From 1955-1957, the Rambling Wheels held scrambles races at Hesse’s farm in Denver, Iowa. Two areas of land were cleared in Evansdale by the club to use as racetracks. The first was farmland, the other, the city dump. Participants came from other clubs throughout the Midwest. Most raced the same motorcycles they traveled on. Some were Harleys, while others were English-made BSAs, Triumphs, and Nortons. The German-made Maico and Spanish-built Bultaco soon became the fastest bikes by the early 1960s, and combined with an expert rider, they were unstoppable.
The club held and participated in events other than racing as well. Picnics, house parties, wiener roasts, and holiday parties were popular non-motorcycle activities. Lime runs and poker runs, as well as gypsy tours, were well-attended road rides. In a lime run, a designated person scattered lime in various places along a route. Riders followed the lime as the directions to the final unknown destination. This became quite difficult considering most of the roads were gravel, and wind played a large factor in blowing away the lime. Poker runs were similar, however, riders received a map at the beginning and stops were located throughout the ride. At each stop, participants picked up an envelope containing a playing card. At the end of the route, they had a poker hand with the cards they obtained. Trophies or prizes were awarded to high and low hands. With over thirty clubs in Iowa by the late 1950s, there was rarely a lack of something to do. Any activity involving motorcycling gave members a chance to do what they loved most . . . ride.
The 1960s brought changes and improvements to the Rambling Wheels. The image of motorcycling was beginning to change, and the club had to evolve as well. Marlon Brando’s film "The Wild Ones" gave motorcycling its outlaw image in the early 1960s, as did the growing drug culture. Non-riders began to see motorcyclists as beer-drinking, fist-fighting, rabble-rousing hoodlums. In reality, motorcyclists themselves did not change from the clean-cut riders they were before. Certain groups and clubs throughout the country sparked a stereotype of "bikers" that remains prevalent today. Rambling Wheels worked to maintain their clean-cut image through its uniform and activities. Black western-style shirts with the club logo on the back, bolo ties or yellow scarves, black dress pants with white piping down the side, and berets created the look of a club, not a gang. When events were attended or club functions held, members wore their uniform to be identified and respected.
