Hideaway: 15 years as hog heaven
Cave Creek wants Scottsdale’s motto as the West’s Most Western Town.
Residents have been touting their claim to having more horses, more real cowboys and more Western appeal than their neighbor to the south.
But as the battle has heated up, Cave Creek’s history as a motorcycle town has gotten lost in the din of those Western fighting words, when, truth be told, there could be more hogs than horses in town.
And with the mercury beginning to drop, more motorcycles will start appearing on the streets of Cave Creek.
Town Marshal Adam Stein said Cave Creek typically sees about 20,000 motorcycles over the 10-day Bike Week in the spring, one of the biggest annual motorcycle events that encompasses the Valley.
The fall riding season is on its way, kicking off with the 15th anniversary party for the Hideaway Grill, which has become a prominent landmark in the heart of town.
Owner Mark Bradshaw said he just set out to have a bar where he and his friends could hang out. Now it’s a destination for motorcycle enthusiasts from around the Valley and beyond.
Bradshaw said on an average weekend, Cave Creek sees 2,000 to 3,000 motorcycles.
He expects more than that for Biketoberfest, the name of the 15th anniversary celebration, through Sunday.
The bar has become a brand since it opened, Bradshaw said.
“Over time, with good people and good word of mouth, the Hideaway has become what it is today,” he said.
Backed by big names
Jay Allen, founder of the Broken Spoke Saloon with locations in a number of bike-rally destinations, including Sturgis, S.D., said Bradshaw’s success comes from his philosophy about the relationship between the customer and the establishment, as well as his connection to the motorcycle industry.
Allen, a Bisbee resident, said Bradshaw knows many of the biggest names in bike building, many of whom are based in the Valley.
Bradshaw is dedicated to the lifestyle and the riders that keep him alive, Allen said.
“The way he treats his customers is the real deal, it’s authentic. You can’t BS bikers,” he said. “And his relationships in the industry — these guys hang there because Mark creates an environment they want to be in.”
Television producer Eric Bischoff said Cave Creek has a great backdrop for a ride, as well as for a film shoot.
Bischoff, who owns a home in Cave Creek, used the Hideaway as a location for a realityTV pilot he produced that is being presented to networks. He said the show looks at the town characters and the character of the town. This includes the Hideaway. Bischoff said he used it as his office when he started his production company about 10 years ago.
“It’s got a cool vibe and attitude and a great location. I’ve always felt at home there,” he said. “And it’s in Cave Creek, where it’s beautiful and feels out of the way, even though it’s only 30 minutes from downtown Scottsdale. The town has an eclectic charm all its own, and part of that is the Hideaway.”
Bradshaw’s15-year bike ride with the Hideaway started more than 20 years ago. He’d been biking in the area long before his business opened.
“When I’d go out riding, I’d go through Cave Creek from the Scottsdale area. It was always a cool town nestled next to Spur Cross,” he said. “There were far less houses back then and you could have a good, scenic ride through desert.”
He moved there in 1989 and found a building in the commercial core of town, a cool place to hang out — a hideaway for bikers that has since expanded and evolved, he said.
But many residents at the time didn’t take too well to what they saw as bringing an established bike scene to town.
He said there were complaints of noise and fear of the biker outlaw stereotype invading the town. But within five years, Cave Creek opened its arms to the biking community, he said.
“Back then, I was bringing a rock-and-roll bar into a country-and-Western town,” Bradshaw said. “But then it became not a motorcycle thing, not about bikers but about having a good time and responsible fun. It has absolutely nothing to do with trouble. It’s about sharing a common bond.”
Meanwhile, he spent those early years hitting the bike circuit promoting his business. In high-profile rally spots like Sturgis and Daytona Beach, he would staff bars and emcee events branding the Hideaway.
Cave Creek’s draw
Bob Boze Bell, executive editor of the Cave Creek-based
magazine, said the town has evolved from a casual biker destination 30 years ago into a full-blown biker-town atmosphere today when rides are held.
But, he said, this is also true in Tombstone and other towns that are fun-ride destinations.
“In the 1980s, Baby Boomers began to rediscover their rebellious youth and started buying Harley-Davidsons by the score,” he said. “Once the onslaught began, Valley Boomers needed somewhere to drive to and Cave Creek is the perfect little jaunt.”