The first in-person Toledo Ride of Silence in three years is slated for Wednesday evening with two goals in mind: remembering local cyclists that were killed by motorists and raising awareness for cyclists’ rights to the road.
We Are Traffic, the organization behind the Ride of Silence, did put virtual events together for the years the pandemic swallowed. But Keith Webb, Toledo Ride of Silence organizer, said it just wasn’t the same.
“Cyclists are really part of a big family,” Mr. Webb said. “It’s almost cliché to say that, but it’s true.”
The International Ride of Silence is an event in which cyclists take to the streets in a slow, silent procession to honor cyclists that were killed or injured while biking on public roadways. It’s always held during May, which is National Bike Month, to raise awareness that cyclists have the same legal right to public roadways as motorists.
Toledo’s rendition of the ride is supported by the Maumee Valley Adventurers, Toledo Bikes, Toledo Area Bicyclists, Maumee Valley Wheelmen, and the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments. This is the city’s 13th annual ride.
Cyclists will meet Wednesday in the University of Toledo Parking Area 1 North lot near Bancroft Street and North Towerview Boulevard at 6:30 p.m. for a short presentation. Then, at 7 p.m., the bicycle brigade will take off.
Cyclists will be escorted along an 8-mile course by officers from the Toledo Police Department, Ottawa Hills Police Department, University of Toledo Police Department, and Toledo Fire and Rescue Department, all on their own bikes. The cyclists will remain silent, wear helmets, and ride at a maximum speed of 12 miles per hour.
Mr. Webb said he expected more than 200 cyclists to join in on the free event, which does not require any form of registration.
There will be several pauses on the route, each in memory of a different slain cyclist. First, the bikers will stop at Ottawa Hills High School in memory of Dave Larabee, who was killed on his way home from work in 2005.
Then, the group will stop at the Toledo Children’s Hospital in memory of Dr. Stephen Snedden, killed while biking along River Road in Perrysburg Township in 2006.
Finally, cyclists will pass by a memorial stone in Ottawa Park in honor of Dr. Robert Brundrage, another slain rider.
Mr. Webb said that 28 Ohio cyclists were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2021, including three local men: Robert Rausch, Dennis Loss, and Winston Autry. The ride will also honor a handful of cyclists killed in 2016 and 2015.
Mr. Rausch was one of several honorees to receive a “ghost bike” – a bicycle painted completely white and set up at the site of the crash that claimed his life.
In 2019, 132 riders took part in the Toledo Ride of Silence. Another 52 took part in the Bowling Green Ride of Silence, as well as 35 in Findlay.
In total, 2021 saw just shy of 1,000 participants in 14 rides of silence statewide. Across the country, 405 registered rides of silence took place.
Mr. Webb said that 17 locations in Ohio are planning to participate this year.
“It is a slow ride, but it’s not a slow roll,” he said. “It’s meant to be a solemn event.”
The 6th annual Bowling Green Ride of Silence also is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, starting and ending in the Veterans Building parking lot. The ride will honor Larry Sattler, who was killed in 2020, and Eric Ramlow, killed in 2016.
At the same time, the fourth annual Findlay Ride of Silence will begin at Emory Adams Park, honoring Shannon Mills, killed outside of Marysville in 2018.
Mr. Webb hopes that by continuing this event, slain cyclists will be remembered, and the number of victims will shrink and shrink until no more ghosts need bikes.
First Published May 16, 2022, 8:40 p.m.
