B!KE meet and Glow Ride

B!KE, Peterborough’s Community Bike Shop, is inviting local cyclists to join them for a picnic meet and Glow Ride on August 9.

Starting at 7 p.m. on August 9, folks are welcome to join B!KE at Nicholl’s Oval for a picnic with live music, and cool off at the splash pad before beginning an evening ride at 8:45 p.m.

The inspiration for B!KE’s Glow Ride events came from “Bike Raves” held by the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, according to B!KE staff and Glow Ride Planning Committee member Ness Pringle. They explained that the Bike Raves are “essentially a night-time party with lights and music, but on bikes”.

Peterborough’s events were named Glow Rides as a nod to the lights and glow sticks used to decorate participants’ bikes. “We are recreating the feeling of a rave, and are also super visible as riders at night,” Pringle said.

Although the B!KE Glow Rides started as adult-focused events in 2016, they have shifted to include riders of all ages. Pringle said that the family friendly portion of the rides “have shorter routes and a slow pace”, and that more confident riders can continue through a longer, slightly faster-paced phase of the route.

For those who haven’t attended a Glow Ride before, Pringle noted, “You can expect party vibes with a bumpin’ playlist and a stop for social time to meet fellow glow riders. We have a Glow Ride guide crew on all of our rides who are there to keep the group together, maintain the party pace, and offer first aid or mechanical support if anything goes wrong.”

Pringle said that B!KE designs their routes to be as safe and accessible as possible, utilizing bike lanes, trails, and quiet streets. The group is able to take up entire lanes of the street when necessary, such as when making left-hand turns.

They recommend for riders to come with glow decorations already on their bikes, and invite people to wear fun colourful outfits. If anyone is unable to make it to the official meet-up spot, they are also welcome to join the group part-way along the ride. B!KE posts their official route on social media a few days ahead of the event.

“We love riding in large groups because it offers both social benefits and a feeling of safety to to those who may not usually feel safe riding on the streets of Peterborough,” said Pringle. “When riding in a large group with support like this, many people say they had no worries of fear about their safety like they would as individual cyclists. They can focus on enjoying themselves instead.”