By Lulu

Sometimes you bikers amaze me! An event hosted by Sledz East in Deland was one of those days. A young boy, Michael Millett, was tragically killed by loose dogs in his neighborhood in front of his mother. In pursuit of justice for Michael, they went to Tallahassee to change laws to hold dog owners accountable for vicious attacks. A ride was held in his memory and over 400 motorcycles showed up. Most had no idea who Michael or his parents were; but let me tell you it warmed the hearts of the organizers of the ride and comforted his parents and family to know people shared in their grief!! Stops included Ike’s Saloon, Beaver Bar, Brass Rail, and the final stop was The Inn Between in Deland. Naughty, Naughty took the stage and rocked the afternoon away. Michael’s family, friends and even schoolmates were on hand at the last stop. A special thank you to the organizers, the parents for being with us that day, the bars who supported this, Ethan from the Inn Between for going the extra mile, the band, and finally to each and every one of you who CARED!!!!

By Lulu

This year, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach had two rocking events sponsored by Twisted Tea. Boot Hill Saloon and Broken Spoke Saloon hosted the Twisted Tea Bikini contests with gorgeous girls taking the stage to strut their assets hoping to take home the $1000 prize money. I would hate to have to judge this, but the men and women who got that opportunity seemed thrilled to do it. First Place at Boot Hill Saloon went to lovely Sarah and at Broken Spoke Saloon Paige took the honors for the second time!!! Thank you, Bill Grotto and Twisted Tea, for giving those who attended great memories and caffeine in the Twisted Tea to get us through Bike Week! More photos of the days event are on Thunder Roads Florida Facebook.

By Lulu

A new addition to the party at 1405 Bike Week 2025…a blow-up pool to wet the L-asses in the wet T contest. At this event they auction off the right to get the girl wet. Plenty of water was flowing. The large crowd enjoyed the fun! 1405 is a full liquor bar with daily specials. Karaoke on Fridays and live music is featured Saturday and Sunday. Stop in and visit Tom and Lisa. More photos of the day’s event can be found at Thunder Roads Florida Facebook.

By Lulu

I never met Hillbilly or Sammy prior to this event, our paths just missed at Chopper Time during Bike Week, but I rode up to find a large crowd on the property to celebrate their new location. Everyone couldn’t have been nicer. The business has been running smoothly for 11 years, but tired of renting, they purchased the new location in January. The shop is packed with work, but 5 bays and 2 floating bays keep repairs and maintenance moving out quickly. They do Harley-Davidsons only…no metrics. The shop has a hundred years of combined experience: Sammy has been wrenching for 20 years, Hillbilly 20 and Squirrel 60! Two mechanics are Harley certified. Sammy is a Dyno tech specialist. The shop cannot do factory warranty work, but with all that experience in house…this is the place to take your bike for extended warranty services, problem diagnostics, maintenance, or where they really shine – performance upgrades and in-house Dyno tuning. The new address is 6530 N. Main St., Jacksonville. Their phone number is 904-329-3649, give them a call for your next service and tell them Thunder Roads Florida sent you.

By Lulu

Whether it is Deland Bike Rally, Bike Week, Biketoberfest, Russ & Bob Show in the Fall or the Americana Bike Show coming up June 8th, OBs in Deland is ALWAYS ready for the Rumble of motorcycles that fill the huge parking lot. Ashley and the staff work their butts off trying to keep everyone fed and their thirst quenched. OBs is known for great live music and twice a year their bike shows. The 7th Americana show coming up features custom bikes and a bikini contest, the winner of each gets $1000!! Photos in today’s article are from their Bike Week Kick Off Party and a night when Jess Zimmerman was rocking the stage. Saddle up for a wonderful day of motorcycles and scantily clad women June 8th noon-til!

By Lulu

Hot bikes and hot women are what most men come to Bike Week for. The spectacle of Bike Week is the allure. Thursday of Bike Week Tony from Full Throttle capitalizes on that with a lot full of great looking rides, and inside Grandview Live you will find the “show”! Smoking hot athletes taking the pole and performing feats most men couldn’t attempt! Check out Grandview Live anytime you are visiting the greater Daytona Beach area!

By Lulu

A new cool joint in New Smyrna Beach is Good Fellas Beer & Wine Bar. Jim Lynch opened this at 105 S. Ridgewood Ave. in 2025, it features Godfather Custom Cycles right next door where he does custom builds and service. We threw a Twisted Tea party at his weekly Saturday bike night. Good Fellas bike night has live music, a GREAT food truck and beer bucket specials from 7-11pm. Check their bike night and follow them on Facebook for events and specials.

By Lulu

The “Patch” is world-famous for the “Coleslaw Wrestling” during Bike Week and Biketoberfest, and it certainly is a show! But locals know the bar is so much more than that! Great bartenders, community involvement, stiff drinks and live music make the Cabbage Patch Bar a place to party. It is a well-known spot to run poker runs through as the staff never has a problem keeping up with a large crowd. During the rallies Scott organizes bike shows and a large array of vendors. Of course there is the coleslaw competition, this year Angry Beaver took the title and the belt! Roger and Jen thank each and everyone who rides out for a cold one and support this iconic establishment!

By Jen McGuire

On Sunday, April 6th, the community came together in an overwhelming show of support for Jason Dumke, a beloved friend and fellow rider who was recently injured in a motorcycle accident during Bike Week. Held at the iconic Cabbage Patch—famous not only for its coleslaw wrestling but also for being a true place of heart and helping—the benefit drew a massive crowd of friends, family, and motorcycle enthusiasts. One solid group of friends—Bill Latham, Jen McGuire, Tim Tarquinio, and Matt Pearce—spearheaded the event, pouring their time and energy into making it a day to remember. With incredible live music from Joey Speroni and raffle items that were truly out of this world, the day was packed with generosity, unity, and love.

The energy at the Cabbage Patch was electric as people from near and far came to support an amazing human being. Jason has touched so many lives with his kindness, humor, and generous spirit, and Sunday’s turnout was proof of the impact he’s had on the community. The funds raised will go a long way in helping his recovery, but even more powerful was the outpouring of support and encouragement that filled the air. It was a reminder that no one rides alone—and that in times of hardship, the biker community always shows up strong, especially at places like the Patch where the spirit of brotherhood and giving runs deep.

By Lulu

There is NOBODY doing Old School Motorcycle events like Howlin Wolf! Burnouts to cheering crowds until tires turn to fire! Wienie Bites! Plank Rides, Slow Rides, Keg Rolls…bikes losing control! That is just good old fashioned biker fun! Add a bike show with sweet rides, vendors, tattooing on site, food, beer & booze, and girls gone wild! I am telling you guys it is worth the beautiful ride to Putnam Hall for an afternoon of stepping back 15 years in time. I always see old friends and meet new ones here. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the band, which this year was Twisted Fate rocking the day away. This event is spring and fall so come out and join the party! More photos of the winners of all the events on Thunder Roads Florida Facebook under Albums.

By Lulu

We LOVE this yearly event! 100 vendors, rodeo games, stunt shows, Universal Championship Wrestling, food court, bike show and 3 days of non-stop music! This happens in Sarasota at the fairgrounds. It ends up being more like a music fest than a rally. But they include a Ride So Children Can Thrive on Sunday, so you do get some time in your saddle! This is a huge fundraiser, so you spend a LITTLE to hear GREAT bands! This year the headliners were Blue Oyster Cult, Grand Funk Railroad and Creed Fisher. In 2024 the festival pretty much ended up a rain out and Grand Funk wasn’t even able to take the stage. When I heard them this year, I was totally bummed out that the rain God’s made me miss them in 2024. They put on an amazing show. But honestly, ALL the music was excellent. Along with the small gate fee, there is also a VIP tent with a well-organized 3-night affair, which includes meals catered by Sonny’s BBQ and free drinks to entice you into bidding on too many to mention silent raffle items. The VIP is well worth your ticket as it also gets you shade and seating, and VIP in front of the stage. All this feeds the kitty, Suncoast Charities for Children. This organization helps fund critical programs and services for children, teens, and adults with special needs. This year’s total was $240,000 and in the past 27 years they have raised an amazing 3 million dollars!!! Lucy Nicandri would like to acknowledge the key sponsors Precision Garage Door Service, FCCI Insurance Group, James D. & Ellen White Family Foundation, Budweiser, and Sonny’s BBQ, and also thank all the sponsors and volunteers who made this a huge success. Thank you, Lucy, and your team of volunteers for your great efforts. Next year’s dates are February 13-15th! Join us there!!

By Lulu

Everyone who knows anything about motorcycle bike shows has been to Chopper Time at Tropical Tattoo for Daytona Bike Week in the spring, and Biketoberfest in the fall. Sometimes you can barely squeeze between the bikes to get a photo, and it is almost impossible to find someone in the crowd! 2025 spring event was that situation on steroids! PACKED like sardines! The band, Fat Cactus, was playing in a packed yard. Mike Jones and his posse spent the day helping to raise funds with his gun raffle for the Veteran’s Coalition that Willie helps support with the beer and alcohol profits, including the bartenders’ tips!!! Following is an article that one of our ad clients and one of Chopper Time’s sponsors wrote about Willie and what an amazing man he is! This year the sponsors included Rue & Ziffra law firm, Twisted Tea, Cycle Source Magazine, I Love BadVentures, Only Choppers, Morris Magneto, Hogridin, Spectro Oil, S & S, OB’s, Hardcore Cycles, Broken Spoke, Bling Cycles, Joker Cycle Works, EMC Shocks, A OK Guns, Dustin’s BBQ, Veteran’s Support Fund, Jessica Macy, Rider Now, Realty Pros, Iron Horse Saloon, Renegade Cycles, Guerrilla Fabrication, FNA, A1 Cycles, and Cochise Chops. Thanks to all who help make this an amazing day of bikes, booze, tattoos and helping our local veterans! Photos of the day and all the winners pics are on Thunder Roads Florida Facebook, please like and share!!

By Lulu

Historic downtown Deland is a bustling college bar/restaurant and quaint shopping scene, but the first Saturday of March it was a motorcycle mecca. Bikes everywhere. Vendors, bands, bars, and great restaurants made this a destination ride. We managed to spend some time at Issues and Da Vinci’s where Crashrocket was entertaining the huge crowd in the courtyard. This rally is always early March and a wonderful way to spend a day of riding and partying with friends!

So many amazing things happened this spring all due to the incredible generosity of the biking community. During Bike Week, Iron Horse Saloon and Broken Spoke auctioned off guitars for the Veteran’s Coalition for a total of $40,741 and St. Jude for a total of $38,148. Iron Horse threw their 3^rd Saddle up for St. Jude Poker Run in April and raised $48,917 more. Chopper Time at Tropical Tattoo gives the days alcohol sales to the local vets! A bike shop up in Deland, Sledz East, threw a poker run for the parents of a boy killed in his neighborhood by dogs and raised a bundle. Thunder by The Bay Music & Motorcycle Festival raised $240,000 for Suncoast Charity for Children. There were also poker runs and benefits all over the state of Florida every weekend. I know I have said this before, but it needs to be repeated. I was a president of Rotary back in my life before motorcycles. A Rotary Club has 4 avenues of service and does fundraising to help individuals, their city, the country, and the world. Most members are rather affluent, so donations should be easy to give, and I am not taking away from the work Rotarians do. As a 2-time Paul Harris Fellow I was honored to be involved with them. BUT it takes a special kind of “people” to take their free time almost every weekend to either work to put on charity rides and benefits, donate to the cause, or take their last $10 bucks and their only day off to ride for a person they don’t even know that is in need. AND THAT IS BIKERS!! Thank you for sharing your world with me. I could name many who are earning their real wings to heaven, but I want to mention one true Angel on Earth, my best friend Sherry Fletcher. She works tirelessly on her events. She organizes them, she makes baskets or donations to all kinds of events, she drives friends to doctor visits, and she houses people in her own home if needed. Thank you to all who live the biker life…don’t stop doing what you are doing! You make a difference. Saddle up for a charity event soon, buy a stranger a Twisted Tea and don’t forget your sunscreen.

By Jeani G.

Bike Week wouldn’t be complete without hitting the saddle to ride to the World-Famous Iron Horse Saloon for a roundup of fun and great music. Lots of bike parking out front and in the corral beneath the deck with plenty of space to kick back, grab a cold one and enjoy people and motorcycle watching with your friends or make some new friends!

Always popular are the Iron Horse event T-shirts and delicious mouth-watering Craiger’s steak tips. Enjoy your favorite beer or cocktail served up by friendly bartenders, relax with a Chrome cigar, and shop for biker accessories at the variety of cool vendors – custom lighting, jackets, helmets, bandanas, waterless bike wash, jewelry, food, and lots more. Maybe it’s time to get yourself some new ink onsite at Willie’s Tropical Tattoo … and don’t forget to experience the thrill and speed of the Wall of Death to round out your Bike Week adventure!

Beautiful Lisa emceed this year’s fantastic entertainment lineup including Parmalee, Eddie Montgomery, Creed Fisher, Saliva, and Whey Jennings. Other bands rocking the non-stop party were Bobby Friss, Cowboy, Buckshot, Jess Zimmerman, Highway to Hell, Dirty Grass Soul, Loose Lips, Moonshine Bandits, Are Friends Electric, Gun Shy, JB Walker and more! The headliners signed guitars which were auctioned off pre-show (Whey Jennings also autographed a really cool denim jacket, while Eddie Montgomery signed one of his hats) with all proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Veterans Support Fund.

Owners of the Iron Horse Saloon, Sally, Melissa, and Bob always throw a great Bike Week bash and this bar is very involved in the community sponsoring amazing charitable events, poker runs and corn hole tournaments all year long! Be sure to pay them a visit and tell ‘em Thunder Roads Florida sent ya! Happy trails!