Here at BikeProvo we are going to be reporting on different events and rides going on in the Provo area to let all of you know that you are not alone there are tons of riders out there and not all of them wear spandex (not that there is anything wrong with wearing spandex.) One such ride which I had the privilege of riding on tonight is the MadDog Cycles Family Bike ride. This ride is a ton of fun! The group leaves MadDog Cycles in Orem at 6pm every Monday night. One of the shop’s employees went over the route and general riding safety and then, the ride began. There were three families at this ride as well as one of MadDog’s staff Chris Bradford whom you should all know from the S24O post (he rides the really cool vintage blue bike.)
Once we were debriefed we started the ride. We followed 8th South in Orem to a little road I had never ridden on. I cannot remember the name of it but it was beautiful. While riding if you looked right you saw the river with grass and trees if you looked left you would see a collection of nice quaint houses.
From the nice quiet road we merged on to the bike trail on University Parkway.
After being on the bike path a bit we got to have a mini adventure. The Provo river is running a little high right now and as a result there was a puddle of water at the base of the tunnel that goes under University Parkway. As we approached I thought “No big deal.” However, it turned out to be a little deeper than we all thought. As a result we all got some wet feet.
Once we made it through the puddle we pedaled the rest of the way to the park that was our destination. It was a nice little park right off the Provo River Trail. As soon as we got to the park the kids jumped off of bikes and carriers to get on the play ground. The adults spread out blankets and treats (provided by MadDog) and chatted about kids, bikes, and food. I was having such a good time talking with everyone that I spaced taking many pictures at the park
The Family Ride was a blast. My little one loved it and made quick friends. Also my wife loved talking with with other moms who use there bikes to run errands from time to time. I asked the owner of MadDog why they do not have a Provo specific ride. He told me they were working on it and ideally the two rides would meet up to combine for fun in whatever park they end up in (like this ride most rides from Orem end in Provo.) The pace of the ride was also wonderful. Even fully loaded with kids and kid stuff no one had a hard time keeping up. Both me and my wife felt confident that the MadDog staff had picked a good and safe route which was very family friendly. I also learned that Bajio is a sponsor of the Family Rides. On the fourth Monday of the month they ride to a Bajio and get food. Kids eat for free and adults get $2 off any meal. Final summary is that this ride was fun, convenient, safe, and well led. It will definitely be an event me and my family will be riding with again. Thanks MadDog and everyone that showed up to make this ride so fun.
Carterville Road 🙂 Nice limbo under the tree branches whilst riding, BTW.
Thanks for posting this. I think a lot of the time, people imagine that the bicycle community is all about racers in spandex. But, there are so many bike activities that are great for families. Looks like this was a blast!