Humane Society Motorcycle Event August 3rd to 5th 2013

Ride Dogs Ride is set to host the first annual Humane Society Motorcycle Event to raise funds for this great cause. It's coming up this weekend and it's not too late to get tickets. Click on this link to visit Ride Dogs Ride and get details, plus buy your tickets, which includes a free event t-shirt.

Boogie

Attended the 2013 Calgary Folk Festival and saw some amazing acts, including the fast flying fingers of guitarist Albert Lee.  Mr. Lee is pretty amazing in many ways. He's an Englishman who loves country music and has played with the likes of Gram Parsons, EmmyLou Harris and Ricky Skaggs. Despite being a sought after session man and playing guitar with all these great musicians, he writes and sings himself, and plays piano as well as guitar. He's also now 70 years old and hasn't lost a beat, still letting it fly with some amazing licks. One of the highlights of the festival was a side stage show with Albert playing along side The Wilders, Cousin Harley and Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison. Some high energy, old time honky tonkin' music climaxing in a friendly trade of amazing riffs between Albert and Paul Pigot of cousin Harley. I hope you get to see this great master sometime in your travels!

Short Sleeves

Here's what happens when you wear a shirt with loose, short sleeves while riding the bike. Enter hornet!! He got me a couple of times before I managed to crush him, no easy feat while doing 80 km/hr. Ouch!! haha!

Crazy Weather!

Here's some photos from a recent hail storm that went through Crossfield. You know that when you see that pitch black cloud, you're in for something nasty. This one was literally a swath that left a streak of hail thick enough to have you think it just snowed.

Cycle Works

Wow. Was in to Cycle Works to admire their array of Victory bikes. There are some great looking bikes in the Victory line and it was great to have a tour with the staff up in the north store and drool over the selection..Yet another reason to love my job!
Of course, I was there to work and had a great chat with Kimble, who looks after sales in the north store. We traded thoughts on bikes, riding, and insurance naturally. Kimble is an experienced rider and off road enthusiast and knows his bikes. We had a long discussion about rider safety and the need for defensive driving, particularly in this city. There's a need for insurance but avoiding accidents is always the best way to protect yourself and your assets!
What was also kind of cool is that Cycle Works also sells Royal Enfield motorcycles and I was telling Kimble some stories about my experiences in India and the the history of that bike in that country. Millions of them, literally, and many still running well after 50+ years.
Thanks for the great hospitality Kimble. If an insurance guy can get that kind of reception, you know how fantastic the service would be for anyone else who visits!! :0

This is  great looking bike

Victory's "Bagger" style

The Royal Enfield 500

Customers bike in parking lot

Another nice "Bagger"

Bow Cycle

I popped in to the new Bow Cycle shop on Bowfort Way and had a look at their great selection of products, particularly the awesome Ducati line up. Such a beautiful bike, but what do you expect from the Italians?!
Had a great chat with Brad, Assistant Sales Manager, and discussed the similarities between our two companies. That being, we both sell premiere products with top of the line features, tailored to motorcycling enthusiast. But hey, we both sell other products too, to cover whatever you're looking to get into.

A cutomer's Ducati 1199 Panigale parked out front

Water Water Everywhere....

A big thunderstorm rolled in and washed us out of our games on Wednesday. It was more like a lake than a green! Wheres my wakeboard?

Everyone wants a photo

Danger!!

Just a little reminder of the perils of drinking and driving as the biking season ramps up and we get some hotter weather. Please be careful riders!

Riding With Man-Power

Yesterday saw me out on B.B. with fellow riders supporting a great cause with Ride N Roast, doing the flood relief fundraiser. It was lots of fun, but today the bike had no motor and the "road" was all single track. It was man power on the way up, and gravity on the way down. A beautiful, sunny day in the Rockies, with my good friend Doug, hitting the trails and enjoying our big and beautiful backyard.

Ready to go

A beautiful view to greet us

Wild Tiger Lily

It was way steeper than it looks in this photo

Open meadow

Cool panorama

I loved the sweeping curves

Despite single digit temperatures when we started, it got pretty warm

More downhill action

Doug

Ride 'N' Roast

Troy and Ang, our good friends at Ride Stop 'N' Go, organized a flood relief benefit ride to help out all the folks who were so drastically affected by the flooding in Southern Albert a couple of weeks ago. Riders showed up at Pop's Pub, who graciously fed and watered us before we headed off on our bikes. Ang and Troy brought out the boots, with one for the cash and the other for the arm's length draw ticket stubs, and riders pitched in what they could, while also giving themselves a chance to win some cool prizes.
Not only did Barren Culture donate a bunch of their "badass fashion for the unique" but the crew rode as well, and pitched in for the cause that way too. Also donating to the benefit was Trevor Dech and his Too Cool Motorcycle School, with a gift certificate for a m.c. training course, a great way to learn the basics and start your riding career. One of the other sponsors was One Broken Biker,  a group who do a lot of charity work on their own but still helped out and rode too!
Better Butcher was the source for the roast in Ride 'N' Roast, providing a beautiful baron of beef, which was deliciously prepared by cooks Glenn and Saralyn, along with home made baked beans and corn!
As for "The Grand Prize", Icefield Heli-Tours Canada helicopter tours put up one and Intact Insurance in partnership with Blue Circle put up the second of two seats on one of Icefield Heli-Tours Canada helicopter tours. How about a glass of champagne on the Columbia Icefields, plus a night at Chateau Canmore and some good food and good cheer at the Rose and Crown.
All those fantastic prizes offered up by generous sponors to those who came out and helping raise $2200.00 to give the Red Cross Flood Relief Fund in HIgh River. Way to go riders!!

Karmen and Mike applying coffee!

Ang's got nice boots

Inside at Pop's, for coffee and snacks before heading out

The Ride N Roast crew, just before we head out

Our lovely hosts at Pop's, who provided all the breakfast treats to start our day!

Leaving Pop's to start the ride

Stopped in Priddis

Blue Circle m.c. aficionado Sanjay came for the ride

Black Diamond, of course

Julie and Cameron are an inspiring duo,  as mother and son who ride their bikes together

Back at Troy and Ang's place for a b.b.q.

A great way to end a day of riding

Troy and Ang thank the sponsors and draw for the prizes

Gerry presents the grand prize of a helicopter ride to Todd, along with Ang and Troy

All the prize winners