Cyclists from across the city rode their bikes Saturday morning as part of the city’s Hit the Trail community bike ride.
Riders could start from one of four city-designated locations depending on their desired ride length.
Anne Kamps and her dad, Don, started from the Santa Clarita Sports Complex on Centre Pointe Parkway. The Canyon Country residents chose the 10-mile route, which included segments of the Golden Valley Road Trail, Newhall Ranch Road Trail and Santa Clara River Trail.
“A friend of mine told me about this event,” said Kamps, who regularly rides her bike, after unloading her e-bike. “It sounded interesting and I wanted to see what it was like.”
Their final destination was Bridgeport Park where members of the city’s Arts and Events Office greeted the first 200 riders with goody bags containing a bike bell, water bottle, wrist band and other outdoor gear.
Joel Beck, the event’s organizer, said the event was receiving a welcome response from community participants.
“A lot of positivity about all of our trail systems,” said Beck. “I haven’t heard a single negative thing today.”
That was true for the Go family. Art and Diana Go and their son Theo, 9, started their ride to Bridgeport Park from their home in Tesoro Del Valle in Valencia.
“We love the bike paths,” said Art Go, noting that his family has joined the community bike ride for past four years. “They’re very, very good. It’s one of the benefits of living out here to have such extensive paseo where you can go running and biking.”
Diana and Theo Go said they were greeted by 12 baby quails during their ride Saturday morning.
“They were only as big as my thumb,” said Theo Go, holding out his thumb.
Art Go said he feels safe riding with his family, sharing that recent repairs to the Decoro Drive bridge underpass mean they can reach Bridgeport Park without interacting with cars.
In prior years, community bike rides started from Heritage Park or other central locations. Dave Knutson, an arts and events administrator with the city, said the goal of this event and other city-organized cycling events is to get the community excited about cycling.
Due to COVID-19, the city conceived a new format that allowed residents to start from either the Lost Canyon trailhead for a 15.5-mile ride, the Iron Horse trailhead for a 4-mile ride, Central Park for a 3.5-mile ride, or the Sports Complex.
