ON THE ROAD AGAIN
A middle-aged woman who had lost her husband in a bike/car accident, being a rider herself, was looking for people to ride with in her age group. The idea of forming a club for older people appealed to her, so she wrote to the American Motorcyclist Association for sample copies of a Constitution and Bylaws.
Then — how to reach people who might be interested in such a club? She put the following poem in the motorcycle ads column of the Fort Collins Coloradoan, setting a time for a meeting at her home for anyone interested in forming a club:
Are you forty or older and
On the way down?
Tired of riding alone so
Just staying home?
Is your bike gathering dust
In that corner so gloomy?
Come on, get with it-
Don’t mope around.
There’s places to go,
Things to see and to do.
Spring’s coming up fast,
I’ll be riding; will you?
Sixteen people came to that first meeting in January, 1972, set up the club organization and ten of the group became charter members. Club posters were displayed in the local cycle shops and membership grew quickly. As with any new adventure, dire predictions were heard of never being able to hold this type of club together.
The purpose of the club was not only to make it possible for riders over forty years of age to ride with and enjoy being with other riders, but to improve the image of motorcyclists. The Bylaws contained certain restrictions, such as no drinking on the rides, minimum size of bike, etc. Members were required to have a club jacket with patches. (editors note: no longer required)
One of the first decisions made was to meet every Sunday morning at a certain location for breakfast and a ride. This is still the nucleus of the club activities. There is always someone to ride with. This is a year-round activity. Winter breakfasts, on days when snow is piled deep and the poor members are forced to drive cars, are times of good camaraderie and hilarious going-on. Activities have included rides to Durango, CO, Moab, UT, Taos, NM, the Sturgis Rally, Pawnee Buttes, the lookout at the top of Mt. Evans, etc. Other activities are Halloween, Christmas and New Years parties, riding in parades, entering motorcycle shows, putting on poker runs, etc.
The Forty Plus Motorcycle Club of Fort Collins, Colorado is 28 years old (editors note: now 40), living proof that this type of club serves a social need and CAN be held together. If you are riding alone and would like to meet other riders in your area, the effort and time spent with this type of club can be richly rewarding.
Rewritten by : Mick Wilson (RIP), 2000
Casey Weaver (Borden)
, our founder passed February, 2012 (RIP) |
