When they gather by the dozens in the parking lot of Planet Pizza on Bridgeport Avenue, motorcyclists can’t be missed.
The loud mufflers echo as the riders turn into the lot for Monday Night Bike Nights organized by Rich Sutcliffe.
But Sutcliffe, who owns Champion Pool in Shelton, wants to make sure people also see those bikes when each of the riders is on the road.
That’s when the small vehicles are most vulnerable, Sutcliffe said.
“It’s just ridiculous out there,” Sutcliffe said. “It’s not a matter of if you’re going to get cut off, it’s when.”
He’s been through it.
“I got cut off once and that’s where ‘Let ‘em ride, let ‘em live’ came from,” Sutcliffe said, joking that “the F‑word was thrown in there too somewhere.”
Let ‘em ride, Let ‘em live is the tag line for Sutcliffe’s mission to keep motorcycle riders safer on the road.
Sutcliffe and his fiancee, Catrina Ciufecu, run the Web site, www.letemridemc.com, promoting motorcycle awareness among riders and people driving cars. They hope to prevent accidents that happen when drivers aren’t paying attention on the road.
To get attention for their cause, the two ride around in a rehabilitated school bus, with two large stickers on it that say “Let ‘em ride, let ‘em live.” The bus runs off biodiesel fuel from local restaurants’ excess cooking oils.
The bike nights, which will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Monday night at the parking lot at 350 Bridgeport Ave., will include raffles, a DJ, and prizes for motorcycle and tattoo contests, Sutcliffe said.
Sutcliffe and Ciufecu also sell T‑shirts and bumper stickers with the tag line “Let ‘em ride, Let ‘em live.”
He hopes to attract about 100 motorcyclists each Monday.
Though many of the riders at the first event Monday weren’t wearing helmets or protective gear, the couple’s Web site includes tips on finding certified helmets and motorcycle safety tips.
“I don’t really believe in riding around with sandals on or anything,” Ciufecu said. “As far as helmets are involved, I think that’s a personal choice.”
Sutcliffe and Ciufecu said they were prompted by fatal motorcycle accidents that happen all over the state.
“I’m one person who just had enough,” Sutcliffe said.
