“I bought a brand new skateboard two months ago, and I haven’t even touched it yet,” Brian Petronchak mentioned while we photographed his stunning Triumph TR6 at Brady’s Run Skate Park in Beaver County. Balancing between building bikes, his job at a custom car shop, and his family can get tricky—especially now that he is a new father.

Steve Simqu works throughout the day as a CAD manager and project engineer. In other words, he does a lot of mechanical stuff. In the evenings he tinkers in the garage with his many projects. We first ran into each other at the 2017 Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, which you’ll read about later in this issue. He led our group out of Oakland to start the two-hour ride on his custom-built Yamaha XS650.

The Bonneville lineup continues to grow. To introduce their new Bobber Black and Speedmaster models, our friends from Triumph Motorcycles organized the Back in Black tour. This V.I.P. party took place across the United States in different cities to offer an exclusive look at the new additions.

As we neared the end of a summer full of weekday bike nights and gatherings, there was one last event to end the season off right—The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. This isn’t your ordinary ride. The event takes place across all countries to help raise funds and spread awareness for prostate cancer and men’s mental health.

I must admit that I have a serious problem when it comes to Craigslist’s motorcycle section. I spend way too much time scrolling through endless pages for absolutely no reason and spending money I do not have. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I will catch a brief moment of clarity that assures me I already have too many bikes and absolutely do not need anymore. Hell, I can’t even park my car in the garage. 

If you're searching for a nearby biker bar, then you're not thinking big enough. Through the twists and turns of Route 50 in Western Pennsylvania you’ll find a special place that will surely become one of your favorite hangouts. The Bull Pen Rustic Inn provides all of the elements that make a perfect ride destination. 

Whether it takes months or years, your first build or your twentieth, there’s an extremely satisfying feeling that comes from building something yourself—especially a moody two-wheeled machine. From the realization that you’re starting a build to hearing the sound of the engine roar, the thrill looms throughout the whole damn process. It’s much more than just the finished motorcycle.

The Steel City Mods & Rockers event takes place in Millvale, PA along Grant Avenue in early September. Roads from North Avenue to Hays Street are shut down, allowing us to party in the street. This year’s show on September 2 was the 8th annual occurrence but the first year that it was organized by the Ton-Up Pittsburgh and Steel City Rocker clubs.

Riding off-road throughout his childhood while being inextricably surrounded by Harley-Davidson motorcycles made it certain that Pauly Covel’s interest in big twins would develop into something greater. His brother, Tony, mentioned that since he was young Pauly had a knack for fixing things around the house. 

This year The Maulies, The Litas Pittsburgh, and the women of Manifesto Moto brought International Female Ride Day to Three Rivers Harley-Davidson. Traditionally held on the first Saturday of May, inclement weather and unsafe riding conditions pushed the Pittsburgh ride to its August 12th rain date.

We ventured northwest to check out Fuel Cleveland in late July, an invitational custom motorcycle show put together by the great folks at Lowbrow Customs, The Gasbox, and Forever the Chaos Life. The show was perfectly curated with a selection of mind-blowing motorcycles that I’m sure caused many attendees to impulsively jump on Craigslist and start a new build.

More than just somewhere to put our junk, a home needs to be an environment that is both interesting and practical. Plunging into the research process takes time and can be quite exhausting. The countless options can leave us endlessly wondering if there isn't some place better. Additionally, many Pittsburgh neighborhoods are experiencing transitional growth, causing conflicting feelings from established residents.