Ride of Silence

The Ride of Silence board would like to thank you for organizing an event this year. We hope you had favorable weather and a good turnout of bicyclists who, along with many bystanders and motorists, were positively impacted by the event.Since the event took place, we've received the following statistics:

Total 2011 Riders To Date: 8,153Number of Locations Reporting in: 90 (out of 322 known locations, or only 28%)

(These numbers were copied from our online report viewing tool which allows anyone to learn about our events).

In case you haven't submitted your event report yet, please take a few minutes to fill out a few fields of this easy to use form to let us know how your event went.

There are detailed instructions on the form which should answer your questions. Note, there are 2 pages to this form. Photos can be uploaded from your computer on the 2nd page. The first page will allow you to submit LINKS to photos, videos, news articles, etc. that are hosted online (must have a "http://...." address to work). Email the RoS webmaster if you have any questions or run into problems.If you know of other events that happened in or near your area, please encourage the organizer to submit the event information using our "Add a Location" form so we know about it. This is important has it helps the ride spread and grow. It also helps gain the attention of the general public and media so that we can make changes for cyclists.

Thank you again. Have a great summer!

Ride of Silence Board

Next ride: May 16, 2012

From RofS organizer Elizabeth:

Dear fellow cyclists,As the Ride of Silence approaches — Wednesday night, May 18, 2011 for most communities — let’s take a moment now to reflect why we ride in silence and for whom. As someone commented on the Ride of Silence’s Facebook page – “the great thing about the Ride of SILENCE, it’s the same spoken in any language.” Silence is truly a universal and powerful language.
Below in the comments, please list the name of a bicyclist (could be yourself as a crash survivor) that you honor and wish to always be remembered.
Then please take a moment to also add this honoree info here (which will be collected by official ROS organizers for possible inclusion on the memorial page, which hopes to soon include injured cyclists). To see a list of all cyclists who have already been memorialized on the ROS site, visit the “In Memoriam” page.
Now – fellow bike bloggers… help us make another “silent” statement before the night of the ROS silent procession. Please re-post this exact post on your own blog asking the same of your readership (to comment with the names of bicyclists they honor and remember and to repost).
This is our “honor roll” for all bicyclists that the Ride of Silence (the global bike community) will never forget! We honor in this “silent” way all those who have been killed or injured by respectfully saying nothing at all… as we put a name to all cycling crash victims who we will never forget.
Please also add the names of cyclists we honor to the ROS Honor Roll database for statistical collection purposes – http://bit.ly/mnFne9
Let the Silence ROAR.

photo: Larry Schwartz, inspiration for initial The Ride Of Silence

1.
We have a problem on Facebook.
There are evidently many Ride Of Silence page, but without a location attached to the title. I’m told there is a glut of these out there.

If you put up a page, add a hyphen and include your town/city/location you’re riding in. Here are some examples: “Ride Of Silence – Carbondale,” “Ride Of Silence-Fitchburg,” “Ride Of Silence – Garland.”
There should be only one Ride Of Silence without a location, and that would be the main organizers page.
Can you add your location before this year’s ride?

2.
something to be aware of...
The Ride of Silence in Winston-Salem, NC will not be taking place this year.
According to last year’s organizer, Bruce Hermann, “I’m afraid it is out for this year. Last year I funded and organized the event myself. Despite hiring WSPD officers, publicizing through the local bike shops, cycling clubs, schools, churches, media,… I only got a handful of riders. I even got letters of support for our elected representatives and a Ride of Silence Declaration read at the start of the ride by our Mayor. If the ride can be embraced by the local club or the MS ride, both of which have hundreds of riders, then it can turn into a successful event.”
As one of the board members said, “Pretty sad situation there. Hard to imagine why there's such little support in some cities.”
At least part of the answer might lie in today’s RofS blog, written above, “Who is Them in ‘US vs. Them?’”
It’s not a good thing that one of our own doesn’t see the need for a collective voice that coalesces cyclists for what is a legal right.
Concerning Winston-Salem only attracting “a handful of riders,” it should be pointed out, that there are many locations where only a few riders collect before riding off in unison with the rest of us. Every location doesn’t have to be a mega ride. We would all prefer 10 ride locations of 10 people, than one of 100, because there would be more visibility in the 10 locations.
IF there is any way to salvage the location in Winston-Salem, IF any of you know a cyclist there who is able to be point person for the ride, please contact him or her ASAP, and let’s get that location back on the map. Meanwhile, be safe and ride on.
Thank you.

3.
Believe or not, you still have time to order a Ride Of Silence shirt. When I asked if I should tell people they can still get one, I was given a resounding, “Yes! I have tees in all sizes and dri fit in small and medium. If they have any questions please have them call my shop at 972-527-6263.” You can still order!

13 days to go.

c

As we prepare for our 8th Ride Of Silence, and get as many sites and cyclists lined up for our one special day to show the local community as well as the world the power of a cyclists gathering together in peaceful silence protest, I encounter an excuse why some people don’t feel this is an important event.
Personally, I was hurt, because it came from an accomplished long time cyclist, and a friend I’ve known for over 30 years. But his statement of nonchalance points to the PR problem we as cyclists have. One is cohesion, the other is communication. Both are at least partially a result of the individualistic nature a bicycle attracts and the freedom it provides.
I was shocked by Bob’s comments, though they probably ring true in many cycling communities throughout my state, my country, and the world.
I provide his reasoning so you might be aware of what mind set is out there, and what we’re fighting against. Sadly, it appears to be ourselves…

"While I do know people who have been in car/bike incidents, and in one case, a nearly fatal farm implement/bike collision back in the 80s, to my knowledge, no "cyclist" in my immediate area has been killed in over 30 years.
"There has been the occasional death of a child riding in the dark without lights or intoxicated individual riding home from a local tavern (because they've lost their driving privileges), and while sad, the drivers of the motor vehicles involved bear little responsibility, and these incidents have no association with the local cycling community. So, locally (and personally), there's little impetus for a RoS. In some respects, that's a good thing."

12 days to go.

c

Calling all centurions, those who are calling together a local ban of cyclists to be part of a larger voice, one that hopes to collectively overwhelm our politicians and authorities, and get the attention of local, national, and global media.

We have 18 days left to make an impact on one single day; to show the sheer number of cyclists who have a legal right to ride under safe conditions; a show of force restrained through silence that will become deafening as a public outcry.

In 18 days, The Ride Of Silence, known for being free and without registration, hopes to populate as many cities, towns, villages, and communities as the world has never seen. (Today we are 191 locations. Last year we got to 321. We’re pushing for 400 this year.) This ride, organized by volunteers from top to bottom, is fueled by passion and purpose.

We are asking for all those who would be a contact person, to send in their site location now. This is important to get a listing of sites for the other cyclists to see and know where to gather, and the local media who are visiting our site now in preparation for a story. PLEASE, go to the web site, and register your site today.

If there is NOT one near you, or on your side of town, please register your own ride. Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you. This is very easy to do. Just step out! Please. For those who have been killed or injured and unable to. …Please. Please join us May 18, 2011, 7 PM.

Again, thank you for being part of this world wide event. It is appreciated. I look forward to partnering with each of you as we continue the tradition of excellence that distinguishes The Ride Of Silence, and together, we envision the path for the future.

Centurions, come! Now is the time. We have 18 days to go!

Chris Phelan, Founder
The Ride Of Silence
http://www.rideofsilence.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttNHKTRMtK4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNWj-OU5kBc
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Ride-of-Silence/33924790161?ref=ts
Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 7 PM
One day. One time. One world, world wide.
Let the silence roar.

The 2010 Ride Of Silence:
321 locations world wide
50 U.S. states
26 countries
7 continents
0 words spoken
A million powerful memories.

"I pledge allegiance, to the bicycle, in the United States, and to the righteousness, of every ride. One planet, Many bikes. Indubitable, with liberty and justice for all." - Hawaii Ride Of Silence organizer, Georgette Yaindl

“Cost-effective investments in bicycling boost our economy, help individuals and government agencies save money, and directly address key societal challenges such as obesity and road congestion. In these tough economic times, our federal government can only afford to invest in solutions that solve multiple problems. Bicycling fits the bill!” – PeopleForBikes.org

Calling all soldiers of The Ride Of Silence Army. Time to suit up!

We’ve got 27 days to go before this year’s opportunity to make at least one motorist aware of sharing the road with a cyclist; a chance to save at least one life; to have the motorist not look at us cyclists, but as a relative, a friend, or a neighbor.

By calling the killed or injured cyclists is really a disservice and distances motorists from caring about them. Instead of seeing a cyclist in the way, we should see our relatives and friends on a bike, a father perhaps out for some exercise, or maybe a mom training for an upcoming bike rally. Maybe that cyclist trying to stay out of harms way in front of a long string of cars is our friend from the running group training for her first triathlon. Or it could be our neighbor on his way to work.

I believe in this event with my whole heart and being. But this event, and the thought behind it, is not about me. It is about those comrades that have fallen, those with whom we have shared the road with, to carve out that space that hugs the white line as motorist drive by unaware. This is not a popularity contest or a-cause-of-the-week. This is about life and death, those cycling friends and relatives who have lost their lives on the road due to motor vehicles.

Right now, we’re at 191 locations. At this time last year we were at 142, and ended with 321. Please summit your ride so the cyclists (relatives, friends, neighbors) in your area can make plans to attend.

If you want inspiration to host a ride in your town, or be part of the one already nearby you listed on the web site (http://www.rideofsilence.org/), look no further than this landmark, heartbreaking, and chilling article by David Darlington titled “Broken” for Bicycling Magazine, Jan/Feb 2008 issue. (It can be seen at: http://www.bicyclingmag.com/news/advocacy/broken?page=0,0)

“Every time we take to the open road, we entrust our lives to a safety net of legal protection and basic human decency. That system has failed.” This article is based on police and legal documents. It details how if a motorist kills a cyclist, his chances of being found guilty are extremely rare.

Come on out, campers. The bugle is calling you to line up.

27 Days to go!

Please join us May 18, 2011, 7 PM

Chris Phelan, Founder

(Photo of cyclists coming into downtown Dallas, 2004)

That's right! We're growing!

According to our web master, Tim Potter, we're ahead of last year's pace for locations. Yaaaaaaaaaay!

He wrote on Monday, Mar 28, "As of today we're at 150 locations. A year ago today, 88 locations."

J Steve from Seattle piggy-backed on that with this: "We're 70% ahead of same time last year. Previous calculation had us @ 56% ahead of same time last year. This looks like a notable curve folks. At this rate (total 300+ last year...) having 450 locations (a very conservative 50% growth) is likely, and breaking 600 is possible. 'nuff said.

7 weeks to go!