After tucking into a slice of pizza or a sausage and putting the finishing touches on their bikes at a "bling station", more than 100 people started the five-kilometre journey around the pond at twilight.

Jeremy Kalachoff was one of those who stood out in the sea of colour, with a bright green bike covered in luminescent paint.

The nine-year-old, riding with his mother Anita Kalachoff and grandfather Noel Mungovan, had multi-coloured glow sticks on his spokes and wore other decorations including a glow ring.

"Our family's really into bike riding as a social thing," Mrs Kalachoff said.

"We like to get the kids out as much as possible and we try and go out riding about twice a month together."

At the end of the ride, event organisers Pedal Power ACT and Gungahlin law firm Snedden Hall and Gallop hosted a "glow party" for families in Yerrabi Pond Park, with prizes given out for the brightest and most eye-catching bikes.

Pedal Power ACT chief executive Ian Ross said glow-in-the-dark bike rides had taken off in other cities around the world, but there had never been one in Canberra before.

He said the event, timed to mark the start of the cycling season, was a great way to encourage children to become regular cyclists and to get them excited about hopping on a bike.

"Cycling is one of the healthiest things you can do," Mr Ross said.

"It gives you a healthy heart and helps decrease the risk of diabetes and obesity.

"The more people that get on bikes, the better off we are as a community."

Mr Ross said cycling was something people could make part of their lives, rather than a scheduled activity they had to motivate themselves to go and do.

"If you go to the gym, that's something you have to go and do, but cycling is healthy and a very efficient form of transport," he said.

"It has a lot of environmental benefits and also helps de-congest roads."