Loveland – Northern Colorado’s first biker rally went smoothly Saturday as thousands of motorcyclists showed up for the event.
The Thunder in the Rockies started Thursday and winds up today at The Ranch at the Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex.
“We wanted to have a rally here because there isn’t any others this weekend between California and the East Coast,” said Joe Scaramuzzo , a road manager for Thunder Mountain Custom Cycles, which sponsored the event.
The four-day rally featured music by Steppenwolf, Blue Oyster Cult and others. Bikers took scenic bike trips through Poudre Canyon and over Trail Ridge Road.
The Rat’s Hole Custom Bike show featured one-of-a-kind bikes from Europe and the U.S., and there were competitions for most-unusual motorcycle, best of show and best in chrome paint and steel. Other events included biker weddings, Front Range helicopter rides, and motorcycle stunts.
Today, there will be a worship service and a blessing of the bikes.
When Tony Juarez and May Hernandez of San Antonio heard there was going to be a rally in Colorado, they jumped on their Harley-Davidson and traveled more than a thousand miles to Loveland.
“The people here are friendly and really kind,” said Juarez, a financial officer for the San Antonio School District.
Vendors hawked food and accessories for bikers, including a variety of brightly colored $36,000 custom Harley-Davidson bikes, bike rims and tires. Leather jackets were big sellers along with hats, boots, T-shirts and leather bustiers for women.
“This is pretty awesome. I won’t be going to Sturgis, (S.D.),” site of an annual biker rally, said Francesca Repetto of Longmont. She was wearing purple leather chaps, which “protect you from the cold, flying rocks and big bugs.”
Although Sturgis may have the largest motorcycle gathering in the country, bike riders from all over turned out to celebrate Colorado style this weekend.
Liz Martin of Centennial has been riding motorcycles since age 15. She currently is the proud owner of a purple custom Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200.
“I had a bike before I had a car,” Martin said.
While biker rally participants dished out money for concerts and food, they also have given money to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
For three days, non-bikers Terri Allen and Barb Anderson have sat in a booth that has a small cardboard box for collections.
By Saturday afternoon, the women had collected more than $500 that they plan to turn over to the American Red Cross.
“I felt frustration because I didn’t know how to help,” Allen said. “Today, hearts really opened up.”
For more information on the rally, check its website at www.ThunderinTheRockies.com.
Staff writer Annette Espinoza can be reached at 303-82-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com.
