Adults and youngsters aged 12 up are invited to join hundreds of bicyclists expected to participate in a 6-mile, late-night ride through open meadows and dark woods lit by an “almost full” moon on Saturday, September 9, at Mercer Meadows.
Sponsored by the Lawrence Hopewell Trail and the Mercer County Park Commission, the ride kicks off at 9:30 p.m., with riders being encouraged to allow extra time to sign in for the event. Registration will open at 9:00 p.m., but pre-registration at the LHT website is strongly recommended and will speed up the preliminaries, according to Jay Watson, LHT board member and curator of the Full Moon Bike Ride.
“This ride takes cyclists through Mercer Meadows via the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, which serves as the backbone of an extensive trail system in the park,” Watson said. “From the starting gate at Rosedale Lake, riders will head to the Maidenhead Trail, on to the Twin Pines Trail, then back to Rosedale Park, in a ride that takes most riders about 45 minutes to complete.”
“For the fourth year in a row, we are excited to welcome bicycling enthusiasts to our 1,600-acre park, which features scenic biking and walking opportunities through meadows and woodlands,” said Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes.
“The Mercer County Park Commission is dedicated to providing recreation opportunities and encouraging leisure time activities and preservation of open spaces, among other aims,” said Aaron T. Watson, Executive Director of the Mercer County Park Commission. “The LHT Full Moon Ride has become one of the most popular community annual events. It brings our residents out to enjoy our parks in a completely different way.”
Helmets are required and cyclists are encouraged to use bicycle headlights and creatively decorate their bikes with glow sticks for the late-night ride. Ice cream vendors will be on hand at the ride start and end of the trail loop.
To help defray LHT’s operating costs and fund further trail construction and maintenance, the participation charge is $10 per cyclist. Riders are encouraged to complete and print the registration form in advance of the ride. Riders may also register on the evening of the ride, availability depending, and should factor in extra time for registration.
For any questions about how weather might impact the ride, please visit the LHT website beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, September. The LHT will post information regarding cancellation, should that be necessary.
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