BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Bowling Green’s slow roll season came to a haunted close Sunday afternoon, as the city’s Bicycle Safety Commission hosted its final slow roll bike ride of the year with a Halloween twist: the Spooks and Spokes ride, which set out at 2 p.m. on Oct. 25 from the City Building parking lot.
Riders were encouraged to decorate their bikes and dress up in bike-friendly costumes for the season finale. The ride began and ended at the City Building Parking Lot, 305 N. Main St., with stops along the route featuring local lore, stories, and some of Bowling Green’s most — allegedly — haunted locations, according to the city.
The slow roll rides are free, family-friendly and open to everyone. Each rider is required to wear a properly fitted helmet and ride a correctly sized bicycle in safe, working mechanical order, and the city recommends that young riders who cannot travel on their own take part by tow-behind trailer or child bike seat.
The rides are recreational in nature and travel at a speed comfortable for all riders. Multiple trained leaders facilitate each ride to ensure that all riders complete the route, including providing assistance for mechanical or personal issues along the way.
While designed for fun and exploration, the monthly rides also stress the importance of safe riding practices and responsibilities while navigating city streets — the Bicycle Safety Commission’s standing mission through the riding season.
Sunday’s Halloween ride closed the commission’s 2026 slow roll calendar, ending a season of monthly themed rides that have become a fixture for Bowling Green families looking for a low-key way to see their city on two wheels.
Photo: Wapcaplet, CC BY-SA