shiner looking bikes.  I got a good laugh out of it.  I took some more pictures today.  Not as many as yesterday.  Every thing was pretty much as yesterday but they had a bike dyno and the army was next to that.

Well today was day one of the Cape Breton Bikefest: Thunder in The Highlands.  It was really nice out but super hot.  I mean way to hot to be out.  But any who check out the bikefest.  There were lots of bikes there and more riding around.  I think there will be more out tomorrow being Saturday.   Took lots of pictures.  Only going to upload a few of the cooler ones.  Bought my self a t-shirt and got to watch a stunt show.   That was pretty cool.  Seeing it in person is much nicer than watching a video.  One of the guys saw me taking pictures so started to a donut in front of me.  Got that on video.  I’ll upload that later.

The Cape Breton Bikefest: Thunder in The Highlands starts tomorrow, (July 31, 2009).  I booked this weekend so I can go.  I think it should be fun.  I have never took part in a bike rally before.  Not to sure if I go on any cruises.  Looking forward to checking out all the bikes.  One of my goals is to park my Yamaha next to a bunch a Harleys and take a picture.  Then leave before they chase me away, lol.  Plan to take lots of pictures.  So they well be on here.

I found some more pictures of the OCC Chopper made for The Northside Hospital Foundation.  Which win be won at the end of the Cape Breton Bikefest: Thunder in the Highlands.  Found them on Scott McIntyre’s blog.  He is a photographer you can find more info about him and his work here.

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I just saw time trial results from this morning!

Wow!

Trek-Red Truck is amazing and are going to take home a lot of cash this weekend!  I really want to ride with those guys!!!

But I’m actually happy with my result!!  Yippee!!  I love my bike!!

And you know, let’s just keep these blog posts rolling!

::SAdamson

June is a busy month for those interested in making Montreal a more ecologically friendly city.  It’s time to jump into the issue of transportation.

Kicked off tomorrow with Operation Bike-to-Work Montreal’s Bike-fest  celebrates a trusted mode of urban transportation, the bicycle.

MTLBikeFest

The Centre d’Écologie Urbain de Montréal is hosting a citizen’s summit entitled La “ville que nous voulons” (The city we want) June 5-7, 2009 at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

5eSommetCitoyen

The exhibition “Habiter Une Ville Durable”, which will run from June 4 – 21, gets kicked off with a vernisage on wednesday June 3 at Écomusée du fier monde 5:00pm

[Vernisage Wednesday June 3, 2009]

The first play in Sexy Béton’s five play series on Infrastructure debuts this week with a show each night

Exciting the debate on Montreal's infrastructure

The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition hosted Bike Fest in Woodruff Park, downtown Atlanta, May 13, 2009. There were a lot of bikes. There were a lot of bums. I wager they were about equal, which means there dozens of bikes. Sometimes said urban campers were on bikes, a melding of two flavors not quite so delicious as peanut butter and chocolate.

Bike Fest this year sported some wonderful bicycle fashionistas, running a range of cycling styles designed to show one need not be sheathed in spandex to put the fun between one’s legs. Behold:

From left: Angel Poventud; Michelle Marcus; Henry Slack; Katie Sobush; Michael "Flat Tire" Selik

I emceed the fashion show. To answer Liebs’ question, that rolled-up pants leg is so it won’t get gunked up in my chain. It is not, as you imagined, the latest style out of ATL, though out in Bankhead I’m sure it still means one is packing heat. (FYI: I only pack lunch.)

Emceeing Bike Fest calls for one to apparently dress in the dark

Vendors included the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, REI, Faster Mustache, Sopo Bicycle Cooperative, the Department of Transportation and many others. It reminded me of my small hometown’s weekly Cruise Night in the Tops supermarket parking lot. Folks of all sorts and all types of gear — suits, shorts, skirts, hipster uniforms and police uniforms — just walked up and down the path, checking out each other’s bikes, sometimes asking questions, sometimes merely pursing their lips and nodding in approval.

It was a great exercise in awareness and community. And in an improvement over 2008, no one was stalked! That we know of.

This summer July 31 to Aug 3, 2009 there is going to be a bike rally called Cape Breton Bikefest: Thunder in The Highlands.  There was a H.O.G rally last summer and that was a big hit.  So this year a they are going to have a rally that is open to all riders not just Harley owners.  Which is pretty cool.  I plan to go.  It will be my first bike rally.  It should be fun.

**FAREWELL PARTY LOCATION CHANGED**2:30-6:30pm Farewell Party at Jolly Rogers (MP 6.5 RT 12)
Music by the Island Boys and a Pig Pickin
Proceeds to benefit the SPCA of Dare County

Well, I’m home from Bikefest 2008! This year did not disappoint. It was probably the largest Bikefest ever and was a total blast. 1000 miles of riding, tens of thousands of bikes, dozens of bands, great cigars and micro-brews, and a few bucks tossed into the slots just for good measure, made for a great weekend.

We left early Thursday morning under perfect riding conditions and arrived in Vegas at around 2pm. We parked the bikes and headed to Hennesy’s pub for a cold one before heading to the Cashman center where the vendor village is. There were just boatloads of vendors there this year selling everything you could think of, and a bunch of stuff you didn’t know existed, for bikes and bikers.

Friday and Saturday were spent just doing what you do at a biker rally. Basically when you’re not riding your bike, you’re looking at bikes, shopping for bike stuff, or talking about bikes. There is other stuff going on of course. There’s bands playing on every corner, but being a biker rally, it seems they haven’t learned any new songs since 1977. A man can only take so much CCR. We did come across one band on the street in front of the Beauty Bar that was really cool though. They were a three piece Latin percussion group, but they were working in all kinds of non Latin rhythms, at one point even busting out some old school hip hop stuff. Very cool.

One thing I always like at these rallies as well is the Dome of Death which is basically a giant metal ball. Three guys on bikes get in it and ride around on the inside walls in all directions and somehow they manage to not smash into each other. It’s really amazing.

So Sunday we slept in a little and then rode the long ride home. Between almost getting smashed in the head by a fairly large bird, getting smacked right in the eye by a large flying insect of some sort, and getting the inside of my right arm sunburnt to a crisp because I missed it when I applied my sunscreen, we made it home.

All in all it was a great weekend, and I’ll definitely being doing it again next year. Check out the pictures by clicking the link on the right!

As you may already know, Bikefest 2008 had to be cancelled this year due to the Southern Lehigh Living Park’s concerns for safety and potential damage to their property. This event will not be rescheduled. However, we will be holding a Bike Show at BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse) Bike Night at Peruzzi in Quakertown on October 17, 2008 from 7pm to 9pm. The categories are the same as listed in the Bike Show section of this website. Trophies will be given out for the categories listed. We will also be selling event T-shirts and pins. BACA graciously offered this to us as a way to recoup some of the losses we incurred and we thank them for that, as well as all the help they give us throughout the year.

Please consider entering the show, buying a T-shirt or donating funds to help us overcome our major financial loss.

If you have any questions, please contact us at bikefest@haycockfire.org

This will be Lake of the Ozarks second annual Bikefest, marking the anniversary of September 11^th. Bikefest will be held on September 11^th, with a starting point at Bagnell Dam Strip. Over 20,000 bikers have rolled into the Lake of the Ozarks area already, with more expected to come. Riders will start their day with the “Never Forget Ride” to kick off the celebration at 6:30pm in the large parking lot on Bagnell Dam Strip.

Over 200 bikers will ride from Fort Leonard Wood to Lake of the Ozarks Harley Davidson in the “Freedom Ride” on Friday the 12^th.

The American Legion Post 624 from Sunrise Beach will be handling the service. They have a color guard, a group of motorcycles, a bugler, seven shooters for a 21-gun salute, and a chaplain to say a prayer.

Lake Ozarks and Osage Beach fire departments will be there displaying large American flags from their truck ladders. And, the Anheuser-Bush Clydesdales are expected to come. The four-day celebration has many more attractions that will extend from one end of the lake to the other.

It is not mandatory to have a motorcycle to attend.  It is open to the everyone who wants to join the celebration. And, best of all, this great celebration is expected to bring over $2 million to the Lake of the Ozarks economy.

So, come out and enjoy the fun. We hope to see you there.

Wessel and I have been doing a lot of bicycling lately in rural areas of North Carolina. If you’re not from these parts, you’re probably thinking, isn’t that all there is? While if you live in an NC metro area among the suburban sprawl, you’re probably asking, are there rural spots left? Absolutely, there are!

We’re “training” for a 62-mile annual group ride called BikeFest, organized by the Carolina Tarwheels cycling club. There’s also a century option (100 miles), but we’re just too plumb lazy, not to mention the thermometer will likely reach between 90 and 100 the day of the ride. Back in the day, a 62-mile ride was just a ride. Now it’s a minor ordeal. And so we train.

Tobacco barn in Stokes County, NC

One thing we love passing by during our rides are old barns, in various states of health or decline. They come in all sizes and shapes, but our favorites are pine tobacco barns, still fairly common sights in North Carolina. These were where the tobacco leaves were hung to be dried and cured.

When I first moved back here, five years ago, I was a bit repulsed by the state’s tobacco past. But now I’ve reconnected with my childhood, having grown up in Wake County, just outside of Raleigh in the 1960s and ’70s.

What I recall are rows and rows of tobacco plants on red-clay farms that practically covered the state. (Sadly, North Carolina leads the nation in the rate of lost farmland, with the state shedding more than 6,000 farms and 300,000 acres of farmland since 2002, according to the USDA.)

Crumbling tobacco barn in Surry County, NC

Yes, tobacco does awful things to people, but the plants are beautiful, and many families and businesses depended on the crop. So as much as I scorn smoking, I do have a fondness for the agricultural tradition. OK, minus the slavery, of course. I’m not winning over any of you, am I? So let’s just stick to barns then, and forget the tobacco part.

Diane (right) talks to Roger Dinger (Click to ENLARGE this mirror image)

Because I write regularly about NC artisans, I’ve come across several who use reclaimed barn wood for different things. By far the most impressive use has been by Roger Dinger, who lives outside of Siler City. (Yes, Andy and Barney used to go there! It really exists!) Not only are Roger’s furnishings and home accessories from barn wood absolutely gorgeous, he came up with the best name ever for his company — Reinbarnation. Perfect! I wrote about him for the News & Observer in the spring. You can read the story, and check out his goods, on his website.  I traded him reprint rights for objets d’art, and Wessel and I now own two much-prized Reinbarnation mirrors.

Tag accompanying mirror made from tobacco barn in Silk Hope, NC (Click to ENLARGE)

Not only is Roger’s work wonderful, he adds a tag to each item that says what farm the wood is from. He truly is recycling the state’s history. (And, yes, he can ship a part of that NC history to you.) Thank you, Roger, for perpetuating the legacy of North Carolina barns, and in fine fashion at that.

Try to picture for a minute over 50,000 motorcycle enthusiasts along with some enthusiast wannabes and a number of regular curious citizens descending upon the little town of Carlisle, Pennsylvania for a weekend of food, music, stunts, super charged trials, vendors, and the usual festival revelry. Did a strange look of befuddlement just appear on your face? I certainly had a hard time imaging such an enormous event taking place in nearby Carlisle, a peaceful little town with a nice variety of restaurant choices and eclectic shops. Images of the final scenes from the movie Wild Hogs began dancing around my head as soon as I learned about this annual festival. 

But regardless of what imagery comes to mind, this is the seventh year Carlisle has hosted this event so Bike Fest must not be as crazy as I am envisioning. And even though I don’t own a bike anymore I’m still planning on attending, maybe I’ll even win the motorcyle giveaway. More information about the event can be found on the Carlisle Events Website. If you’re just in town for the weekend, make sure to check out the Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau, and Spotobe.com for other great events taking place in the area. It’s going to be a wild weekend in Carlisle, see you there!

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With the onset of warm weather bikers around the country are eager to be on the road again and part of the fun is attending biker rallies.

One of the first events that always have a huge turnout is Bikefest in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina which took place June 2nd.

The reports have been pouring in that because of bikers behaving badly, the City Council is going to review hosting the event.

The majority of bikers attend rallies to meet friends, listen to great music, relax and have fun.

But many people on both sides seem to be stuck in the 1950’s: when rock n’ roll music was supposedly the product of an evil force and bikers earned a reputation for striking fear in the hearts of the townsfolk.

Every time bikers gather, there seems to be a great burst of energy released by non-bikers due to fear of the biker stereotype, that a handful of bikers like to keep alive.

It should be noted that college students share the credit with bikers for creating the mischief that is causing the City Council to take a second look at Bikefest.

Behaving badly or biker rage: call it what you will, just like road rage displayed by drivers, it’s bad news.

It’s a bit early for planning the 2008 riding season, but sometimes you have to make a hotel reservation early otherwise you’ll be tent camping in the rain!  Such is the case for the Seaside Bikefest. 

For years Seaside OR has hosted a number of marquee events ranging from Volleyball tournaments to Biker events.  This year the Bikefest is set for July 11-13^th.  There will be music entertainment, vendor booths, poker runs and a number of custom bikes on display.  Much of the action is in and around the Seaside Convention Center, but for the serious biker there are hundreds of miles of coastline to weave your suspension through while enjoying the views. 

Here is the Seaside Civic and Convention Center  URL and the address is: 415 First Ave., Seaside, OR.  97138.   Also the Yakima HOG chapter had a few photo’s posted of last years event HERE.  

See you there.

Bikefest is more then just about bikes, it is about 40,000 bikers forgetting about there everyday life and enjoying their passion.