Bike Bakersfield hosted their full moon bike ride on Sept. 2. This was the first ride since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Bakersfield and the nation. Few people attended the event, but the handful of people that did join were ready to ride the trail once again.

The bikers started their ride on the bike trail starting at Beach Park and ended at the Marketplace. Though the trail was long, everyone was ready to take the ride. People from children to senior citizens were taking this path alongside the organizers of the event. There were even a few first-timers attending the ride such as Gary White, and his wife, Cathy White.

“We bike ride often. This isn’t our first time going down this path, but it is our first time riding at this event,” Gary White said. “We heard about it through our son-in-law. My family usually comes out and rides at these events, but they could not be here tonight. We are out here riding for our family tonight.”

More people tend to come out during the holidays because of the decorations and decorative lights. During the holidays, more bikers will participate in events such as the Christmas parade and the holiday lights parade. The scenery would usually bring more bikers in with their families.

“We have been doing this ride for five years. We made lots of friends due to these bike rides.” Josh and Gina Thomas said.

Bike Bakersfield is a non-profit organization that was established in 2005. Bike Bakersfield hosts a program called the bike kitchen. The bike kitchen allows community members to borrow tools to make repairs to their bikes and have mechanics show and help citizens how to repair a bike. It is free if you have a membership with Bike Bakersfield or just a $2 per hour donation. For more updates on future events such as the full moon bike ride, visit the Bike Bakersfield website.