Passes & Canyons Blog

What sort of things make a place biker-friendly these days?

I started building this motorcyclecolorado.com website in 2004 and at the time I figured it would be helpful to include a page on biker-friendly hotels and motels. So I did and I have added to it over the years.

Things change, though, and more recently I have had people ask me what the idea is. Which is to say, what with doctors, lawyers, and people from every walk of life taking up motorcycling, a lot of people have no understanding that there was a time not so long ago when bikers might find themselves turned away from lodging purely because they were on motorcycles.

Now, that’s great. It means we’ve come a long way. The image of the evil, dangerous outlaw biker has largely faded from the public consciousness.

That raises a question then. What today constitutes a biker-friendly hotel or motel? Are there criteria I should use when adding places to the page?

One criterion I’ve always used is that if the establishment contacts me asking to be added, I consider that biker-friendly and I add them. Also, if they buy ads on the website that’s a pretty clear indication they are actively seeking business from bikers, so obviously they are biker-friendly. That’s pretty simple.

Most of the others I have added are places we have stayed where they have been very nice to us. And seeking to be helpful beyond pointing riders to one place or another, I have even listed a place or two that I would not recommend and explained why. The example that comes immediately to my mind is one place where the bed was absolutely horrid. But I’ve grown concerned about that. We stayed in that place a long time ago now. I have to believe they have gotten rid of that terrible bed by now; is it fair that I have not changed that listing in all these years? We haven’t been back so I can’t revise the rating upward; should I just delete it now?

What about the design/layout of the place? Planning this year’s OFMC trip the guys told me they really like the places where you can park your bike right outside the door. That makes it an easy schlep of your gear and the bike is right there in case someone tries to mess with it. Does that make a place biker-friendly? I know I prefer that because I hate carrying all my gear through a hallway, up a stairway, and down another hallway. Still, if they have carts that you can load it all onto, and an elevator, and you can easily roll it all then it’s really not that bad. Do carts and an elevator make a place biker-friendly?

What else? Some places make a point to offer rags for cleaning your bike. Now, certainly many of them do this for their own interests because too many bikers have been jerks and used good towels and washcloths for that purpose, and those towels and washcloths are then ruined. Still, it’s always nice when at check-in the clerk tells you where to find rags to clean your bike. That definitely seems biker-friendly.

But what else? I’d really like to hear your thoughts because if it makes sense I want to revise this page. But in what way? Should I include a checklist: rags–check; actively seeking biker business–check; preferred motorcycle parking–check. You get the picture. Or what? Let me know what you think.

Biker Quote for Today

100 Reasons not to date a motorcyclist: We have grease under our fingernails.

Kris and Andy Bartol outside the office of the Hotchkiss Inn.

OK, you’re forgiven if your first reaction is to wonder, “Now, where the heck is Hotchkiss?” Just so you’ll know, Hotchkiss is just west of Paonia as you come off of McClure Pass and just 20 miles east of Delta.

If you know the area at all that should tell you, Hotchkiss is in the middle of some pretty nice country. And as we found out this weekend, it makes a good base of operations for some terrific riding. Which is where the Hotchkiss Inn comes in.

I’ll make note right up front that Kris and Andy Bartol, the proprietors of the Hotchkiss Inn, are advertisers on this website. Whenever possible, I like to become personally acquainted with my advertisers so it was just natural that Judy and I would go spend a weekend at the Hotchkiss Inn. Plus, that allows me to add my up-close-and-personal comments about a place on the site.

Of course the Hotchkiss Inn is biker friendly; that goes without saying. They wouldn’t be listed on the site if they weren’t. Beyond that, our first impression was strongly favorable. We pulled up to a clean and tidy, obviously well-cared-for establishment, and there on the sideboard in the office was cheese and crackers with a choice of wines to greet arrivals. Now, Kris told me later that they don’t set the food and wine out every night, just the nights when they have a bunch of new arrivals coming in, but it was a very nice touch.

Our room held a pleasant surprise in store: It was a two-bed room but there was only one bed. The rest was increased living space with a table and three chairs. Judy and I only need one bed, and this is certainly true of a lot of travelers. Why not get rid of the second bed in some rooms, keep them in some rooms, and turn that extra space into something nice? That’s what they’ve done. And Kris tells me the plan eventually is to add a small couch in these rooms.

It’s all a little at a time. Kris and Andy just took over the Hotchkiss Inn in June of 2011 and there was a lot to be done. You can’t do it all at once but they’re chipping away. Of course one of the first orders of business was to put in really nice, new beds. The pillow-top bed we slept on was very nice. And what’s more important than the bed when you’re deciding on a motel?

The rooms have coffee pots and microwaves but there is also an included continental breakfast in the office. Coffee, yogurt, and a banana will just about do me but they also had rolls, hot and cold cereal, orange juice, and other selections. If you want a cafe type of meal, there is a cafe right across the street.

We are not television watchers but there are also new flat-screen TVs in all the rooms. Unlike us, you might turn yours on.

And what is there to do from Hotchkiss? Well, for starters, there is the Grand Mesa. That’s always a nice ride along CO 65 on any bike, and if you don’t mind some gravel there are even more possibilities. I have a terrific one, in fact, to tell you about soon, but not today. Just keep Land’s End Road in mind.

Of course there’s the ride over McClure Pass down to Carbondale, and from there you can go to Aspen. And on from Aspen if you wish, over Independence Pass.

Another option is to take CO 92 down through Crawford and along the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnision. That’s a gorgeous ride. Or run down to Ouray and up over Red Mountain Pass. Or go back past Paonia and take Kebler Pass into Crested Butte and down to Gunnison. Of course, if you did that you could loop back to Hotchkiss on 92 along the Black Canyon.

The point is, there’s a lot of great riding out there and Hotchkiss is a nice place to ride out from and back to for a couple days. And we do recommend the Hotchkiss Inn. So. Just some ideas to kick around.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Motorcycle thefts decline 6 percent in 2011

Biker Quote for Today

So we rip along with nary a care in the world, no traffic, great roads and it’s E-M-P-T-Y!!!