Myrtle Beach Bike Week (From the POV of a Non-Biking Local)

In my day to day job, I speak with a great deal of locals here in the Myrtle Beach area.  Leading up to the Memorial Day weekend, there aren't that many who regale me with their plans for the long weekend.  Instead, many of them just say they are hoping to get out of town.  Why?  Well, it's Bike Week, of course.

Myrtle Beach is home to two separate Bike Weeks that happen consecutively.  One week focuses on Harleys and similar bikes, while the following week focuses on sportier bikes, more of a street type style.  Each week brings a different type of person into town.  Because the Memorial Day weekend is crowded with both bikers and people who want to visit the beach for the holiday, I hear many locals lamenting the bikes.

Are the bikes really that much of a problem though?  Well, not really.  In the past, there was a greater turn out for the Bike Weeks, but the city of Myrtle Beach enacted a helmet law a few years back.  While the law was later removed for legal reasons, many bikers still harbor ill will towards Myrtle Beach.  This leads to them avoiding regular old Myrtle Beach in favor of North Myrtle Beach or other surrounding areas.

As I primarily dwell in Myrtle Beach, I'm not impacted much by the bikers.  My job isn't one where I am frequently interacting with those parties on vacation; this means the only impact they have on me is more of my business customers are busy.  I don't frequent many tourist focused activities here in Myrtle Beach, so I am not impacted in my day to day leisure.

Where I actually live, empty condos are rented out as vacation homes.  What this means is that holidays often see a surge in vacationers in my complex.  Because we have a security guard and bikes are to park at the front, where the check-in building is, I don't have to listen to the roaring of bike engines.  Therefore, my sleep is not interrupted by bike shenanigans.  Frankly, the drunk golfers who come down to golf, drink, and visit the strip clubs have more of an impact on my way of life.  They like to stand around the stairs of my building and drink.  They're all pretty friendly, so that's not a problem.  I do, however, notice them more than any individual down for Bike Week.*

I have no clue what type of activities are offered to the Bike Week visitors.  I'm sure certain bars organize entertainment, as well as some tourist businesses.  Since they don't have much of an impact on my day to day life, I wish them all the best.  If you're thinking about visiting Myrtle Beach, don't let Bike Week scare you away.  Summer traffic, with tourists who don't know where they're going, is more dangerous that the speedy little bikes.  Just be aware, and everyone will be okay.

*Thus far, anyway.