There are a lot of rides going on and a lot of people putting in hard work so that you have something to do on your bicycle even if it is getting a little chilly. We here at BikeProvo are going to be riding along and reporting on all the weekly happenings in Provo so you are in the know and the how.
It was a a chilly evening, the kind that are getting more and more common as the season rolls on. All I wanted to do was have some hot chocolate and polish up some reading I had. There was something that was nagging at me though, it was Monday night which meant that it was a Monday Night Night Ride. I had not been on one of these rides for awhile due to scheduling and family obligations, but tonight I was more or less free, and wanting to get another ‘BikeProvo Rides With’ segment out for all of you to read I threw on a light sweater, got my lights, and jumped on my trusty steed. With lights flashing and a bit of a chill in the air I rode over to Joaquin Park on 400N and 400E where the rides meets up.
Upon arriving I was the only one present, and was not sure if the ride was going to still be on or not, however one by one riders showed up out of the night like white and red blinking fireflies. As the group gathered my reluctance about taking a break from my reading began to melt away. Once we were all assembled we started devising a route to ride. The Monday rides have always been about fun rides and a slow pace, as a result many of the rides end at parks around Provo. As we chose a route one of the riders spoke up and said he thought he knew a secret route to Bicentennial Park! If you do not know, Bicentennial Park is one of the most awesome parks in Provo. This park has a pond, an awesome play ground, wide open spaces, a wetlands boardwalk, and for those interested a pretty awesome Frisbee golf course; and all though it is only 2.5 miles from my house I never get to go there because riding your bike on State Street in Provo is a death wish (the city and Bike Committee are working on that problem). Needless to say I was now very excited to be at this ride and had completely forgotten about my reading which was waiting for me at home.
I love riding with people I have just met. Bikes set such a great pace for conversation and, if you run out of things to talk about you can always talk about riding. The ride made its way to a secret road which dumped us out into some windy (the direction not the weather) neighborhood streets. Everything was on the up and up and then… psssssssss…the sound of defeat. Ridge, one of our riders, had picked up a thorn and gotten a flat tire. As we all assessed the situation Logan, one of the other riders, felt the same way I did and did not want the ride to end so he offered his handle bars (hence the picture above). With Logan riding Ridge the rest of the way we arrived at the park.
We played on swings, and ziplines, we road a slippery spooky boardwalk, and discovered a flock of sleeping ducks, in short we had a ton of fun. On the ride home we picked up Ridges flat bicycle, we also ended up getting that hot chocolate I had so badly wanted. Upon dropping off Ridges bike high fives and contact information were passed around and I cruised home happy that I took an hour out of my day to get to know my city, and some great people in it, a little better. Upon arriving home I also noticed that my reading went a lot smoother after stretching my legs for a little while.
If you can not tell from my write up I highly recommend joining the Monday Night Night Ride group on Facebook, as well as taking some time out of your schedule to come out and ride. Every ride is different and every ride is an adventure. Best of all if you have a ride you really love, or some awesome secret we should all know about you can come lead the ride! And, if you were wondering, the ride does ride in any weather all year so plan on a sweater or jacket as it gets cooler. The rides leave from Joaquin Park every Monday at 9pm sharp. See you there.
