By Lulu

Main Street in Daytona is historic for Bike Week. Boot Hill Saloon is the bar behind that history. GREAT MUSIC & WORLD-FAMOUS T-SHIRTS have made this bar a must do stop on the bi-yearly trek to the motorcycling mecca of Bike Week and Biketoberfest. I have attended both now for 20 years! Hate to admit it at 72 years old but several of my bras have ended up hanging in this bar!! Thank goodness mine aren’t as infamous as the serial killers Aileen Wuornos’! This year bands were on the inside and outside stages. Too many bands to list all of them, but Gunshine, a national touring act, had their Album Release Party there. Leaving Eden, a crowd favorite, rocked the stage the day of the oldest Boot Hill Bike Week T-shirt contest. The oldest T-shirt contest and the Twisted Tea Giveaway Bike Reveal were must do events. The 3 top oldest T winners received $100 each. You don’t have to wait for Bike Week to visit Boot Hill, Wednesdays are rocking Bike Nights, and they feature their music line up for the month in Thunder Roads Florida!

Being a bit exhausted from trotting from one bike rally to the next, I decided to use my very first Pony Tales from March 2007…just a bit of nostalgia and a stark reality of how much time has passed, and how life has evolved. Forgive me for boring any who read this 19 years ago…The photo is me 19 years ago at my first Harley Rendezvous.

“I best confess up front I am a “newby” to the world of biking. This year I rode on the back of my first Harley, bought my first chaps, got my MC license, and owned my first bike. This has been a world of new experiences for a 52-year-old in her midlife crisis. At my first weekend bike event, the Harley Rendezvous in New York someone called me a Rally Virgin…little did I know how right they were. There I learned about outhouses, tent camping, “Pervert Alley” and how really great bikers are. Bull, my introduction into this fun and crazy world (also the original owner of Thunder Roads Florida), calls me “Miss Snooty Pants” and there probably is some truth to that. My friends and I from BM (Before Motorcycles) certainly had no idea how much charity bikers do or how close knit the biker family can be. I have so become a MC addict that I have already left my Honda Rebel for an 883 Sportster and have my eye on a Dyna. I was told recently 300,000 women bought bikes this year which gives me a sense of peace knowing I am not alone in this insanity. The excitement and freedom of the ride is part of the allure, but I must admit there is just something to the bad boy image. Motorcycles are just sexy and even though I enjoy being on my own bike I still like climbing on behind Bull for a night on the town. There is nothing hotter than seeing him on his Harley in his leathers. I really wish we had more chilly weather in the Sunshine State, so he’d put on his chaps more often.

And sadly, Bull died 5 months after this was written in July, I ended up owning the magazine and with the help of many have spent the past 19 years living in this world of motorcycles. Now I spend most of the year on a bike behind TJ who is the force behind Thunder Roads Florida and my business partner. This spring we hit Thunder by The Bay, Bike Week, Leesburg Bike Fest, Thunder Beach, and Myrtle Beach Bike Week. Add to that all the weekend events and bike nights we stay busy. Thank you to all our ad clients who help us bring this free magazine about the motorcycle lifestyle to our readers and to the readers for making the work worthwhile!!!!

By Lulu

As anyone who ventured out to the Cabbage Patch Bike Week 2026 knows, major construction is occurring right out front. So, a huge group shot was taken to commemorate the bar as we have all loved and known it. Really, I don’t think that much will change with the roundabout once the construction is done…hope that happens before Biketoberfest. Another tribute I snapped several shots of is the Cabbage Patch Bike created in memory of Ronnie Sr. and the 100th Anniversary of Cabbage Patch Bar. Randy’s Cycle Shack from Telford, PA did all the labor, XLXBhorsepower from Reading, PA did the heads and bored the cylinders. Mondello’s Auto Body from Willow Grove, PA did the paint. Irocks Detailing cleaned and polished it. All of these guys that helped create the bike are from Pennsylvania. Of course, Bike Week Cabbage Patch has bands, bike shows, vendors, food, and World-Famous Coleslaw Wrestling! But don’t wait for Biketoberfest. Ride out to The Patch for a cold one anytime of the year, the staff are always happy to pour you something wet!

By Lulu

Don’t know how many times I must say this, but this is my favorite Bike Show all year long! Love the band…Duval County Line. Love the shade trees and the throng of people out back! Love that no matter how many times I come which now has been 18 (adding together Bike Week and Biketoberfest) I ALWAYS see something newly created, something inspiring to those who create these masterpieces. PLUS, and MOST importantly to me, is that Willie and his entire crew do this with LOVE…love of motorcycles, love of bikers, love of the culture, love of veterans! In case you live under a rock and haven’t been to Chopper Time. The liquor sales, including tips go to help the Veteran’s Support Fund! Even A-OK Guns gets in on the action, auctioning off guns during the event to benefit the veterans. For that reason alone, show up during Biketoberfest have a cold one, listen to great music, enjoy the people, and view the impressive collection of rides, buy a gun raffle ticket to support Willie’s endeavor. Biketoberfest is a wonderful time to come if you haven’t been, the place isn’t as mobbed during the fall rally. Perfect time to be a Chopper Time virgin. See you there!!
WINNERS
BLINGS CHOICE-CHRIS STEPNOSKI
BOBBER-MIKE STAHL
BRITISH-JOHN BUNKLEY
CHOPPER-J RYAN
CROWD FAVORITE-JOHN COOPER
CUSTOM & BARBIE’S CHOICE-DREW JAMES
CYCLE SOURCE CHOICE-LEE LEWIS
DEPARTURE BIKE WORKS CHOICE-BROCK BRIDGES
EVO-DEAN TEMPLETON
FLATTY-DOUG YOUNG
KNUCKLE-NICK RESTY
LADIES BUILD-MISSY SHOEMAKER
METRIC-KEVIN NELSON
MOONSHINER CHUCKS CHOICE-DJ
PAINT-CORY G
PANHEAD & TROPICAL TATTOO CHOICE-TELLY “THE GREEK”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE-SCOTT PETLOCK
RAT BIKE-BRIAN DJEMIAN
REV AL’S CHOICE-STEPHANIE SCHILL
ROADSIDE’S CHOICE-JERRY MEROLA
SHOVEL-MARSHALL
SHOVELHEAD COALITION CHOICE-DUSTIN CRAMER
SPORTSTER-ERIE HULL
TWIN CAM-JESSE SRPAN
WHITE KNUCKLER CHOICE-GORDON OLLIFF
WILLIE’S HARDCORE-ZACH GOSTELI

By Lulu

The “Disney” of Bike Week is the huge oak covered property with the sparkling white lights. This is the prettiest biker bar in the world. And the huge crowds prove it is a favorite of those on motorcycles. Along with being beautiful, it features fire pits, free peanuts, almost daily bike shows, Jay Allen as the emcee, great bands including Hairball, vendors, lots of bars with beautiful staff both male and female! Add to that the guitar auctions that generous bidders benefit the local veterans’ association (Veteran’s Support Fund) and helped raise the $125,000 Iron Horse Saloon donated to St. Judes in April. I want to thank each and every one of the good-hearted people that make such a difference every weekend helping great causes, and in particular this bar and Iron Horse Saloon for taking these causes on. It takes work, community involvement, and lots of good humans who volunteer! During this year’s event there was Kory Souza’s No Class Bike Show, Warren Lane’s True Grit, Beats, Bags & Bass sound off, Cycle Source Custom Bike Show, Perewitz paint show, Dennis Kirk’s Amateur Bike Show, Clay Moto Vicla Show and Bad Ass Car Club Vintage Car Display. My favorite night of the week was Dave Perewitz birthday party and the sea of canary yellow shirts the Hamsters all wear. Of course, music is what keeps the crowds there late into the night, Hairball, Bobby Friss, Rachel Stacy, Cowboy, Hippies & Cowboys, Loose Lips, Buck Shot and Demun Jones were the main acts that rocked the stage.

By Lulu

PACKED! Some people claim Bike Week crowds were down, or people weren’t spending money this year, but you certainly wouldn’t know it by the crowds I saw at Teddy Morse Daytona Harley-Davidson. Of course it is the epicenter of Bike Week! This year the pavilion housed hundreds of bikes for sale!! The stage at Saints and Sinners had live music and the bikini contest. We didn’t make it to the 38 Special Concert, but I heard a huge stage had to be constructed for that band. Vendors filled the massive property even beyond JP Cycles. Bike Shows included a Full Throttle show, Proper Performance Show by H-D, Women’s Ride in Bike Show, Urban Rides Magazine All Cycle Show, Bike Show Mafia’s All Class Show, and the Flying Piston Benefit Breakfast. There was also a sound-off “Thunder at the Beach.” Live music is always a feature at Saints & Sinners, this year “Live from Nashville,” Preston Jones and Rob Leines were featured and on the final Friday a free 38 Special Concert. On the final Sunday, a Survivor Party and vendor shopping kept the parking lots full.

By Lulu

Out in Welaka is Waylon and Tonya Longs bar, Long’s Log Cabin. They are known for bringing great music and parties to their slice of heaven out in the country. The theme parties there are always over the top! Sherry, Gator Ken, Jeani, and I went to enjoy the live music by Love Monkey!! If you get a chance to hear them, this is a really entertaining band. The Cabin is a perfect place to wet your whistle on a ride out to the country, and they love having poker runs or charity events at their place.

By Lulu

Photo credit for 38 Special to Tom Bender
For 28 years, in February, Lucy Nicandri and her co-worker Lisa Baer – along with a dedicated team of volunteers – put on one great weekend of Music and Motorcycles! The purpose is what makes it such an amazing weekend at the Sarasota Fairgrounds. The event raises thousands of dollars for the Suncoast Charities for Children! Title Sponsor, the James M. Doss Charitable Foundation, matches every donation raised up to $35,000! Presenting sponsors for the event are Sarasota Ford, Precision Garage Door Service and Top Tier Towing.

Major Sponsors included United Rentals, Budweiser, and USA Fence. The small fee for live music all day is money well spent. This year’s event included vendors, car and bike shows, biker games, food vendors, a Charity Dice Run and live music. The headliners this year were Night Ranger, 38 Special, and Montgomery Gentry. Opening acts included Bobby Friss, Crossfire Creek, Maiden Cane, Downsyde Up Band, and Given to Fly, a Pearl Jam Tribute. This year Paul Teutul Jr. held two days of a meet & greet. People were lined up for photos. This year Suncoast Charities for Children raised $310,000 with a total raised to date of $3.3 million dollars. This charity helps support critical programs and services for local children, teens, and adults with special needs. Put next year’s date of February 19-21, 2027, on your calendar! Join in for a great weekend of music and grow your angel wings by doing something to help children!

By Lulu

This year the Deland Bike Rally was the last Saturday of February. The streets were packed with motorcycles. Vendors and live music gave visitors plenty to do! Two of our favorite stops for the day in downtown Deland are Issues and DaVinci’s. The Budweiser Clydesdales were available for photos. I was lucky enough to take photos of a fun young couple who got married by the fountain in downtown Deland during the rally, Scooter from Feed the Obsession BBQ performed the ceremony. Put this on your event planning schedule for March 6th, 2027!

By Lulu

Boy, I can’t believe another year has passed so quickly. Sorry Charlie’s Corner in Samsula turned 4 years old in February. The crowd enjoyed great music by talented Sam Lowe and Whey Jennings. I absolutely love Whey, not only for his talent but also for how enthusiastically he helps raffle guitars, hats or even a jacket for the Veteran’s Support Fund! He is a really good human! 2025 brought a major change to Sorry Charlie’s in that they went full liquor, which since I am a Crown girl I am happy, although I do love the Twisted Tea Lite. Charlie’s is one of the only smart bars around that offer it! If you haven’t tried Charlie’s burgers you MUST. I had to stop twice during Bike Week for them. But the best thing Charlie’s offers is a really GREAT staff! Amie has put together sweet, fast, and honest bartenders who I absolutely love…each and every one! Check out their ad in this issue for their May events!

By Lulu

A packed house again! Each year in February, Heavy from Midwest Motorcycle throws a great bike show, filling up the Beaver Bar like a weekend during Bike Week! Sponsors help to host this anniversary event and this year the sponsors included Politis & Matovina, Chrome Premium Cigars, Strip Club Choppers, Twisted Tea, Tropical Tattoo, Cochise Chops, Cycle Fever, Who’s Hot Online, Barney’s Leather, Biker Info USA, ABATE of Florida Daytona Beach Chapter, Riding & Flying Productions and HOG Radio. Lots of beautiful bikes entered and unique trophies for the winners. The band rocked the place all afternoon. Congratulations to Heavy for a long successful business enterprise. He told me recently he must be “getting old”. Now instead of raising hell in his free time, he spends it doing community projects like the Save the Cemetery (Pinewood across from Boot Hill Saloon). The next community clean-up day is May 17th from 9am-2pm!!! Join in for an enjoyable day of community service!
BIKE SHOW WINNERS

SHOVELHEAD TIE-MICHAEL POLITIS & SCOTT PETLOCK
BOBBER-MARSHALL GREEN
PRO STREET-STEVE (NO LAST NAME GIVEN)
KNUCKLEHEAD TIE-TINKER & MANDY ROSSMEYER
IRONHEAD-JR KIRLIN
FLATHEAD TIE-ELEANOR ARNOLD & RICHIE BURKEY
FXR-JIM MILLER
EVO-(1) WILLIAM TURI
(2) HIRAM MCCARTY
CHOPPER-(1) STEVE TATRO
(2) MARCUS ORABONA
RAT BIKE-SCRAPEY HAWKINS
PANHEAD-(1) RON TURCHI
(2) JAKE JACOBS
METRIC-IRVIN BUCEK
SPORTSTER-DALE LARRIMORE
SIDE CAR-ELEANOR ARNOLD
SOFTAILS- KATIE GINELLA
TRIUMPH-(1) LOREN MILLER
(2) FRANKIE MOLINARO
OLD SCHOOL-RICK WECKTSSER
BEST PAINT-SHANE TWIDDY
PEOPLES CHOICE-KATIE GINELLA
BEST OF SHOW-GARY PANKRANTS

By Lulu

For the last couple years, the first weekend of Bike Week, Erik Dunk organizes a swap meet at the Volusia Fairgrounds billed as “The Meet.” The venue is also the home of the infamous Burning Bike the last Friday of Bike Week. Lots of vendors, food trucks and a bike show were featured this year. For those who love old motorcycles and swap meets check it out in 2027!

It was brought to our attention that in the April issue I had an error in my Pony Tales. I stated that RCBC church is doing an auction for a motorcycle when really it is a raffle for a motorcycle with the bike being given away in July. It is a 1958 Panhead They are still selling tickets!! The raffle is benefitting their church building fund. I also need to congratulate Sherry and her team of volunteers for the amazing $125,000 they raised this year for St. Judes. I know how much time, energy and prayers went into this, particularly since Sherry is living with me while she builds her new house!!!

On a sad note, two friends are riding the skies now. Rainman, Alex MacCrae passed in a motorcycle accident on US 1 in Port Orange. He had four children and a grandchild. He rode that bike EVERYWHERE. He often joined us on the Mystery Rides out of The Boat Bar, if something was happening Rainman was there. He came to my Christmas Party this year at my house and when he arrived, he wanted to know where we were going? He thought it was a ride…if he knew it was just dinner and friends he would have gone somewhere better!!! I will miss him. He was hard of hearing, and it took me a bit to get used to being certain to talk to him in his good ear!!!

Then I heard a long-time friend Don Weber passed in March also. I think he would have been 81 on April 2. Haven’t seen him around a lot lately but spent many good times with him back in the day.

Hug your family and friends while you still can, buy a stranger a beer and don’t forget your sunscreen.

By Lulu

For those who love vintage things, it was a beautiful weekend in February for shopping for parts or memorabilia and looking at beautifully restored antique motorcycles. Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium on LPGA Blvd was the site of the sprawling rows of vendors selling their wares, food trucks, and the vintage bike show. I spotted lots of old friends…not that my friends are all old! But their bikes actually are!! This event is always the first weekend of Bike Week. See you there next year!

By Lulu

The first Sunday of Bike Week, Koolaids Kustoms hosted a Built Not Bought Motorcycle Show at the Inn Between in Deland. It is a great setting for a bike show with the large oaks, outside and inside bars, and outdoor stage. Live music was featured, a fund raiser for autism, the reveal of the autism bike and a pin-up girl contest made the day complete. If you haven’t checked out Ethan’s cool joint, take a ride to Deland and have a drink. The bar is full liquor and a good spot to cool your pipes this summer.