It was the Bike, Bean and Bird this past Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, as the Village of Oak Creek’s Bike and Bean hosted its eighth annual holiday meal and ride.
Bikers came out in droves for the traditional ride and enjoyed a hearty meal afterward.
Local mountain biker and former employee Bill Zeimer made it out for his first year of the event, having his parents put off their celebration so he could attend.
“I convinced them to not hold their dinner on Thursday so I could ride with my extended family up here,” he said. “These are all friends of mine: People I’ve worked with, people I ride with.”
Zeimer, 63, is also a veteran of the U.S. Army, having been drafted in 1972. He spent six years in the military and now works for the Humane Society of Sedona.
Zeimer said that there is a Friday group ride each week he attends which has strengthened the bond he feels with other frequenters of the shop. After the ride, the group enjoys pizza and a few beverages.
“The Village of Oak Creek is really small, I don’t think you’d find this [sense of community] in really big cities,” he said. “When I lived in Pittsburgh, that’s where I moved from, there was a bike shop I went to and we had a little group of friends but nothing like Sedona Bike and Bean. Jimmy Monahan, the owner, is pretty much responsible for putting it all together.
“If I moved away, other than the trails, this would be the one thing I’d miss the most. People caring and loving for each other and just hanging out and going for a ride …. And it’s open for everyone.”
Monahan said it was a pleasure putting on the dinner, which this year fed some 35 people.
“We originally wanted to ride out and have dinner on the rocks, but the logistics were too tough, so we decided to do it at the shop,” Monahan said.
He said the dinner works out well given the demographic of the area, with many having moved far from their hometowns and families.
“We always call it the Thanksgiving of misfits,” he said. “People can come into the shop and make their own family.
“Everybody brings sides and desserts. We supply the beer and the turkey. It’s not as difficult as you might think. It’s really a ton of fun,” Monahan said.
Zeimer said he’s seen people from all over come specifically to the business to be a part of that atmosphere and that its reputation has spread well beyond the VOC.
“That’s kind of the pride of this shop that I have — the culture and to try and make friends rather than customers,” Monahan said. “I want people before they leave to feel they are friends of the shop.”
At the event, Zeimer said his “sweetie” ran in the Turkey Trot before the ride. The bike ride featured the staple scenery and sun of the area, with 25 people participating.
For Monahan, one the highlights is the holiday toast — a particularly fine tequila shared with friends.
Monahan and Zeimer also said there will be a New Year’s Eve ride on Thursday, Jan. 1, a tradition Zeimer said he brought with him from Pittsburgh. Contact Sedona Bike and Bean at 284-0210.
