Bicycle Ride and Dine in Long Beach

For those who wanted to burn off the Fourth of July calories or simply wanted to exercise and meet new friends, look no further than the First Thursday Ride and Dine in Long Beach.

Cruisin’ down the street on a bicycle, meeting new friends, feeling the breeze is exactly what the First Thursday Bicycle Ride and Dine is about. The ride started about eight to ten years ago on every first Thursday of the month. Local bikers from Long Beach and other cities hit a five mile loop through downtown Long Beach. Ride and Dine Coordinator Tonda Yandel said, “The purpose of it was to introduce cycling to the citizens of Long Beach and introduce cyclists to group rides who normally don’t ride in little groups.”

The rides have been very productive as the number of participants increased over the years. “It’s gone from like five to 20, sometimes 30. That’s a pretty good number for the middle of the week,” said Yandel.

The Long Beach community accepts any types of riders from as small as five-years-old to 84-years-old to experienced riders or someone just looking to get out on a Thursday afternoon. Cyclist Daniel Hoyt said, “I’ve been doing the Long Beach ride for about three years. I drove over from Biloxi to do it every month. It’s an easy ride, friendly people, slow pace.”

Cyclist Jeff McCormick said, “It’s just fun. It’s a group of regulars and they accept everybody new. Any given Thursday night, we will have brand new people who have barely ridden a bike, but it’s okay.”

Once the group is done with their five miles, they vote on a place to eat, chat, and get excited about the next ride in the upcoming month. “It’s awesome. It’s good for everybody. It’s good for your health. It’s good for your spirit. The ride is so successful and so friendly,” said Yandel.

“Our pace is as fast as our slowest rider. We don’t leave anybody behind,” said McCormick.