No, this isn’t a story about a winter circus in Madrid. This is the story of some folks who just love to ride their motorcycles, even when it’s not so warm outside or when there’s snow on the ground.

This is the story of the Penguins.

The Penguins are a group of Spanish motorcycle enthusiasts. Their story begins back in 1977 with the formation of the Valladolid Motorcycle Club. This group started out as a group of bikers that would ride together and then camp, originally during the month of May.

The group eventually began to hold rallies, races and other types of motorcycle events. They’d go on biking rips together and do just about anything else a motorcycle club does.

The club grew and grew, and had around 2,000 members by the time the winter of 1981 hit. During that year, the Penguins first emerged. Some of the members of the Valladolid Motorcycle Club decided that true motorcycle enthusiasts should ride their bikes all year long. They committed to meeting by a large pine tree outside of Valladolid in the winter, have a bonfire and some drinks, and thumb their noses at the cold Castilian winter.

The group of winter enthusiasts that showed up in March of 1982 were known as the Penguins by the rest of the club. By others, they were known as “motards.”

The winter gatherings became a tradition that took place in even-numbered years. In 1984, 1986 and 1988, the Penguins met outside of Valladolid in January.

Those winter meetings have continued every year since then. The gatherings of Penguins have taken place in varying places in Spain, such as Simancas in 2008. At that meeting, there were 29,812 Penguins in attendance. The weather was relatively mild, at least compared to the 2009 meet in Valladolid. That one saw temperatures of -10, and consequently saw a dip in participation.

The 2010 Penguins gathering will once again take place in Valladolid by the Duero Bridge. If you want a truly unique motorcycle experience, consider joining the Penguins. You won’t find many folks anywhere in the world that are more dedicated to their bikes that these folks, and the yearly gatherings promise to be exciting and exhilarating for everyone who shows up. Get your motorcycle insurance in line and get to Spain today.

Photo via Iaihiu