Green Valley rides in silence

 

 

Fourth-annual ride to take place today at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

 
By Nick Prevenas, www.gvnews.com

Each year, the tightly knit Southern Arizona cycling community pays tribute to those who have been killed or injured on the roadways without saying a word.  The Santa Cruz Valley Area 2010 Ride of Silence will be held on Wednesday -- the area’s fourth such event.  This year’s ride will be even more poignant, as the riders will be honoring Jerome Featherman, who died near Desert Bell Road on Sept. 3, 2009. There will be a ghost bike set up at the spot of his accident.

In addition, a member of the Green Valley concert band will be on hand to play “Amazing Grace” and “Taps” prior to the event.  The ride will start at 6 p.m., but participants are invited to arrive at the East Social Center a half-hour earlier and enjoy some light refreshments provided by Green Valley Bike & Hike.

The nation’s first Ride of Silence took place in 2003 when Chris Phelan of Dallas organized the event after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus on an empty road and was killed. With only 10 days notice, the event attracted 1,000 riders.
 

 

Green Valley joined the ride four years later. The local cycling community was deeply saddened by the death of Fred Hettig on March 22, 2006. As a result, Hettig’s close friends and fellow cycling enthusiasts have used this event to raise awareness for cycling safety, while paying tribute to one of the area’s most beloved figures.  This year’s seven-mile ride will follow a slightly different path. From the East Center, the riders will head west on Esperanza, then north on Desert Bell past the scene of Featherman’s fatal crash.  The ride continues north on La Cañada, east on Duval Mine Road, and then south on Abrego back to East Center.

Riders will observe the world-wide guidelines for the Ride of Silence and ride at a slow and comfortable pace while conducting the ride in total silence. Local bicyclists will lead the way, with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers, and the Green Valley Fire District providing support.  Helmets are required for riders. The Santa Cruz Valley Area Ride of Silence is endorsed by the Santa Cruz Valley Bicycle Advocate Committee and Green Valley Bike & Hike.

The Ride of Silence requires that all riders wear helmets, with the option of wearing black or red arm bands. Riders are asked to pedal no faster than 12 miles per hour in single file.

In 2009, 75 riders took part in the local Ride of Silence. A total of 778 cyclists participated in six different cities (including 275 in Tucson) throughout Arizona last year.

For more information on the international Ride of Silence event go to www.rideofsilence.org, or visit the Santa Cruz Valley Bicycle Advocate Committee at scvbac.org.

Ride of Silence
• Wednesday.
• Refreshments at 5:30, ride at 6 p.m.
• Start at East Center parking lot.
• Distance: Seven miles.