While most people were fast asleep early Sunday morning, about 150 people strapped on their helmets and cycled around a moon-lit Jefferson City.
The annual Tour De Jeff City Moonlight Bike Ride drew many families to the 15-mile ride, which started and ended at Hy-Vee.
"There are very few cars out at that time, which is the whole idea of starting it at 2 a.m.," said Nick Smith, owner of Red Wheel Bike Shop, which sponsored the event along with the city's parks department. "It's just a laid-back, fun family event. You get up in the middle of the night, strap a bunch of lights on your bike and ride around town. You get to see it from a different perspective."
The Jefferson City parks department sponsors the event, along with co-sponsors Red Wheel Bike Shop and Hy-Vee.
Smith rode in the event as a teenager, and now mans the bike shop, which helps out during the event and also rents bikes for people who need them. The city's parks department also offers help for cyclists who need minor repairs or a ride from the course.
He said the event this year was held a littler earlier in the year than usual, so attendance was down from the typical 200-250 people.
Some of the faster riders finished before 3 a.m., while the last ones came in at about 4:30 a.m.
"The weather was fantastic. It was a nice, mild evening with not a lot of wind," Smith said, adding that a small group of cyclists rode the course twice.
Kerri Gates, a recreation supervisor with the parks department, said the department moved the event to June this year. Last year, it was in August, around the time of the county fair and when it was hotter and more humid at night.
"When you try to do a bike ride in Jeff City and avoid the hills, it's pretty difficult," Gates said. "That's our main goal is to try to avoid the hills. The main hill we have is on Edgewood (near JCMG)."
"You couldn't have asked for a better night," said Gary Baitinger, who went for the second time, this time with his girlfriend.
"It was a pleasant night, and I didn't see anyone having any difficulties.
"We talked afterward about how much fun we had doing it," he said.