MURRELLS INLET, SC (WBTW) – The Myrtle Beach Fall Bike Week has made its return to the Grand Strand, but the record-breaking heat is keeping some bikers indoors.
“I’ve been riding Harley’s all my life. It’s just a freedom of expression. You get out and enjoy the weather, of course, sometimes the weather works against you,” Tom Hoepfner, President of Stream Cycle Motorcycle Radio and a vendor at the bike rally said.
The weather could be working against this year’s Fall bike week, as vendors like Hoepfner says there are fewer bikers riding compared to years past.
“It’s causing (the bikers) to spend more time in their motel, later in the morning and earlier in the evening, and keep riding versus standing around and shopping, so the heat has a little impact on our sales I think,” Hoepfner said.
Some bikers like William Ransome agree, but the heat won’t keep him off his bike this year.
“We deal with it but we keep moving on. When you work 24/7 and you only get two weeks out of the year you make them work,” Ransome said.
Both Ransome and Hoepfner plan for bike rallies in 2020, and hopefully cooler weather this weekend.
“People that come to these rallies, as a rule know next year what their schedule is for this year already, they always know a year in advance. It’s an addiction, a good addiction, yes,” Hoepfner said.
For information on this year’s Fall Bike Week, click here.
