Berkley Bikes to Dinner and Dessert

Sun, bikes and family were the just the right ingredients for the perfect start to the second on Wednesday evening.

At 6:30 p.m., almost 20 hungry bikers began pulling up to the ready to go on the dinner cruise, which was hosted by the Berkley Environmental Advisory Committee. Although the event was meant to raise awareness of the bike-ability of the city, many participants were excited about the cruise for other reasons.  

“We are out here to connect more with the community,” said Lisabeth Conger, who bought her husband and two young daughters. “We have lived in the city for three years and haven’t met that many people, so we are looking to do that tonight.”

It was also a family affair for fellow participant Brent Stine. He, like Conger, had his smaller children in a trailer, while his older son and wife rode their bikes beside him.

“I like this event because every member of the family can be included,” Stine explained. “We all like to bike and be outside, too, so that makes it even better.”

Others had their eyes on the event’s sweet endings.  

“I’m here for the ice cream,” John DuLong said.

The cruisers left from the community center, traveled to Bagger Dave’s for dinner and then on to Clark’s for ice cream.  

Councilmember Steven Baker furthered DuLong’s thoughts.

“It’s great because it begins with friends and ends with ice cream,” Baker said. “It’s also really great that the Environmental Advisory Committee created this event to show the greenness of biking and to give people the chance to experience the city on a bike.”  

Berkley Environmental Advisory Committee President Dave Hurst, the  organizer of Wednesday's event, brought his daughter Shilo along for the ride.

“I’m really pleased everyone came out tonight,” he said while passing out information on the committee and a map of the cruise route. “This is going to be fun.”

Hurst said another cruise will be planned in the fall, when he hopes even more people join the fun, family friendly event.