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One of Windsor’s coolest summer events, Friday Night Lights, is in jeopardy after organizers of the popular biweekly bicycle ride announced on the weekend it was being ruined by some bad actors.

“This is why we can’t have nice things,” said Adriano Ciotoli, founder and co-owner of event sponsor WindsorEats. While “the vast majority are really, really good, … some, they put the safety of others at risk.”

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What began five years ago with about 50 cyclists on an average night has exploded in popularity, with more than 300 cyclists taking part on the most recent Friday night. But participants said what is otherwise a fun social gathering on two wheels was spoiled by a small number being rude to fellow cyclists and motorists and creating unsafe situations, including riding on sidewalks and crossing the line to face oncoming vehicles. There was littering along the way and some participants consumed open alcohol they had brought with them.

“They were breaking laws, even after repeated calls from our guides,” said Ciotoli. “So we’re pulling the plug until we reevaluate and rethink things going forward.”

Friday Night Lights regular Lori Newton, who is also executive director of Bike Windsor Essex, said she also witnessed people “misbehaving … (and) endangering the support riders.”

Typically, the twice-monthly Windsor gatherings running from May to October see cyclists meet in the early evening at a rendezvous point. Hired guides — there were eight on Friday, said Ciotoli — help lead the way and control the flow and some basic rules are explained before departure. One of those is that cyclists keep to the right of the occupied lane in order to give the guides room to race ahead to safely oversee the crossing of intersections.

Many of the bikes are elaborately adorned with lights and other attachments, including music speakers, lasers and lamps. It’s a fairly gentle pace with three long stops at different bars or restaurants along the way.