“There's still carnage going on out there on the road… Someone's going to ride around the lake with us tonight, and they won't be here next year.”
Bicyclists killed in traffic collisions will be memorialized in at least 275 Ride of Silence events beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday in 16 countries worldwide.
Check the list for rides in the US or other countries.
The Ride of Silence dates back to only 2003, when cyclists gathered at White Rock Lake in Dallas to remember Larry Schwartz, a local bicycle enthusiast killed in a traffic crash. Considered to be a one-time event, interest in the event swept across the US and other nations. As of last year, an estimated 22,500 bicyclists participated in some 300 rides.
The rides are free and start at 7 p.m. in the local time zones. Participants travel at 12 mph. Black arms bands show solidarity; red arm bands show the cyclist has been hit. The riders are silent throughout.
The Ride of Silence blog tells some local variations on the central theme:
“Many sites use a variety of things to “get the word out,” such as: the use of a hearse, the use of a coffin, stopping at Ghost Bike memorials, bag pipes playing Amazing Grace, bugle playing Taps, the reading of those that have been killed, the reading of the R of S poem, and so on. Do what you want to do to make the ride personal to YOU and your area, within good taste and common sense.”
Here in Washington state, seven rides are planned in Bainbridge Island, Everett, Seattle, Silverdale, Tacoma, Vancouver and Wenatchee. The Seattle ride meets up at Gas Works Park.
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