Bike Weeks, Rallies and Rides

At the end of my last post, The Sunshine State, I included a picture of the ‘bike week’ that takes place annually in Key West.  This made me curious as to what other kind of biking events go on, so I turned to my best friend Google and did a little research. 

Since biking and biker enthusiasm is growing in popularity with people of different ages and demographics, there are 100s of different events that take place around the world for various types of riders everywhere.  Since the results of typing ‘bike week’ into Google provide you with enough information to keep you entertained for a year or two, I’ve narrowed down the top 3 biking events I feel every biking enthusiast should attend.

Jay Leno has been the Grand Marshall for the event since 85'

1.  The Love Ride

An annual charity motorcycle ride, held both in southern California and Switzerland, that has raised over 22 million dollars in its 25 years of running.  This money has been donated to Organizations such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Special Olympics of Southern California.  Unfortunately, it was cancelled in 2009 due to the economy, but made a comeback in 2010.   

A bride and her wedding party at Daytona Bike Week 

2.  Daytona Bike Week
The most popular bike rally in the United States, Daytona Bike Week attracts over 500,000 people every year for its 10 day event that includes bike races, concerts and street festivals.  A large part of the appeal is that bikers get the opportunity to ride ‘The Loop’, a short stretch of road that is described as every motorcyclists dream because of its curves and scenery. 

The 25km long parade that took place at the EBF in 2011

3.  European Bike Week
An annual free biking festival that takes place every year in Austria and attracts around 70,000 visitors.  The European Bike Week was started by Harley Davidson and is known for its custom bike shows, concerts, parade, and its mile long stretch of dealers and vendors.