July 2nd -- Bike Night at Westgate

Welcome to Westgate City Center in Glendale Arizona, home of the Coyotes Arena and the Cardinals Stadium, and tonight the stage for hundreds of bikes.

And so on very humid 110 degree afternoon hundreds of bikers packed Coyote Blvd. at Westgate City Center on Thursday, July the 2nd. It was hot, it was muggy, and it was awesome, any time so many bikes are in one place it's a sight to be seen. I got there at around 7;00 pm, out on a different parking lot the Patriot Guard Riders known to escort and keep guard at soldiers funerals rode in escorted by a couple of Glendale's finest. The Patriot Riders are regular bikers with a particular passion for riding and a deep respect for the military. Their bikes are equipped with multi color lights resembling the lights on a regular police bike. Seeing the bikes ride through the crowded street, carrying the American flags while the speakers played I'm Proud to be an American was emotional to say the least.

A motorcycle cop rides ahead of the pack as he opens the way for the motorcade.

Patriot Guard Riders riding through Coyote Blvd.

Thousands of bikers and spectators were enjoying the sights and sounds of the event. The big screen TV played clips recorded earlier in the day. The loud speakers played patriotic music in honor of the upcoming Independence Day. And no empty sits in or out of all the restaurants in the complex, and trust me there are many of those there. Being that today was the last bike night the restaurants and bars are going to miss bike night. Bikers are not shy at spending money and are usually very giving individuals.

As you can see the desert heat did not discourage us from packing Westgate tight.

Can we all get along? Yes we can. Gone are the days where "bikers" would give "rice burner" riders a hard time. The hardcore biker image is pretty much gone, now we are bikers but above all we are riders and we have learned to co-exist and to share the space equally. I personally think that it's awesome to have the mixture and to respect each others riding choices and philosophies.

Here is a big group of Japanese bikes.

This one here is totally my style. Awesome color, great rims, and I really dig the white wall tires.

This one here is an old pan head beautifully restored. The two tone paint job is awesome and it sports a suicide shifter.

This is a replica of what could possibly be the most famous bike in the world. "Captain America" the infamous chopper riden by Peter Fonda in the now classic "Easy Rider".

Another sweet ride complete with black paint job, white wall tires, and beach cruiser handlebars.

That is enough for this edition of cruising Westgate City Center with Joe Cool. Next time I will show you some of the not so regular bikes there. Today I concentrated on showing you the ones that are within my riding style. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed photographing them.

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