2012 will mark the 10th year for the Ride of Silence, now held worldwide on the third Wednesday of May.
Chris Phelan, the founder of the Ride of Silence, states that “the history of that first gathering in Dallas, TX has become almost mythical”. It was conceived as a one-time event, inspired by the recent death of his friend, Larry Schwartz, however it has been held every year since. From the beginning, the event has been held in honour of everyone who has been injured or killed while cycling. The initial ride drew 1000 participants – cyclists on “mountain bikes, tri-bikes, tandems, and recumbents.” Word got out, and people started to contact Phelan, asking how to start a ride in their community. The ride was held in over 300 locations last year, including 28 in Canada.
The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph, wear helmets, follow the rules of the road and remain silent during the ride. There are no sponsors and no registration fees.
The 2012 Windsor ride will be held Wednesday May 16th at the Downtown Mission of Windsor (664 Victoria). Participant sign-in will start at 6pm, and the ride will start at 7pm.
We all ride. Now we can ride as one. One day. One time. One world, world wide. Let the silence roar.