Lights, Costumes, and Fun All Part of the Moonlight Ride
Linda Wren and her family had a great time with the sights, sounds and lights at the 2012 Anthem Moonlight Ride, and can't wait to jump on their bikes for the 2013 event.
By: Nan Turner
A mad hatter, Snoopy, and the Olympic rings – not normally sights you’d expect to see during a cycling event. But Richmond resident Linda Wren and her family enjoyed seeing them all as they participated in Sports Backers’ Anthem Moonlight Ride in 2012, and they can’t wait to be a part of the festivities again. The Wrens had so much fun on their first Ride that they are planning to hop on their bikes for this year’s Ride on August 17th, and the costumes, decorative lights and good-natured feel of the event are big reasons why they like it so much.
“It’s fun to see all the people out there,” Wren said. “I was a big rider before kids and after with kids…it’s nice to have a ride where the roads are closed and you can be safe and everyone is there together and they’re all dressed up. It was cool, and the kids loved it.”
Carly Wren, Merchi Zafrani, and the Mad Hatter in 2012
In 2012 Wren did the Moonlight Ride alongside her husband Matt, daughter, Carly, 16, and son, Alec, 12, and a friend of Carly’s. The group all rode the eight-mile Half Moon distance, and plan to do the same length this year. Wren’s brother from Texas will be joining for 2013 as well.
Throughout the 2012 ride, the family stayed together, with Matt falling back occasionally to catch up with Alec.
Matt Wren, Alec Wren, Carly Wren, and Merchi Zafrani
“Because we’re in the family group we don’t really go for speed,” Wren said. “We weave around quite a few people but we don’t choose to race.”
While Wren and her husband have participated in other cycling events around RVA, she says it’s the whole family aspect behind the Anthem Moonlight Ride that makes the event special.
“The kids can feel safe, riding at night on closed roads,” Wren said. “It’s just a lot of fun to see everybody come out. We weren’t in the front group. We like to ride with the kids and feel safe. It’s awesome.”
Carly and Alec celebrate the night-time atmosphere by decorating their bikes with florescent tube lights.
While Wren would enjoy doing the Full Moon 17-mile course at some point, she says sticking with the Half Moon right now is a better plan for her team of younger riders. She’s excited for this year’s event, and hopes that the Moonlight Ride can encourage others in the community to become more aware of the sport.
“It’s just neat to see a chunk of Richmond come out and ride together on closed streets. Riding at night with the costumes and the moon…it’s just a great event,” Wren said. “It’s active and brings the community together. It promotes cycling and an active lifestyle. With Richmond 2015 coming here, we hope more bike trails and safe routes are put in around the region.”
For more information on the Anthem Moonlight Ride on August 17, 2013, and to register, visit http://www.sportsbackers.org/events/moonlight-ride.