If you've ever wanted to set off across the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's 180 acres on two wheels, you'll get a chance this summer. Bicyclists will prowl zoo grounds the evening of Aug. 16.
"I grew up down the street from the zoo off of Fulton Road," says Joe Yachanin, the coordinator of the Wild Ride. "I always thought when I was a little kid that it would be really cool to ride your bike though the zoo, never thinking 30 years later I'd be in a position to help make it happen."
Wild Ride will run from 5:30-8:30 p.m., and tickets for the event are available online or at the zoo box office for $12 per person (purchase early because only 1,300 will be sold). Bike rentals are available from The Bike Rack, but should be made in advance. Few zoos offer bike tours, and Yachanin says many are formatted like charity runs or guided tours, but he wanted riders to have the flexibility to explore as they please.
"We got a lot of positive feedback, which was very encouraging," Yachanin says of last year's inaugural ride. "I think people were excited about the unique possibility of being able to ride their bikes in an area that's typically off limits." 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, 216-661-6500, clemetzoo.com
