By Lynn Anderson

“One thing that holds true with most motorcyclists is that they go somewhere to be able to ride, more than riding to get somewhere.”

That statement from the ROMEO (Retired Old Motorcyclists Eating Out) Web page says it all—and it explains what this group of (mostly) men on wheels is all about. It’s the enjoyment of the ride, “being in the open while the landscape unfurls in front of us.”

The ROMEOs is an organization (except this bunch of freewheelers doesn’t much like terms like that) formed six or seven years ago by a man from Lindsborg, Kan. He was righteously tired of riding his motorcycle on freeways that bypassed all the intriguing little towns along his path. So he picked a date and a place and sent word to some motorcyclist friends, encouraging them to ride in and gather for a meal.

The goals were two: help welcoming mom-and-pop cafes in struggling little towns by consuming a hefty amount of bacon, eggs, and burgers, and provide some socializing for guys who tend to spend a lot of their road time alone. It didn’t hurt that, more often than not, there was good home cooking.

That initial gang around Lindsborg soon gathered more riders into its flock. Over time other riders heard echoes of their wheels on the dirt roads, and now four ROMEO groups traverse Kansas: the South Central Kansas ROMEOs, operating out of Wichita; the North Central Kansas group, out of Lindsborg; Eastern Kansas, out of Topeka; and the newest, a Kansas City ROMEO faction, functioning since fall 2009. The KC group has riders from Independence, Raytown, and other cities, but the bulk of its members live in Johnson County. Continue reading News Article About The Romeos →