Posted By Ryan Deto on Wed, Aug 24, 2016 at 5:22 PM

click to enlarge Niantic A Psyduck found near Three Rivers Heritage Trail in the Strip District.

Bike advocates know the best way to get around a city is by pedaling. And local bike-advocacy group Bike Pittsburgh figures it can use pedal power to catch as many Pokémon as possible.As part of the ten-day BikeFest, the group hosts tonight's Pokémon Go midnight ride, in hopes of getting Pokémon players to explore different parts of the city by bike.The game uses your smartphone’s GPS to place you on a map and indicate where nearby Pokémon sites are. When a Pokémon is near, your camera activates for an augmented-reality battle sequence. You look around with your phone until the Pokemon comes on screen, and then you toss a Pokéball toward it and attempt to catch it.The request for a Pokémon event came from the community, says Mike Carroll, of Bike Pittsburgh."With BikeFest, it is a collaboration of what the community wants to do," says Carroll. "This was a community-led initiative. We are in the business of saying yes."Due to stories about some Poké-goers being hit by vehicles, and other injuries, Carroll says safety will be the top priority on the ride. Lights are required, and anyone riding phone in hand will be asked to leave the ride. Bike Pittsburgh encourages people to purchase handlebar mounts or make a functional DIY mount. Keeping phones in pockets while riding is also encouraged.And once safety is taken care of, riders can enjoy the many monuments and historical markers that typically stand as Pokémon gyms and Pokéstops."Pokémon Go really helps to explore the city as it is, and being on a bike gets you even farther," says Carroll. "Riding really increases the range. They've got stations everywhere. Hopefully it will strike some interest in the history of our city."Bike Pittsburgh is asking riders to meet at Friendship Park, in Bloomfield, tonight (Aug. 24) at 11:45 p.m. The ride will commence 30 minutes later. Pokémon-hunting should last about two hours, and everyone ends the night at Ritter's Diner, in Bloomfield.