AUBURN — Falcon Lanes has proven to be an incredibly lucky place for Waterloo’s Steve Arndt.

Since he started bowling there regularly two years ago, Arndt has made a number of new friends, joined his first league, got engaged to his fiance and most recently, he became the winner of the Strike Bike, a bowling-themed motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers, which has been featured on the show “American Chopper.”

“I guess things have been pretty lucky for me here,” said Arndt, 22. “For me it is a pretty lucky place.”

Arndt said he began bowling just for fun about eight years ago in Waterloo with his mother.

And while he bowled on a regular basis, he never got involved in leagues or tournaments.

“It was just fun,” Arndt said. “I had fun and I met a lot of good people.”

Two years ago Arndt’s fiance, Ashley Campagna, brought him to Falcon Lanes where he’s been a regular ever since.

“I’m usually here twice a week,” Arndt said. “I’m here Sunday nights and on Thursday for Dollar night, that is a lot of fun.”

At the beginning of the season, Arndt was asked to join Campagna and the rest of her team for the Sunday Night Mixed League, marking his first foray into competitive bowling.

“It is a little different,” Arndt said. “There are more rules and everything. But it is a lot of fun and it is competitive. There is a lot of really good competition here and a lot of really good people. They are all very friendly here.”

Arndt has been using his time at Falcon Lanes to hone his skills.

He said that while he has his off days like anyone else, he has seen an improvement in his game — he averages a 153.

“Sometimes I have really low games,” Arndt said. “And then sometimes I have some pretty good games. Usually I think I’m doing pretty good though, I think I’m definitely starting to bowl more consistently.”

It was also at the lanes that Arndt proposed to Campagna, who aside from being an inspiration for his bowling, also encouraged him to try to win the Strike Bike.

Arndt recently got his motorcycle license and decided to enter the online contest to win the bike.

“I never really thought I’d win,” Arndt said. “I knew that it was a national contest. I tried to look at it realistically and I never thought that I would really win.”

Arndt said that he never even planned to enter the numbers online, but Campagna had a more optimistic view and went ahead and made the entry for him.

And several weeks later, Arndt was shocked when Campagna called him at work.

“She called and said that the UPS truck had stopped and left a letter in the door,” Arndt said. “She said ‘I think you won.’”

When he got home and saw the letter, Arndt couldn’t believe his eyes when he read that he had won the Strike Bike, valued at approximately $75,000.

Because of the bike’s high value and taxes that he would have to pay, Arndt won’t be able to accept the bike, but he will instead receive a cash prize of $25,000, which he said he plans to split with Campagna and put toward a down payment on their house.

But on Nov. 25, Arndt, Campagna and family will travel to Orange County Choppers to see the bike and get their picture taken.

“It is pretty exciting,” Arndt said. “My family is all really excited about it and we might get to meet the guys from the show and everything. It is pretty exciting.”

The bike will be sent on tour, traveling to various bowling events and will most likely be placed in a museum.