3.30.2015
50 Days Til the Big Event!
Are you ready? Are you registered?
The motto for the National Bike Summit this year. Read a report further below about the NBS by our new Secretary of the Board, Lacey Nickell. |
Our very simple online form is very easy. You don't have to have all of your details to register; just provide what you have now to get your event in our database. Email updates to Tim Potter, Webmaster, when you have them firmed up.
Current Listings:
Here are 2015 listings at this point vs 2014:
New/ Updated Organizer Resources
We're happy to announce the official 2015 poster (or flyer) for the Ride of Silence! Our organizer for the Sacramento, California event, Sonya Lovine and friend Angela of Billings Art, submitted their poster for our contest (announced last fall) and we've selected it and provide it here for you to download and modify to help promote your events. Some basic instructions: Download the file and open with the latest version of Adobe Reader or Acrobat. For the text in the text boxes/fields (we've made those pretty obvious if you read the text) - the PDF allows for rich text. This means the easiest way for you to change the font, size, lower or uppercase, etc., is to go into Microsoft Word, type your text...then format it how you want (center it, change font, change size, etc.)...copy that text...and then paste it into the PDF form field. So, you can use whatever size font you want to use depending on how much text you are trying to squeeze in. More questions? Email the webmaster.
Get the word out about your Event via Web Calendars:
Cycling Clubs and Organizations:
...which the health clubs could run during the spin class on their audio-visual equipment. Please email RoS VP Mark Hagar if you have questions on how to approach your local health clubs.
by Lacey Nickell, Secretary of the RoS Board
Zero campaign is a 10 year plan to have ZERO deaths by motorist. Using data from these collisions give insight to where problem areas are in every city. I was able to meet with several Ride of Silence organizers from around the country. It was great to connect with so many new faces and organizations along with talking about what is happening with the Ride of Silence. Among the many people I was able to meet was the League of American Bicyclist Women Bike Manager, Liz Cornish Jones. I was very excited to find out she was a fellow Okie, just as me. We met up for coffee and had a really great conversation about the future of Ride of Silence and are hopeful for more involvement with the League of American Bicyclist.
Was very grateful to be able to stay with Ride of Silence supporter Ann Swain who has graciously hosted RoS Founder Chris Phelan and Tim Potter in the past as well. |
Learn about strategies for building up powerful networks to support one another in advancing your careers. This session we will hear from women working to construct networks that focus on powerbrokering, mentoring, and recognition.
We’re All Advocates: Stories of Change from Inside the Peloton
Hear from women at all levels of professional racing about their experience with gender equity issues in racing. They will share their advocacy work in the racing world, and how it carries over into their communities.
Advocacy Leadership Institute
How do you empower passionate volunteers to effectively organize in their communities and advocate for better bike plans, effective policies and safer infrastructure? In 2011, the Cascade Bicycle Club created its Advocacy Leadership Institute (ALI), a program that has given graduates the tools to start new bicycling organizations, be featured in national news outlets, serve on bike advisory boards and even manage Puget Sound Cycle Share.
Bringing Bike Advocacy to the People
This session brings together big thinkers who are bringing bicycling advocacy to the people where they are and incorporating it into our everyday lives: in public libraries, bike shops, and our daily errands.
What is Vision Zero and How Do We Get There?
Cities and towns across the United States face common challenges and shared trends — growing populations that are increasingly diverse, governments that need to do more with less and a growing public interest in and support for bicycle-friendly and walkable neighborhoods. In 2014, The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition launched a Vision Zero Campaign, calling for a reduction of all traffic deaths to zero in 10 years. In this session, Leah Shahum, will lead a discussion on Vision Zero as an ambitious concept that isn’t just about policy, but also a dramatic shift in our mindset about mobility, design and our public spaces. Read the full interview with Shahum.
5.17.2014
Final Notes for the Big 2014 Event
May 12, 2014
As we all make our final preparations for the 2014 event we have just a few final announcements to make.
Tragic Passing of One of Our RoS Organizers
We've recently - sadly been informed by our Danbury CT USA Ride of Silence organizer, that former Ride of Silence organizer Thomas Steinhert-Threlkeld of Weston CT was killed last Oct. while cycling, the 1st known death by a motorist of an RofS organizer. Thomas had previously organized a RofS in Weston, Farifield & Westport CT, from 2007 thru 2012. The Danbury CT RofS will pay a special tribute to Tom this year. The RoS board requests that all event organizers recognize Tom for his efforts over the years to remember and honor others and to raise awareness of all our rights to ride safely on our roads around the world. Watch for more posts on the RofS Facebbook pg. and website for more tributes to Tom.
Ask someone who's not riding to do this please!
Check out what's being Tweeted now about #RideofSilence here.
Reflective Ride of Silence Stickers Available - Be SEEN and Be SAFE after dark
To purchase, please visit this store and get yours ordered NOW so they arrive in time for this year's event. If you have any questions, email: elizabeth [ at ] rideofsilence.org All proceeds go to support our RoS efforts. Note: The new RoS jerseys can still be ordered (w/ 15% of jersey proceeds donated to RoS organization) but unfortunately can't be delivered in time for the event.
All the best next week!
on behalf of Chris Phelan & the Ride of Silence Board & Advisors
4.15.2014
The day is near! 35 Days til Ride of Silence 2014
The day is near!
by guest writer - Lacey Nickell
Clermont, FL Organizer and Advisor to the Board
We are only 35 days away from the 2014 RIDE OF SILENCE! This will be the 12th year for the event. Please make sure your event is included: USA organizers go to this link; organizers outside the USA use this link. If you find your event but need to add details please email our webmaster with your new notes in full and he'll get them updated ASAP. Please remember to post reports after your event, this also includes past events that may have not been reported. Please feel free to share every detail or a brief summary for others to read including links to photos, videos, news articles and actual photos (upload them on pg. 2 of the form). This is a great tool for current and future organizers & the media or potential sponsors to get a good idea of the Big Day.
How to promote your ride?
Social media is extremely effective. Create a Facebook page for your local event and invite everyone and their mother to join. The global poster is ready to download and localize here (it's an Adobe PDF which can be easily modified using Adobe Reader and printed out as 8.5 x 11 or larger), or you are free to create your own poster. (I'm honored that my local poster from our event last year was selected as this year's global poster; my good friend Charlene Ruhge put my words into the graphical rendition you see). Reaching out to local media sources such as your local paper and news channel will allow you to get the entire community involved. There are many more tools for organizers to check out on this page.
Hong Kong 2013 |
When: The third Wednesday of May (May 21st this year). S. Hemisphere events pls. use May 24th, 10 am (also use this for a rain date)
Time: Ride begins at 7:00pm (ask people to show up 15-30 min early to sign in)
Why: To raise awareness and honor all cyclists that have been injured or killed by motorists.
What to wear: Red armbands if you have been hit, black armbands to honor those whom have died from a crash with a motorist. HELMETS ARE REQUIRED!
Who: EVERYONE is invited to participate. This is a slow (12mph) & short (8-12 mi) ride.
Donating
We are a non for profit organization. Donations are very much appreciated and needed. Although the ride only takes place one day a year, we have a lot going on behind the scenes. We have listed on our website a list of some of our expenses. Just as the organization is growing, so are more opportunities to raise awareness. Everyone involved in the Ride of Silence has felt pain one way or another due to the loss or injury of someone close.
I lost my Daddy three and a half years ago; the pain is still with me. I wish I would have known about the ride before I lost my Dad. He would have jumped on the first opportunity to be part of this event. By allowing us to travel to the National Bicycle Summit, and other national and state events gives us the opportunity to get our information to committees, groups, organizations etc, and further spreading awareness.
We are silent in our memorial ride, but plan on making a loud statement about our safety. Donations help make these trips possible. You can donate to the Ride of Silence through this link . Thank you all for being part of this organization!
Keep checking the website for more information as it comes!
-Lacey
3.31.2014
Ride of Silence in Washington DC and Detroit
by Elizabeth Adamczyk (photos too), March 25, 2014
Note by webmaster Tim: thanks to your generous donations to the Ride of Silence some of the RoS board members and advisers have attended some important bike advocacy events over the years. This year Chris was unable to attend the NBS so Elizabeth carried the message to the Belly of the Beast for us.
Elizabeth with the ever dapper Gary Fisher |
Washington, DC may shut down on snowy days, but we cyclists met -- some even arriving by bike! -- for this year's Summit. It's my first Summit not getting around by bike, but the streets were a mess (and I was still in recovery mode from a broken wrist earlier in the winter).
This year's National Bike Summit met in Washington, D.C. earlier this month with the theme "Uniting Spokes" joining 650 bike advocates and enthusiasts together in one voice on Capitol Hill "to advance bicycle safety, funding and equity.equity joining cyclists together," as the League of American Bicyclists reports.
- Moderator: Ken McLeod, League Legal Specialist
- Rich Conroy, Bike New York
- Laura Solis, Bike New York
- Tyler Dewey, Bike Athens
- Brian Potwin, Commute Options
- Doug Gordon, of Brooklyn Spoke
- Aaron Naparstek, of Streetsblog
- Brent Buice, Georgia Bikes (moderator)
- Peter Wilborn, of bikelaw.com
- Bob Anderton, Washington Bike Law
Rep Earl Blumenauer, the strongest ally bicycling advocates have in Washington, DC, speaking at the reception on the Hill on Wednesday evening. |
(L to R): Tim, Keith and Dave |
Tim with RoS supporter from Guadalajara, Mexico |
Our booth amidst the Big Boys at the Expo |