ELBRIDGE - Wet weather put a damper on The Central New York Bikers Club's Cruz & Blues 2008 event at the Rolling Wheels Raceway that began Friday night and continued through Saturday, but the bikers were upbeat.
With good company, good music, good food, and a 50-mile motorcycle ride ahead, they were still game on Saturday morning.
Neil Fry, president of the club, said, “Things are slow because of the weather. We expect between 20 and 30 bikes.” Fry said the bike ride was moved back a couple of hours because heavy rain was predicted.
“We have a lot of fair weather riders,” he said. But the rest of the show would continue straight to the end. Proceeds from the event help fallen bikers and their families. He also said that 50-50 drawings were postponed from Friday to Saturday.
The Saturday ride began at 1:30 p.m. with bikers headed toward Skaneateles, going down 41 A to Moravia and coming back along 38A and Owasco Lake.
The bikini bike wash was washed out. The girls came but left, thinking it would rain. A bike show, a bike rodeo and an Undie 500 were also likely to be canceled.
Laid back vendors hawked their wares, staying put under their tents: Illustrated Lady, Preferred Powersports, Biker Alley, Renegade Classics, ABATE of Onondaga County, ABATE of Oswego County, CMA, and NY Rider Magazine.
Carmella Brown, owner and publisher of NY Rider Magazine, dressed up in an outfit befitting a destitute person to help promote the insurance of one of her advertisers.
She also made an appearance at a soccer game being played earlier by children in a nearby field, which spiced up their game.
Meanwhile, entertainers geared up for scheduled performances.
“The bands all donated their time,” Fry said, noting that the club still had to pay for the track, sound people, stage rental and food. On Friday, Rhythm Method, Stevie Wolf and Roosevelt Dean performed.
Saturday's show included more Syracuse groups: 5 Below tuned up at 2 p.m., while Chris Terra, Elmo Blake, Four Barrel and Phil Petroff followed.
Safety issues were foremost in the bikers' minds. Attorney and biker Ben Rabin works with injured riders.
“The left-hand turn is one of the biggest killers,” Rabin said, estimating that cases where a car turns into the path of a motorcycle makes up about 75 percent of the cycle cases his firm handles.
Rabin said motorcycles are prohibited by law from getting no-fault coverage, so the other car, if responsible, would have to have enough coverage.
“It costs $8,000 for a helicopter airlift,” Rabin said, so it's possible when all is tallied, that a motorist might not have enough to cover a bike he hit with his car.
“Cars just aren't paying attention to us,” Fry, a rider since 1973, said. “A lot of people think we can stop fast.”
“People have to realize we are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters,” Carmella Brown said.
“We care about the community. They have to watch out for us.”
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
Neil Fry, president of the club, said, “Things are slow because of the weather. We expect between 20 and 30 bikes.” Fry said the bike ride was moved back a couple of hours because heavy rain was predicted.
“We have a lot of fair weather riders,” he said. But the rest of the show would continue straight to the end. Proceeds from the event help fallen bikers and their families. He also said that 50-50 drawings were postponed from Friday to Saturday.
The Saturday ride began at 1:30 p.m. with bikers headed toward Skaneateles, going down 41 A to Moravia and coming back along 38A and Owasco Lake.
The bikini bike wash was washed out. The girls came but left, thinking it would rain. A bike show, a bike rodeo and an Undie 500 were also likely to be canceled.
Laid back vendors hawked their wares, staying put under their tents: Illustrated Lady, Preferred Powersports, Biker Alley, Renegade Classics, ABATE of Onondaga County, ABATE of Oswego County, CMA, and NY Rider Magazine.
Carmella Brown, owner and publisher of NY Rider Magazine, dressed up in an outfit befitting a destitute person to help promote the insurance of one of her advertisers.
She also made an appearance at a soccer game being played earlier by children in a nearby field, which spiced up their game.
Meanwhile, entertainers geared up for scheduled performances.
“The bands all donated their time,” Fry said, noting that the club still had to pay for the track, sound people, stage rental and food. On Friday, Rhythm Method, Stevie Wolf and Roosevelt Dean performed.
Saturday's show included more Syracuse groups: 5 Below tuned up at 2 p.m., while Chris Terra, Elmo Blake, Four Barrel and Phil Petroff followed.
Safety issues were foremost in the bikers' minds. Attorney and biker Ben Rabin works with injured riders.
“The left-hand turn is one of the biggest killers,” Rabin said, estimating that cases where a car turns into the path of a motorcycle makes up about 75 percent of the cycle cases his firm handles.
Rabin said motorcycles are prohibited by law from getting no-fault coverage, so the other car, if responsible, would have to have enough coverage.
“It costs $8,000 for a helicopter airlift,” Rabin said, so it's possible when all is tallied, that a motorist might not have enough to cover a bike he hit with his car.
“Cars just aren't paying attention to us,” Fry, a rider since 1973, said. “A lot of people think we can stop fast.”
“People have to realize we are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters,” Carmella Brown said.
“We care about the community. They have to watch out for us.”
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
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