More than 200 riders journeyed, "North by Northwest" Saturday morning in the sixth annual Neighborhood Bike Ride sponsored by the City of Knoxville.

The 11-mile journey carried riders north from their starting point in Market Square into the Mechanicsville, Lonsdale, Oakwood, Lincoln Park, and Old North Knoxville neighborhoods before returning downtown.

We had a wonderful ride and everyone seemed to have a good time seeing the neighborhoods," said Kelley Segars, with the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization, "and Lonsdale (where riders were met with refreshments and banners) welcomed us with open arms."

Mayor Bill Haslam was among the riders. The numbers were up this year for the ride, which has drawn an average of about 130 participants in past years.

"We had families come out, people of all ages and skill levels," Segars said.

The "North by Northwest" theme for the ride was a play off the suspense movie of the same title because the route was kept secret until the day of the event.

One of the goals of the ride is to help people realize that it's possible to safely bike in Knoxville for everything from going to a friend's house or the store to riding to work.

"There are a lot of things to do on a bike," Segars said.