The third Thursday of each month in the summer marks the humble public gathering of vintage cycle enthusiasts and traditional chopper fiends we call Throwbacks Thursday. Held in the quaint foothill town of Grass Valley, crowds of three and four score participants flock to the small parking lot the TT calls home. This isn't a bike show, this a ride-in event. Known for its rich history as a mining town in the California Gold Rush era, Grass Valley features "gold" of a second sort nowadays. Free of pushy sponsors, crowd mingling promoters, or commercial go getters of any type, all in attendance are free to roam the packed lot to see what wonderful two-wheeled miracles rolled in, and to share what they themselves rode.
The purveyers of the tiny taco joint called Paco's Tacos make their fare available during the meet, and with full bellies and plenty of gawk-worthy cycles to ogle the whole family can have a good time. Part of the success is the accessibility of the location, at the junction of Hwy 49 (California's scenic Gold Rush Trail) and Hwy 20, riders from as far East as Reno, Nevada and as far west as Dixon regularly make the ride out.
There's no fees collected, no admission, but this isn't your typical bike night either. Do-rags are rarely seen, and nary a billet barge has ever attended. There's no weenie bite competition, no river of beer, and it's not really even a show. Old guys and young guns alike arrive to show the fruits of their efforts and to swap contact information to fuel their next project. It is as it should be, and if that makes sense to you, we look forward to seeing you for our season closer on October 21st 5-8pm.
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