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2008 and our heartfelt fraternal reunion is over! Look for webpage updates in May of 2009. Until then, enjoy the 2008 info below.
FIREFIGHTERS RIDE IN HONOR: The Annual "Ride to Remember" brings firefighter riders from across N. America to Lakewood Colorado for fellowship, fun, and to honor our Fallen. The ride is the third Saturday in September and starts at the Colorado Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The large motorcycle and fire apparatus procession then travels to the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial in Colorado Springs where the majority of riders dress in Class A or service uniform and observe the honors at Memorial Park. The ride is open to FIREFIGHTERS ONLY (and their families) and requires pre-registration.
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IAFF FALLEN FIRE FIGHTERS MEMORIAL: Families and honor guard of IAFF Fallen need to contact the IAFF directly. Local 5 Colorado Springs Firefighters and Colorado Springs have special lodging/programs for survivors. Please go to the IAFF website for info. The "Ride to Remember" starts in Metro Denver in Lakewood early Saturday morning. It is a very early and cold ride from Colorado Springs to Lakewood--we recommend that the overnight FOR RIDERS be spent in the Lakewood CO area.
For those riders who DO NOT WISH TO DO THE RIDE TO REMEMBER segment, please meet in the Promenade Shops at Briargate; 1885 Briargate Pkwy; CSpgs 80920 by 10 a.m. dressed in Class A or service uniforms for the final procession to the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial in Memorial Park downtown Colorado Springs.
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Thursday Mountain Ride 2008
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Fully fueled riders and bikes should report to the front lot of Holiday Inn-Denver West (Golden) for an 8:45 a.m. safety briefing and ride meeting. The Thursday ride (weather permitting) will leave from the lot at 9 a.m. The Route is similar to the Burn Camp Run. Lakewood to Golden to Coal Creek Canyon. Peak to Peak Hwy to Estes Park lunch with options to Trail Ridge Road (longest, highest paved road in N. American) and over for a long-day loop; up/back for a short day loop; return on any side canyon for a half day ride.
Rocky Mountain National Park has an entry fee. $10/person (max $20) on motorcycles per day or use your annual Park Pass.
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Friday Mountain Ride 2008
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Report to the front lot of Holiday Inn-Denver West (Golden) at 8:45 a.m. fully fueled for a safety meeting. This ride will leave at 9 a.m for a Mt. Evans summit attempt at 14,000 ft elevation (highest paved road in America). The route options are to thunder through the tunnels of Clear Creek, ride up Chicago Creek Basin to Echo Lake Lodge. Change into cool weather clothing and ride up above Bristle Cone Pine and tundra to a 360 degree "top of the world" panorama at your own speed and time. Mountain Goats and Rocky Mountain Sheep can be seen as well as marmots and pika--maybe a black bear!
Have lunch at Echo Lake Lodge on return. Descend via Squaw Pass road into Evergreen then down the Bear Creek Road to Red Rocks Park .
Options include loop without summit attempt and return via Buffalo Bill's Grave/Museum and the serpentine "Lariat Trail Road" down the face of Lookout Mountain. Yes, you probably will see buffalo at the 'buffalo overlook'.
SAFETY NOTE: The summit road above Echo Lake Lodge is paved but shear in spots with a single lane only. Corners are hairpin at the top--only riders experienced in this riding topography should carry passengers. Rockfall and severe weather can occur at any time. An early up/down prior to noon on a weekday is the best strategy. Lightning/hail are considerations especially after noon at the top. Options for a less intense ride are to stage at the Echo Lake Lodge and complete the loop without the summit attempt. The road may only be open to the Summit Lake area.
FEE: There is a $5 fee for the summit road above Echo Lake Lodge. WIND & FIRE MC SPECIAL NOTE: The W&F International Board Meeting will take place at the Host Hotel Friday at 10 a.m.
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Friday Nite Riders Meeting
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Riders meet Friday at 6 p.m. in the meeting room of the sponsoring motel, Meeting times, door prizes, registration, ride information/route, and extra safety precautions will be covered.
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Saturday Ride to Remember 2008
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The registration and start area for Ride to Remember is at the Belmar Libary located one block south on Allision St. off W. Alameda Ave.
SATURDAY SCHEDULE:
- 0700-0800 Final Arm-band Registry at Belmar Library
- 0630-0800 Fire Apparatus Cue at Belmar Library
- 0800-0815 Short Service and Safety Announcements at Colorado Fallen Firefighters Memorial
- 0830 PROCESSION LEAVES LAKEWOOD
- 1000 PROCESSION ARRIVES AT Promenade Shops at Briargate; 1885 Briargate Pkwy; CSpgs 80920 (Exit 151 and east 1/2 mile)
- Restrooms, changing area for Class A's and Service Uniforms, Pin/Patch sales, Water
- Meet with additional motorcycles and fire apparatus from Colorado Springs and Southern Colorado
- 1200 PROCESSION LEAVES FOR MEMORIAL PARK
- 1300 IAFF FALLEN FIRE FIGHTERS MEMORIAL OBSERVANCE **Please note that IAFF may opt last minute changes to accommodate weather, family, traffic, or other safety needs**
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2008 MOTEL INFORMATION!!: 2008 is the third year for host motel, Holiday Inn-Denver West . Mention "Ride To Remember" for the $79/night room rate. The hotel has bike security, pool, health/fitness, high speed internet, on-site bar and restaurant. Colorado Mills Shopping Mall, many restaurants, and movie theatres are within a short walk. A full breakfast buffet may be added at $TBA person Bike washing stations will be set up. "Ride to Remember" contact on the Denver property.
Friday Night Event
TBA Plans are shaping up for a Friday evening mixer, possibly at the Rock Rest in Golden, stay tuned. Motel van shuts down at 10p.
REQUIRED "RIDE TO REMEMBER" ARM-BANDS ARE AVAILABLE EARLY THURS/FRI/SAT MORNINGS AND WED/THURS/FRI late afternoon. . SIGN IN EARLY IF POSSIBLE! SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BELMAR (LAKEWOOD) LIBRARY CAN BE CONGESTED WITH LINES.
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History of the Ride
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The first "Ride to Remember" of 1993 started as a group of friends, firefighters, who realized there had to be additional ways to encourage more firefighters from the metro Denver area to attend the annual IAFF Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial in Colorado Springs.
The Ride to Remember continued to grow in numbers of fire motorcyclists and area fire apparatus until the extraordinary firefighter line-of-duty-deaths of 2001 led to a reported 7-mile-long procession in 2002!
With the tight bonds formed among fire riders during the September 11, 2002 Ride to Ground Zero and the returning 2002 Ride To Remember, the Ride now serves as an annual healing of heart and soul among Canadians' and United States' Bravest.
Pre-RtR "Mountain Rides" on Thursday and Friday were added by the local host Chapter to provide more time for returning firefighters to enjoy fraternity, guided high-elevation riding, and peer support prior to Saturday's ceremony. There is no charge for firefighter riders and their families for "Ride To Remember" or mountain rides.
The purpose of the Ride to Remember remains the same today as it did over a decade ago:
The Ride to Remember is open to firefighters and their families; all brands of bikes; all fire "Colors" or club affiliations--we are one--we are the fire service.
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Road Conditions
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Accident prevention in Colorado requires diligence from riders in a number of areas:
Curves: Riders must have "low entry speed" in curves--riders can always throttle up after entering the curve. Entering a curve too hot can find a rider "over the edge" in Colorado. The bike goes where the eyes go. Make frequent camera stops and leave your sight-seeing for moments when the kickstand is down. There is often gravel in curves.
Gravel: Gravel is on Colorado roads all the time. Gravel can be deposited by 1) gully washer rains in summer 2) errant automobile motorists slipping off onto the shoulder and spinning gravel up 3) intersecting dirt roads 4) gravel trucks following snow/hail. Watch for gravel at intersections and curves--it is too late to slow down AFTER entering a curve.
Weather: Hail, snow, rain can occur any month of the year in Colorado, especially up high. It is important to have good tread depth on tires in Colorado. What do you have for your head and eyes with marble size hail falling? Is it in your saddle bag? How can you keep yourself and your passenger warm/dry? Many Colorado cyclists carry an extra-large/extra-strong leaf bag to use as an emergency rain parka or bike cover.
Paving conditions: With daytime/nighttime temp swings of 30+ degrees, it is hard to keep asphalt down on the mountain states roads. Look for 1) uneven pavement in lanes 2) large slab gaps/tire traps 3) tar snakes 4) rain grooves 5) rotomill. Colorado IS a construction project.
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High Elevation
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High elevation is a special environment that affects both human and motorcycle performance. There is less air (atmospheric pressure) and it is *very* dry.
Health is enhanced by 1) good hydration of 10 glasses water/day 2) rest 3) limiting alcohol and caffeine intake. Sunscreen, lip balm, a humidifier in the room at night, and sunglasses are very helpful. Avoid heavy meals prior to riding. Keep water readily available and insure rider/passenger remain hydrated.
Bike performance is affected by LEAN air condition. On FI (fuel injected) bikes, be certain to allow the fuel pump/indicator light to FULLY CYCLE prior to starting. This measures elevation, air, and other parameters that allow your bike to run well. On carburated bikes, you need to be aware that you will start at 5,200 ft elevation at the lowest (Denver) and go up from there to a possible 14,000+ ft elevation at Mt. Evans parking lot summit. Read your manual or call your dealer for high elevation ops info.
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Motorcycle Service
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Service is available for nearly every brand of bike in the Denver area. Wind & Fire MC STRONGLY recommends that you SCHEDULE interval service in advance of your travel.
Harley-Davidson: The nearest H-D dealership to Mile High Inn is Freedom H-D on E. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood. Mile High H-D is near the Denver International Airport at I-70 and Airport Rd. Rocky Mountain H-D is near C-470 and US-85 in Littleton on County Line Road. The seven-day shop is High Country H-D 20 min north of Denver in Frederick CO. See Harley Davidson website for locations and websites.
BMW/Triumph: Foothills BMW at Wadsworth in Lakewood is near to the motel.
Honda/Suzuki/Kawasaki/Victory: Excel Motorsports has a number of dealers along Colfax Ave. not far from the motels.
Suzuki/Yamaha/Kawasaki/Victory: are at Grand Prix Motorsports C-470 and US-85 near Rky Mtn H-D.
TIRES: Discount Dunlops are available at Grand Prix Motorsport . Good prices for tires only (no fitment) are at Performance Cycles of Colorado on Broadway in Denver.
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Break-downs/Towing
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Many of our riders have HOG (Road America) or AMA Towing services. If you do not have road service, please call the ride coordinator to see if we have a firefighter/trailer available to help you during the week. Our highest commercial recommendation is to wait for and use 2WheelTransport with their specialized trucks and trailers. This service is used by all the MC towing services--you will wish to specify them.
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Weather
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Colorado Department of Transportation has COTrip.org available for up-to-the-hour road conditions and weather. The site is downloadable to PDA or Cellphone browser format for live travel info on your motorcycle.
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The "Ride To Remember" is an American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) sanctioned and insured event.
Rocky Mountain Chapter; Wind & Fire MC is a 501c3 incorporated charity. "Ride To Remember" is a registered legal trademark of the Rocky Mountain Chapter, Wind & Fire MC
Any use of "Ride to Remember" with regard to a motorcycling event requires advance written permission from the the Chapter Board of Directors.
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Pins & Patches
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A limited number of "Memorial" pins and "Ride to Remember" patches are available for sale on a first come first serve basis, Wednesday through Friday at the Golden CO host hotel and Saturday morning at the Belmar Library ride registration site.
Any remaining pins/patches will be taken to the Colorado Springs staging area. Get them up early, we sell out quickly. Proceeds cover expenses and event insurance. Remaining monies go to our charities.
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Contact
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- Ride Coordinator: Mark Warriner, 303 880-7095 Cell Email Mark
- Co-Coordinator: Eric Sondeen; 303 475-8210 Cell Email Eric
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Donate to the Ride!
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Wind & Fire MC is a 501c3 charity and thanks you for your donated goods and cash. While this ride is FREE to all firefighters and their families, we accept donations to defray the expense of insurance, police coverage, and facility expenses. Turn those "take off" motorcycle parts you are storing into a donation. For more info, call or email Dave Solin, Treasurer Rocky Mountain Chapter Wind & Fire MC, 303 898-9185 or Email Dave Solin
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