A group bike ride in Baltimore at night?  Cyclists looking for an alternative to the potentially-confrontational Critical Mass rides — but curious to see the city by bike at night and show the flag for city cycling — should check it out.

Tomorrow night’s Bob Moore Memorial Moonlight Madness Bicycle Ride – a group ride beginning at War Memorial Plaza at 8 p.m. – honors Bob Moore, one of Baltimore’s most passionate cyclists.  Moore died from pancreatic cancer in May at the age of 73.

“Bob Moore originally created the ride,” said Baltimore bike planner Nate Evans. He was “instrumental in getting the initial political attention on cycling around Baltimore:  starting the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (MBAC) & eventually getting the Bicycle Master Plan adopted.”

Moore, who averaged 58-plus miles a day, was “the most active bicycle advocate within the Baltimore Bicycle Club during the 90’s and up until his illness,” said Penny Troutner, who became friends with Bob in 1991, the year she opened her bicycle shop Light Street Cycles .

Troutner said she was the only person who responded to Bob’s ad about promoting bicycle advocacy. After she did, he biked over to her shop to meet her.

“When Bob created the ride, he started it at the Baltimore Youth Hostel to bring attention to it and encourage donations for their renovation project,” Troutner added.

According to Evans, the Bob Moore ride is one that gives group cycling a good name.  “As I try to sell ‘biking’ to Baltimore, the rebuttals always include: ‘How come cyclists don’t obey traffic signs & laws?’” said Evans. ” While Critical Mass can be fun, it does not promote road-sharing or encourage people to get out and ride . . .Tomorrow night’s Moonlight Madness Ride is a group ride through the city, but it is NOT a Critical Mass. We’ll take ONE LANE, we’ll have fun…”

The ride will still take place in spite of recent cycling incidents nor will the riders shy away from any particular location.  “…We’ll ride by areas of recent attacks on cyclists,” said Evans.  “We’ll ride in areas that most cyclists wouldn’t ride alone.”

The Bob Moore ride is open to anyone and cyclists should meet at War Memorial Plaza 8pm. Click here to RSVP.