About 40 people showed up to cycle with Maj. Gen. Robert Brown early Thursday morning for the Commanding General’s first Fort Benning ride.

The CG ride was promoted as a “fun ride,” inviting cyclists of all skill levels to meet people with common interests. The small amount of traffic and low speed limits made Fort Benning a viable and unique place to host such a large group of bikers, said Brent Cummings, commander of the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

“Fort Benning has a huge cycling community and everyone made an effort to ride as one group,” Cummings said. “That’s a good size group anywhere and to see that on Fort Benning is special.”

Cummings said for weeks, a group led by Keith Lovejoy, a retired colonel and Fort Benning’s chief of Housing, had been trying to get Brown to ride with them and other cyclists on Fort Benning since they heard of his interest.

“(Lovejoy) told us the CG was a rider and we thought it would be fun to have him ride with us,” Cummings said.

Dennis Smith, command sergeant major of the Ranger Training Brigade, said he believes Brown’s endorsement will heighten interest in cycling and let the community know why Fort Benning is a great place to cycle.

“The intent for today’s ride was to embrace the CG as we wanted to make sure he sees how many people love to ride,” Smith said. “If he supports it, chances are…we will get more participation in it.” The group’s route began at Ridgway Hall in front of the Follow Me statue and made its way down to Lawson Army Airfield, followed by a climb up Cardiac Hill, located on Bradshaw Road, and ending at Java Café on Gaudette Street.

“The mystique of riding bikes is hill climbing,” Smith said. “On Fort Benning, there aren’t a lot of hills, so going up Cardiac was good.”

Smith and Lovejoy coordinated the event. Smith said such a large group of bikers have never ridden on Fort Benning together before Thursday and Lovejoy said there are plans to have another “fun ride” with Brown before summer’s end.

“We’ll probably try to do one more in the summertime and try to get even more people involved,” Lovejoy said. “The local community has also expressed an interest.”

For more information about the next CG ride, e-mail Lovejoy at keith.lovejoy@us.army.mil.