Bike Week, spring break come together in Daytona Beach

Crowds bring big money to Central Florida

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Main Street is packed with an overlap of crowds between the final weekend of Bike Week and the start of spring break.

Kristin Heidenberg, a student on spring break from Salisbury University, says her group of 10 friends was not expecting such a crowd Thursday night.

"Its ridiculous. Last night was awful because people were stepping on everybody," said Heidenberg.

Thousands of bikes lined the streets Friday for the final weekend events at the 75th Bike Week.

Jill Abercrombie, a bartender at the Lucky Rooster on Main Street, told News 6 that the restaurant has changed its menu to Bike Week specials to keep up with the crowds.

"Its been a mixed crowd, but its been a fun crowd. Everybody's being safe and careful, so that's all we can count on," said Abercrombie.

Abercrombie said both crowds from Bike Week and spring break will bring in business.

"Yeah, I went through a few thousand dollars already," said Ray Webie.

Webie traveled to Daytona Beach from Wisconsin and said the atmosphere is great -- enough to make him plan annual trips.

Authorities said there have been no bike fatalities so far. They said the biggest problems they've seen include cars pulling out in front of bikers, speeding and bikers taking curves too fast and end up crashing.

"You've always have to have your head on a swivel. You're always having to look out for everybody else," Clem Mongillo, a biker from Connecticut said.

Juanita Goad said she knows first hand. "We've had one scare today. A car cut us off but he realized real quick we were there," said Goad, of Virginia.

But some folks said it's not just cars who have to be careful.

"Always signal when you're behind them because it's very difficult to see the bikes sometimes. Just make sure we can see you so that we can be safe of the roads," Kali Diaz said.

While police monitor traffic safety, state troopers posted tips to keep everyone safe including:

  • Be alert
  • Don't drive distracted
  • Don't tailgate
  • Know local traffic laws and rules of the road

Rules that both drivers on two and four wheels should follow.

"People don't signal, people pull out in front of each other, people texting and driving, people drinking and driving. That all creates a problem no matter what you're driving," Michael Kenneally, of Rhode Island, said.

 


About the Authors:

Loren Korn is a native Texan who joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2014. She was born and raised in Houston and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Journalism.

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