T-Shirts are now available for pre-order, there will be no shirts available for purchase at the ride. I need to place the order by July 17th, so if you would like to purchase this year's ride shirt, please order now.
 
Pre-orders are now closed.
If you plan on making the event, please take a moment and shoot me an email to let me know how many will be in your party.
•>RSVP HERE!
Today I took my annual ride to remember my friend. Decided this year to take a trip up to one of our favorite spots. As sat up on the top of the world with the bright sunny sky to my left and the dark clouds spitting thunder and lightening to the right, I couldn't help but wonder if Mike had something to do with the show as it was unlike anything I've seen.
  
Days like these are few and far between, we should all slow down from time to time and take in what nature has to offer.
Thank you Mike... Message received!!!
Friendship Ride 2009 is officially set for August 1, 2009. Last year was our biggest ride yet. I'm hoping this is year no different. I'll searching for a local place to host the after ride BBQ. I'll post up information as it becomes available. Hope to see you there!
I updated the gallery with pictures from the '08 ride. Thanks to Thayne from our local forum centralvalleyriders.com for the bulk of these pictures. Seems I was too busy talking to everyone to take many pictures this year. :)
•>Friendship Ride Gallery
I hope you all enjoy the pictures as much as I do.
Wow, what an incredible day. So many bikes and riders, of all ages. Everyone seemed to stay in check and we had zero incidents and everyone made it to Motohead at the end of the ride.
Thanks to all the riders who showed up. I apologize to those I didn't meet or spend more time with throughout the day. I tried to make the rounds and meet everyone, but with such a large group I know I didn't get to spend the time I wanted with each rider.
Motohead was awesome, they had a great spread ready for us when we arrived. Their never ending supply of dogs filled all of our tummies. My wife Michele baked up some incredible cookies and spent most of the morning cutting up slices of watermelon for the gang. What a treat!
Thanks again to all the riders that kept the ride real. A true testament to the amount of quality talent we have here. I hope to see you all again at next year's ride.
Thanks again the Motohead, Owners Dan, Lisa and Brad. Thanks to Rob the shop guru for roasting up some tasting dogs and for always taking care of my fancy wheels when I take them in for changing.
I'm gathering up all the photos and should have the gallery updated by the end of the week.
The day is almost upon us. It looks like we will be blessed with below normal temperatures this weekend. They are predicting low 90's for Saturday, which makes for some cool riding weather up in the mountains. Even though the weather will be cooler this year, please make sure to bring enough water to keep yourself hydrated. We will be stopping at a few shops along the way, so if you can't carry water with you, you'll be able to purchase what you need when we stop.
Again, if you plan on making the event, please take a moment and shoot me an email to let me know how many will be in your party.
•>RSVP HERE!
Due to road construction on Road 200, I had to adjust the route this year. I've updated "The Ride" page with this years Itinerary, so please make sure you familiarize yourself with the route ahead of time.
Special thanks to Motohead Racing for hosting the after ride BBQ. This year will be bigger and better than ever and I look forward to riding with you all on Sataurday.
I'm still finalizing the plans for this year's ride, so check back soon for a complete itinerary of the day's events.
•>fr_08_flyer.pdf
Ride shirts are now available via pre-order only. If you would like to have a shirt for the event, please place your order before July 15th.
 
If you plan on making the event, please take a moment and shoot me an email to let me know how many will be in your party.
•>RSVP HERE!
This year will be bigger than ever and I look forward to seeing a bunch of new faces this year as well as all the familiar faces I've ridden with in the past.
It's been a while since my last update but the date is set for Friendship Ride 2008. I've got big plans this year, but you'll have to wait a bit longer for the details as I'm still working everything out.
My intent for the Friendship Ride was to have a different route for each year but unfortunately I quickly realize while out scouting new roads that not all the roads I like to ride are suitable for riders that are not used to the area. It's hard to find those perfect roads that will be great for every rider and not just for those who know the roads. It's also difficult to find a route that doesn't take all day, as a lot of people don't usually put in the miles that I'm used to. :)
I decided this year that the Friendship Ride would have a set route. Last year's trip seemed very pleasing to everyone so I think it would be quite fitting to make it the official route. Check out "The Ride" page for more information on the trip.
Ride T-Shirts
Time is running and you need to order your shirts this week if you would like them for the ride. CafePress is currently having a buy 3 get one free sale. Now would be a great time to fill up the closet (like I did!) with a ride shirt and maybe even something from the Biker Friendly shop. :)
 
Again, we receive no money from the sale of our ride shirts as they are offered at the minimum price CafePress has to offer.
Shirts are now available through CafePress for the August 4, 2007 ride. We receive no money from the sale of these shirts as they are offered at the minimum price CafePress has to offer.
I have this year's route all planned out. I'll hopefully be able to ride the new route this weekend so please check back next week and I should have the final itinerary posted on the site.
I finally updated the gallery with pictures from last year's ride. I hope you find the images as enjoyable as I have, revisiting the day we all shared.
•>Friendship Ride Gallery
Make sure you tell your friends so next year's ride will be bigger and better than ever.
Wow I can't believe I haven't updated the site since before the last Friendship Ride. I've just gone through all the pictures from our second annual ride and I will get them on the site in the next few days.
Last year's ride was the best yet as over 20 bikes paraded "briskly" through our incredible mountain twisties. I'm sure next year will be even better and I'm already working out a new route for this year's ride.
It looks like after the past few weeks of grueling above normal temperatures, cool weather is in store for this weekend's ride. The stage is set for a wonderful day as we complete the last of our preparations. If you plan on making the ride or just meeting us for the BBQ, please take a moment to send me a quick email so we make sure we have enough food for everyone.
I've also been asked many times about donations for the ride. I will have a donation jar available at the BBQ for those who wish to donate. Please note that donations are NOT required and all donates will go towards the purchase of the food and any thing left over will be used for next year's ride. Thanks to all those who have expressed an interest in helping out. :)
•>FR06Flyer.pdf
Special thanks again goes to Jodi Bearden for creating this awesome flier for this year's ride.
The itenerary for this year's Ride is now available on The Ride page. Starting time is 9:00am at the Starbucks in Oakhurst. We'll be ending up in Bass Lake for a yummy BBQ.
Mike's Step to the Corkscrew
I was busy last weekend visiting the track at Laguna Seca. They said that all of the "Steps to the Corkscrew" bricks that have been purchased last year have been placed at the track. Unfortunately that was not true. But we did happen to find Mike's step in the stack off to the side so I took the liberty to place it where I wanted.
  
  
I'm hoping they decided to leave it there so I know where it will be when I return for the races next weekend.
Ride to work Day!!!
Don't forget, the 15th annual "Ride to Work" day is Wednesday, July 19th 2006.
The 15th annual "Ride to Work" day is Wednesday, July 19th 2006
Participation in the yearly demonstration is estimated to triple the number of riders on the road, and help reveal to the public that motorcyclists come from all walks of life, work in all occupations, and range in age from teenagers to grandparents. Motorcycle clubs and organizations worldwide actively encourage members to ride their cycles to work on this day.
Each week day in the United States, more than eighty million cars and light trucks commute on American roads, but only about 200,000 of the over six million registered cycles are regularly used for such daily transportation. Adding more motorcycles to the mix can help make urban parking easier and traffic flow better, according to Ride to Work, a non-profit advocacy organization. Studies have also shown that urban motorcyclists reach their destinations faster than those using automobiles, and that most motorcycles consume less resources per mile than typical automobiles.
And don't forget...
This year's Friendship Ride is set for August 5, 2006! We are still working on the route but are definite that the ride will end up at beautiful Bass Lake for a relaxing BBQ. Michele and I will be setting out shortly to time and measure the route we have in mind so I should have this year's itinerary up on the site very soon.
Also, I plan on taking a ride out to the track at Laguna Seca prior to the races this month. I should have pictures on the site soon as there are only two more weekends before Laguna. I know that time is running out, but I want to search for Mike's step before the races as I think it will be hard to find come race day when there are thousands of people walking the trail.
Friendship Ride 2006 is officially set for August 5, 2006. I'm currently busy working on the route and as soon as I lock it down I will post the itinerary here.
My efforts to reach SCRAMP, the governing body of Laguna Seca has not been successful. I have no idea when Mike's step will be set in place. My only choice now is to visit the track in the near future and look for it myself. I will let everyone know when and where I find Mike's step so others will be able to find it more easily. I will also take pictures for those who are unable to visit the track.
Also, I've been busy with my new project. It's called "Biker Friendly" and is quickly becoming a huge hit. I hope to bring more awareness between riders as well as hopefully improving an already troubled rider/driver relationship. I encourage you all to visit the site and order you free stickers. It's a very simple way to help get the word out.
Mike's step to the corkscrew has been ordered. I'm working on getting the date it will actually be installed. I'd like to be there to see them place the step if possible. I've you'd like to join me on the placement date, let me know so we can coordinate the trip.
 It's official, we've reached our goal and we now have enough contributions to purchase the step and replica stones.
We are currently working with the engravers in order to get the step as close as possible to our original design. We may have to make a few compromises on the logo but we are trying our best to get the image approved as is. As soon as we agree on the proof, we will purchase the step and replica and I will let you know when we could expect to see the step placed on site.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this remarkable memorial for Mike. I will let everyone know when everything has been finalized.
Good news regarding Mike's "Steps to the Corkscrew". The logo has been tentatively approved and is off to their stencil department for the final say.
More good news, they are still offering the replica stone but we'll have to gather a bit more money to purchase both. Thank you to all of those you have already so generously contributed so much, and for those that would still like to help, now is the time to do it. :)
Shannon told me that the "Steps to the Corkscrew" is such a thoughtful way to keep Mike a part of the Laguna experience. I think the replica stone would be a nice personal memorial for Shannon to keep in her home.
Michele and I went through all the pictures (over 350) and we think we kept the best. The gallery section is now open. Thanks to everyone who uploaded their photos. Special thanks to Ken for setting up the FTP site and providing the space to temporarily host the files.
•>Ride Gallery
Also, thanks to all those you have already contributed to Mike's step. We are getting closer everyday.
Michele and I would like to thank everyone who attended our first annual Friendship Ride. For those that could not attend, we carried your thoughts and prayers along with us, you were all very much a part of the ride. Thanks to everyone for such a great day and for supporting this ride and what it means to me. I can not think of a better way to honor Mike than by bringing good friends together and spend the day riding.
As I stood on top of Glacier Point, looking around at my magnificent surroundings, I thought of Mike. I remembered all the times we had visited Yosemite and traveled around the surrounding mountain roads. Mike and I shared a common love for the open road that will forever live on within my heart. Through this ride we hope to share our passion with all of our good friends as well as any future friends we meet along the way.
Thank you for bringing your love and good thoughts to this very special day. Thank you for always being there when I needed it the most. Thank you for looking past my faults and standing by me when times were tough. Most of all, thank you for being my friend.
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