If you haven’t joined a Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride you’re missing out

If you’ve been in Plaza Midwood on a Tuesday night over the past few years, you’ve probably seen it — a mass of dozens of people on bikes, helmets on and lights flashing.

Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride, one of the largest group bike rides in Charlotte, started in 2013 under the leadership of Pam Murray and her two friends, Ryan Stachurski and Eric Minman. The three were riding in monthly Critical Mass rides, a collection of cycling events around the world designed to take back the streets for cyclists.

They decided they wanted to ride more often, so they created the weekly Tuesday night ride.

“Riding with other people feels safer to most people and we have the opportunity to learn different routes around town collectively.” Murray said. “When we started we had no plan or route other than to ride. We would just decide where to go. Tuesday seemed like a pretty good day so we picked Tuesday. And 8 o’clock was a good time since thats when we could all get together.”

Depending upon the weather, PMTNR can draw anywhere from 17 riders on cold or rainy nights to 70 or more on peak summer nights.

“I started keeping track of the numbers — in the last three years we have had over 10,000 riders,” Murray said.

The fun rides, open to riders of all skill levels, go about 15 miles, and Murray said she considers many factors when determining the weekly course.

“It’s based on where we’re going. I like to vary the route from week to week,” Murray said. “I do like to be considerate of the riders because some are not as experienced as others, so if we do a hill, we do one at the beginning of the ride not the end of the ride. …

“I do try to make it as flat as possible when it’s possible to do that. I don’t like to make it overly challenging or hard because I want to make it fun for people.”

Every ride features a stop at a local business, usually a business that offers Bicycle Benefits and often a bar or restaurant.

“People ask, why do you go to bars?” Murray said. “We have been to art galleries or art shows before, we’ve gone to a movie project before. We will go anywhere people will have us. The places that are open on Tuesday nights at 9:30 p.m. (when the ride concludes) are bars.”

Heather Seay, from Belmont, recently rode for the first time.

“I ride to stay in shape,” she said. “I hate running. Biking is a lot more fun. It’s a great way to meet new people.”

Seay’s friend Mark Levi, from Charlotte, has been riding with PMTNR for about a year.

“A friend of mine brought me. It’s basically a social ride. The pace is not fast, it’s a medium pace,” he said. “So people of most abilities can have fun with it. The ride is a great way to see Charlotte, it’s something fun to do on an evening, you know, get out from in front of the TV.”

Want to ride?

“Show up with a bike and a helmet,” says Murray. “And lights — lights are required to ride at night.”

If you don’t have lights, Murray carries a stash every ride that can be borrowed for a $5 deposit.

The rides meet at 7:45 p.m. at the Plaza Midwood Common Market (2007 Commonwealth Ave.) and the ride begins at 8 p.m. The route is usually posted ahead of time on the PMTNR Facebook page.

For more information, check out cltspokespeople.org.

Photos: Courtesy of CLT Spokes People; Jonathan Lee

This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 12:19 AM with the headline "If you haven’t joined a Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride you’re missing out."