Planning my 40th in Aruba & now very concerned due to Bike Week!

[MsLee]

After my first stay in Aruba in mid-February 2011, I decided it would be an excellent place for me to go with friends from my 40th birthday. I was looking at coming to Aruba on Sat., 10/29/11 and leaving sometime in the next 5 to 7 days (between 11/3 and 11/5). I checked to see what interesting events might be going on while we were there and found that the Aruba International Bike Week (arubabikeweek.com) falls right along those same days (it's 10/30-11/6).

Now I'm becoming concerned as to how relaxing a trip this will be. In Feb. we stayed in a hi-rise hotel...and although it was an amazing time, the beaches were heavily populated. So I wanted to stay at Eagle Beach this time because it seemed much less populated...and I really liked the Oceania condos. I'm not familiar with the Bike Week event and how popular it is, i.e., how big a crowd it draws and how it changes the landscape of the island.

Can someone tell me if during my Oct./Nov. stay I'll be dodging motorcycles to cross the street to the beach and if that beach will no longer be the serene landscape I encountered in Feb.?? I want to get on top of securing our accommodations ASAP, but I don't want to spend my 40th on an island that is temporarily so VERY different from what I saw in Feb.

Any guidance/information you awesome forum folks can share would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! :-)

[Edronenburg]

MsLee:

Unfortunately, I have nor know little, if anything about "Arubabikeweek," but would like to welcome you to the forum and am sure that Andrea or Arubalisa; as well as other correspondents to the site will be glad to clue you about your concerns.

In any event, whenever you do go; have a wonderful time and let us know about your trip.

Ed

[Arubalisa]

http://arubabikeweek.com/?page_id=74

Looking at their website, a couple of thoughts....

First and foremost, there are only a limited number of bikes on the island of Aruba. There are a limited number of dealers on the island with bikes for rent.
Will tourists traveling to the island ship their bikes to the island for a week in order to participate in the ride? Probably not.

"...our tiny island has a very limited capacity crowd that our roads can carry; we might reach that limit very soon. So bikers, reinvent your self and pre-register now and safe your self a couple of bucks."

This is a "first time event" so I do not think anyone could give you an exact idea of how many will be in attendance. From looking at their website, the week centers around

"This ride is to commemorate the first lustrum of the ever popular Betico Memorial Ride in 2011, we, Harley club Terrible Tuesday Thunders (TTT) will host Aruba’s first and only “Aruba International Bike Week October 30, 2011 – November 6, 2011” as a tribute to the father of the Aruban nation, Gilberto Francois (“Betico”) Croes, 25 January 1938 – 25 November 1986. Hence, the Betico Memorial Ride will be embedded in this annual recurring event."

Sunday to Sunday, there are events planned which are not centered around riding: Halloween party, sightseeing. Two rides will be at night, one in the area of South Beach (Palm beach), another night they will be in San Nicolas.

From the sounds of it, I am thinking this is more of a week dedicated to promoting the island of Aruba to a group of people who share the same common interest, much as the International Film Festival or the former Poker Tournament.

[MsLee]

Thank you so much, Arubalisa!! I saw the items you quoted, but I know I wasn't clearly analyzing it in my excitement to plan the trip!:-)

Much appreciated! Can't wait to have my 40th there!

[AhhAruba]

Arubalisa is absolutely right. My husband and I ride harleys and have been to many "bike weeks". First and foremost it draws all walks of life and most people are on a budget so riding somewhere a state or two away is about all they can afford. Flying to Aruba and renting or shipping a bike will be cost prohibitive for most people. It will likely draw locals and some who will rent bikes but the crowd will be limited to the number of bikes available to rent and to those riders who have the kind of funds it takes to travel to Aruba in general. There site says they expect hundreds if not thousands but I think that is overly optimistic.

[Arubalisa]

Originally Posted by AhhAruba

There site says they expect hundreds if not thousands but I think that is overly optimistic.

I was thinking that but was not going to say it , chalking it up to excitement on the part of the folks running the event.

[MARK68]

There is a bike week coming mid march, they expect 500 bikers. There are many bikers on the island and a few bike clubs. Also alot of bikes are shipped to the island for the bike weeks from the other local islands and Venz. and also from the states. They will go to 5 or 6 establishments on the island per a night and spend a few hours at each place but mostly mind ther business and police there own. Most of the establishments including mine have extra security and police to make everyone feel confortable during there event. You maybe stuck in traffic during the bike ride for a half hour but the events are mostly organized at set places and a few in the hotel areas and mostly others at local places. I would not be to concerned.

[Arubalisa]

Mark, how much to ship a bike?

[Chadd]

We've been around for the March bike event a few times. Other than being stuck in traffic a little longer once or twice, it was no big deal.

[MsLee]

Thanks to you all for assuaging my concerns! :-) I'm back to the planning and excited about the November trip!! :-)

Mark68, I went by Buster's when I was there the week before last. I left a US Capitol Police patch on the board. Great service....those Aruba Aribas were to die for! :-)