Bike Week
 

How are the crowds this year?

Headed up tomorrow for a concert at Meadowbrook, trying to figure how much of a delay we will see heading that way from Center Harbor area.


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Not sure about coming from Center Harbor, but I just drove by The Patrick’s Pub / Sawyers intersection on route 11 at 6:00 PM tonight and no traffic at all. Not sure what the Weirs would be like...

Dan

The most back up has been route 3 going south into the Weirs. Over the weekend it was backed up to the Meredith Bay development at times.

Weirs Boulevard has hardly slowed down thus far. Even over the weekend it might have backed up as far as the NASWA a few times but I doubt anyone lost more than 10 minutes in traffic.

Endicot Street North has had some back ups over the weekend but today it didn't back up much at all.

Overall, I would say the number of people and vehicles has continued the decline of the last 10 to 15 years.

And that is with the Dave Matthews band at Meadowbrook tonight too.

I was just on rt 25 in Center Harbor, I would say it is dead, not much traffic. I do expect it to pick up tomorrow, but it is much less than I expected. I also saw a June 9 to 16 DWI checkpoint sign on 104, so don't drink and drive people.

Tower Street Hill Climb
 

I took a short video this morning. Looks like a weekend crowd. Not bad for a Tuesday. Weather is always a factor.
This was the Hill Climb event on Tower Street. :cool:

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https://youtu.be/AsHSQk4TTxU

From Meredith I would consider going down Parade Rd (106) to Elm St. to Lakeport bypassing the Weirs.

Wow... what a lame excuse for a “hill climb”
Not like I remember them...

The " real hill climb" is tomorrow...always on Wednesday!

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This has probably been the best weather for bike week in a long time.

Less nudity at The Weirs...
 

And overall, as the biker population ages, their activities become more tame.

Yup...just like the event itself! Glad I was here in the old days!

The LDS has a good article about the hill climb:
https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...53d91f506.html

It was a lot different...
 

in the 60'. The bikers were "heathens" needing to be controlled by the National Guard. A car or two got turned upside down. Cops got to practice baton swings.

Then, as the bikers got older, they got money. The event became a viable part of the New Hampshire economic plan. The crowd I interacted with on Tuesday was very friendly, courteous and they bought a lot of pizza and hot dogs. A very large "burly" biker accidentally bumped into me and he couldn't have been more apologetic.

I heard the Pres. of Harley Davidson, on a radio show, commenting/lamenting on the fact that younger people are not getting into biking so much and their client base is fading, and thusly, so is Laconia Motorcycle Week's attendance.

I’m glad I was in my early 20s and able to enjoy it when the crowds were still big around 1999 2000. Was fun to attend and stay the week. I cannot imagine doing that now.


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Motorized entertainment including racing, off roading and general car culture is fading and has been. Motorcycles cost as much as a car now and the days of fixing up some old junker are about over. Kids don't know or care about working on engines and even if they did the electronics make it way harder.


Add to that the fact they everyone has their nose glued to their phone so meeting and talking to real people face to face is a lost art as well. Standing around and discussing some guys fully restored Indian or Yamaha with a Harley engine and kawasaki rear wheel is just not a thing any more.

Too bad but times change

Lol @ “heathens”
Maybe some of the HA but definitely not the majority...just working class guys letting off steam for a few days...

The younger people are doing many things virtually that we did/ do in person. No thanks!!

The biggest tell for me that it is aging and will die out is the fact that AARP is one of the biggest sponsors this year! :laugh:

The weather has been terrific so most bikers are out on rides and not hanging at the Weirs

The catheter tent was quite the shocker.

Times change they always do. As the cost of hobbies goes up, people are forced to make choices. 30-40 years ago having a motorcycle and a boat was not unthinkable even in the Northeast were the season is short. But now, with the cost many people, like me make a choice... For me it was boating with out a doubt. I also have invested in a camper and love doing that with my family as well...

Investing in more toys when I already have 3 (Boat, Jet Ski, and Camper) that can be used only in the summer just doesn't make sense. I just don't have that much time. Not to mention my wife doesn't like Motorcycles, so it would be a toy for only me to enjoy....

Bottom line I love Bike Week always have, I have met many good people when I have had the opportunity to make my way to the Weirs....In years past I have been invited back to camp grounds and hotels to party... I have also taken people I have met out for boat rides... But people aren't as social anymore. Yes they are polite etc. but it is not as social as they used to be.

Top the decline of the social part of the event, with new laws and an ever increasing Police Presence, the event will continue to dwindle. The problem is as the event dwindles, the "Heathens" will become more and more noticeable and draw more attention to the Bad aspects of the event. Thus we have a vicious cycle.......

Ya.. right next to the viagra kiosk! :D

Yes...
 

I visited both, I can't remember in what order...:confused:

And might I add this...
 

This was the cop watching over the Tower Hill climb event. I thought if there was an "incident" during the climb, it would be an event watching him run up the hill

Aging is for the young....
 

Thought I'd share another...Not sure why they are posting 90 degrees off.

I think the vest makes him look heavy. I'll bet he could outrun most of us.

You are probably right about that. If he's a Staty, he's considered an "elite" in his field.

He is a Sheriff. Most of the New Hampshire State Troopers I have seen are in very good shape.

This year there is a significant decrease in the number of police officers at the event. Several years ago it seemed that every 10th vehicle that went by was a police cruiser or motorcycle. That did not help attendance. There were also numerous officers on foot in past years but the number is considerably less this year.

Bike Week is in decline and people tire of attending only to see the same T-shirts and leather gear every year. If something new is not done to stop the decline in attendance Bike Week will soon be a distant memory. It seemed the recent attempt to bring in concerts with big name performers may have had a positive effect but that disaster ended up losing $75,000.

To some the decline may be a welcome change but to the Weirs area business who depend on that income to support them it may be another nail in the coffin.

Two fatalities "so far"...
 

Best weather for motorcycle week in years, but there will always be this damper…

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...9fa5e18a5.html

Yeah, there have been a bunch of accidents in the area this week. Stay safe out there!

Be him a Staty or a Sherriff, I still be he is in better shape then most people realize...

I have said it again and again, its really not the vendors and the same merchandise that are the problem. The event has spread out over the state, there are people that never even come down to the Wiers.... The problem is one of having nice facilities. Putting together a nice set of warehouse buildings in one of the fields that is use for vendors, would help tremendously so that people can get out of the sun or rain and vendors will not be trying to cram everything in under neath temporary shelters... Not to mention these buildings could have other uses attracting more events to the area. Then top that off with a nice permanent stage that could be used for performances, and you would have a top notch facility right at the Weirs... The problem is there is no incentive for the land owners do develop the property.... The term I have often used, is for a convention center to be developed... with open area, some buildings and a stage... Car shows, bike week, boat shows, etc etc could all benefit from such an undertaking... but I don't think the city of Laconia wants that, or at least they are not willing to provide incentives to make an investor want to develop the land.... If I was an investor and had a sizable piece of land that sold out for bike week, and that paid my taxes plus put a few thousand dollars every year in my pocket... I wouldn't be looking to do more either, unless the State or City made it worth my while......

Bottom line the City and State need to make it worth while for investors to develop the weirs back into an area that people want to be... and event organizers want to flock too... until that happens, the Weirs, and bike week will continue to decline.

Absolutely correct. Why build something when you are making more money for a few weeks a year on vacant land. Worry about long term maintenance and lease renewals, etc. Also I am sure many vendors for Bike Week and the Car Shows pay in cash and the income goes unreported.

Incredible Video - Bike Week Vintage Footage!
 

Incredible Video - Bike Week Vintage Footage!

Completely unsure if this FaceBook video link will work, but it is incredible footage from the 60’s!

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https://www.facebook.com/10000407674...8020516010493/

That video shows that there really hasn't been much change to the Weirs since the 60's. Financially, that model just isn't going to cut it in todays society.

was thinking the same exact thing

Ironically, the end of Bike Week would probably make investment in the Weirs more attractive. Real estate money generally looks for gentrification opportunities, like Meredith or Times Square.

While there are many things about Bike Week that are really cool, hundreds of loud bikes with a lingering whiff of bikers' bad boy history fall somewhere between irritating and intimidating for many non bikers. This is the opposite direction of where cash typically flows.

Too many risks with uncertain rewards

HEATHENS!! How terrible we were...:D

Agreed
 

The other issue is that the demographics of bike week are in the wrong direction. The millennial interest in motorcycles and the associated culture is much less than that of our generation. We went to the hill climb yesterday (great event) and the crowd was clearly in their 50s, 60s and 70s predominantly. So over time, this is going to be a losing proposition. In addition, there is an opportunity cost in that it does displace some of the normal seasonal revenue.

Redevelopment of the Weirs to be a more contemporary (and a bit more upscale) area would probably be economically desirable. This is what happened with Hampton Beach (although most of it had to be rebuilt due to a fire).

Jetskier :cool: