[ndcf] 2007 Ride of Silence

[Mark Hagar]

Hello North Dakota Cycling Federation,

My name is Mark Hagar and I am with the Ride of Silence, the ride that
honors cyclists who¹ve been injured or killed by motorists while riding, and
who¹s goal is to help educate motorists and the public that we as cyclists
have the same rights and must follow the same rules, so please Share the
Road with us.  The 2007 Ride of Silence will take place globally on Wed. May
16th, at 7:00 PM. (rides in the southern hemisphere will take place on Sat.
May 19th at 10 AM, for rider safety, and greater visibility to the public
and media.) Please help support the Ride by promoting it to all of your
affiliated coalitions and clubs. Currently there are no confirmed locations
on our website in ND for this years Ride. (there was in 2006, I believe in
Fargo?) With your support, hopefully there will be numerous Rides all over
ND, and will continue to grow up until the day of the Ride. There¹s 145
locations worldwide, with the list growing daily.

http://www.rideofsilence.org/locations-domestic.php

If you are unfamiliar with the Ride of Silence, below is a brief history;

* In 2003 endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz is struck and killed by the
mirror of a passing bus while cycling outside of Dallas. His good friend &
Coach Chris Phelan organized a memorial ride in Dallas on May 18th, titled
the Ride of Silence, a slow paced silent 12 mile ride to honor/remember his
friend. In just a 10 day period, via email and word of mouth, over 1,000
cyclists attend. Chris thought he had closure.

* Word spread about the Ride. Chris began to get enquiries from cyclists in
other cities on holding a Ride of Silence. A grassroots movement takes
place.

* In 2004, Rides of Silences take place on May 18th at 7:00 PM in 50 cities
in the U.S. and Canada. The Dallas Ride has 2,500 cyclists attending. It¹s
written up in Bicycling magazine.

* Chris actively promotes the Ride. A board of directors is in place. A
copyright is applied for the Ride of Silence name.

* In 2005, Rides of Silences take place on Wed. May 18th at 7:00 PM in over
100 U.S cities, 150+ worldwide, in 9 countries, on 4 continents. The Dallas
ride again has 2,500 cyclists. The Dallas City Council issues a proclamation
that May 18th 2005 is The Ride of Silence Day.

* In 2006, Rides of Silences take place in over 200 U.S cities, 250+
worldwide on Wed. May 17th at 7:00 PM, in 8 countries, across 5 continents.
The Dallas ride has close to 3,000 cyclists. The Executive Director of the
League of American Bicyclists Andy Clarke and board member Preston Tyree
attend the Dallas ride. The board applies for and receives non-profit status
as an organization.

This is NOT a Critical Mass Ride. There¹s no shirts or items for sale,
there¹s no fee or registration. Each ride is approximately 10-12 miles long,
is ridden at a 12 MPH pace, and is Silent. It¹s not just a club ride. It¹s a
ride for Moms, Dads, brothers & sisters, family & friends, beginning
cyclists to the racers, anyone who wishes to honor a fellow cyclist that has
been killed or injured by a motorist while out riding and to let them know
they MUST Share the Road with us. Participants are asked to wear a black arm
band to honor a cyclist who¹s been killed, and/or a red arm band to honor a
cyclist that has been injured. The Ride¹s date purposely coincides with
National Bike Safety Month and Week.

If there are any closed course, circuit races going on the day of the 16th,
please consider the following, which is what has been done in Grattan
Michigan USA at the Wed. Night Racing Series the past 2 years.  In support
of the Ride, all racers have ridden one slow lap in silence, to honor their
fellow cyclists. The comments as submitted as part of the Ride¹s follow-up,
by the timer at Grattan who organized this in 2005 & 2006:

³Grattan MI, Wed. Nite Race Series ­ 150 Riders
May 17th, Approximately 150 racers lined up at Grattan Wed. Night Raceway
Series, to do one slow lap in total silence. Every one was aware of the
importance of this lap, some actually thanked me for arranging it.²  Safety
Chair, Rapid Wheelmen. Jochen Ditterich

As one of the Mentors of the Ride, I¹ll help anyone who¹s interested in
organizing a Ride in their area. Many locations have organized successful
Ride¹s in a month¹s time. To learn more about the R of S, please visit the
website below. Thanks for any support you can provide and in helping to make
the road safer for all cyclists.

Sincerely,
Mark

Mark Hagar
Ride of Silence, Board Member
Ride of Silence, Mentor
Ride of Silence, Michigan Director
Ride of Silence, 2005-07 Grand Rapids MI Ride Organizer
http://www.rideofsilence.org
Mark.Hagar at rideofsilence.org
616 987-9198

³If constellations had been named in the 20th century, I suppose we would
see bicycles.² Carl Sagan


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