[Update Fri 4:45 PM: The weather forecast is not looking particularly favorable for Friday evening. The forecast today shifts the most likely chance for rain a bit later than had been indicated over the past few days, but there is still an uncomfortably high chance of rain – 50-60% – around 7 PM this evening. With temperatures expected to be in the low 60’s, even a light rain could feel uncomfortably cold.

I will not outright cancel the TGIF Dessert Ride, so if conditions seem reasonable as 7 PM approaches, then hop on your bike and join in the Bike Fun. If conditions deteriorate and nobody shows up, then the ride will effectively be cancelled.

By the way, if we have a group of Poky Pedalers downtown ready for Bike Fun when the rain starts to come down, we always have the option to skip the ride and simply head over to the dessert place. Sometimes, you don’t have to actually ride your bike to share Bike Fun.]

This Friday will be our final TGIF Dessert Ride for this year. It will be special because in the four years of Bike Fun with PPSP, this will be the first Poky Pedal where we’ll be riding after dark.

The TGIF Dessert Ride will meet on Friday September 18 at 7PM on the Stevens Point downtown square. From there, we’ll slowly ride our usual 3-mile route to the path through Pfiffner Park, along the Wisconsin River to Bukolt Park, and then retrace our pedal strokes back to a dessert place.

We’ll start riding in the twilight just after sunset, so if the weather cooperates, we may have some colorful skies to watch as we ride along the river. The moon will be in the western skies around that time, which would add to our picturesque cosmic display.

It is likely to be dark before we arrive at our dessert stop. For those Poky Pedalers who never ride in the dark or who feel uncomfortable doing so, this is an opportunity to try out a short night ride that stays entirely on paths and calm streets.

I strongly urge Poky Pedalers to have lights on their bicycle for this Poky Pedal. To ride legally at night, your bike must have a front headlight and either a red light or red reflector to the rear.

In general, having lights on your bicycle means that you need not be concerned about being visible if you are out a bit later than you expected. There is a vast array of bicycle lights with different intensities based on various technologies at many price points. Your local bicycle shop can help you decide how to choose a light that works best for you while staying within your budget.

I’m posting this announcement a bit earlier than usual (to give Poky Pedalers a few more days to shop for bike lights), so the weather forecast is a bit far out to rely on. It will be cool, probably in the low 60’s (which will feel a bit cooler after sundown), so an extra layer is a good idea. I’ll update this post in a couple of days when we have better information about any possibility of rain.

Riding a bicycle at night often has a magical feel to it. I have seen some breathtaking evening skies just after sunset while riding my bike along the Pfiffner/Bukolt path. I am hoping this Friday provides us another of those evenings. I look forward to sharing some after-dark Bike Fun with Poky Pedalers this Friday on the TGIF Dessert Ride.