Spring Bash '08 - Albertville AL

The North Alabama Air, Car, and Bike show in Albertville was organized by real pros. This was more of an air-show than anything else, but lots of vendors, several antique and classic cars, and a handful of bikes surrounding the biker vendor. Not so much a bike show, but a good excuse to get on the bike and show up. Nice, small air-show, and it looks like everybody in Marshall County showed up for this event.

Faunsdale Biker Rally - Alabama's wildest biker event

It has been a weeks since the biggest biker rally in Alabama, and I am still chuckling about what I saw. Oh sure I have seen naked people before, but never on a bike, at midnight, riding around a big, dirt track. That was a real treat. The biggest surprise was the BYOB, and whatever you can put on the back of your bike(or in your RV, or the trailer pulling your bike). That's right, no rules about beverages, except they do NOT sell alcohol there. So it turned into a quick trip down the road to Demopolis.

This was the single largest rally I have ever been to, and would guestimate 1,500-3,000 campers-RVs, tents etc., plus another 5,000 possibly in/out folks. Hard to gauge the real traffic due to everyone moving around alot, as there was much to see. In addition to the main stage, for music, wet-t contests, etc. there were "community stages" set up out in the village, where the real debauchery took place. Stripper poles surrounded by RVs, nice light-shows, PA systems, and portable tiki-bars with singing automatons. The food was typical festival-type food, but enough to keep you alive.

If you wanted something different to eat, you could ride down the road less than a mile for the Annual Faunsdale Crawfish Festival, going on at the same time.

I would suggest making this a bi-annual trip, I had a blast.

Find out more about Faunsdale Bike Rally here


Faunsdale Biker Rally - Alabama Spring 2008

1st Annual 'Giving Back is the New Black Ride'

The Hoover to Tuscaloosa charity ride started out at a great location - the Iron Horse, where we picked up donuts and coffee, before the ride down. Escorted all the way to Tuscaloosa by the organizers-Xcell Academy. We rolled into Rhythm and Brews downtown to a buffet of chicken fingers and wings - enough to feed 100 hungry bikers, and Desperate Measures- a local band playing rock, blues and even a country tune. Great time, good atmosphere, and good people all around. Next time they will have more than a week to prepare, and should have more than 100 participants, and will certainly be a MUST RIDE.

Deal's Gap - Biker Paradise in the south

I know Bama Rides is about motorcycling in Alabama, but I thought I would share one of the most amazing trips I have taken on a bike. Deal's Gap is considered a Mecca for bikers in the southeast, a journey every adventurous rider should take at least once in a lifetime, but I would suggest even more often. Also known as "Tail of the Dragon", this 11-mile section of U.S. Route 129 is located on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina in the Smokey Mountains. Just driving thru this region is incredible, and the ride I am describing is the cherry on the top. I have been to the Nantahala before, paddling, camping, and always thought the scenery was "nice", and the water is 55' year round. When we arrived at "The Store", there were about 50+ bikes, and no cars in the parking lot. Bikers everywhere, a lodge, restaurant, and gift shop. On the side there was the "Tree of Shame", where victims of the dragon can hang the parts he spit out. After a few minutes of gathering our thoughts, we hit the Tail, and it was a quick ride, and very confusing, as there were so many unusual factors - banked turns, and foot-peg scrapers, knee-draggers in every corner, mixed in with an occasional car. The rise and fall of the road has not been captured by any video or pics that I have seen. The 80 ft. drops off many of the corners are not seen in video either. It all ended too quickly, and the sun was going down. All I want to do is go back, and spend a bit more time exploring the surrounding areas, broken up by a few more trips thru the dragon.

We rode in on the Cherahola Skyway - it sounds like an amusement park ride, but it is better. This place is incredible, and the single most scenic places I have ever traveled. Breathtaking at 5,400 feet, it runs thru the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests for 36 miles. The long sweeping turns, unlike Deal's Gap, are pleasant to cruise and sight-see, just don't get too focused on the view. There are lots of places to pull over. You gotta go.