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"The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart." -Iris Murdoch, writer (1919-1999)  The Los Angeles Ride of Silence was held Wednesday, May 18, 2005 at 7 PM, meeting at the NW corner of 26th and San Vicente in Santa Monica / Brentwood.  Ride of Silence, West LA, May 19, 2004: approximately 35 participants. Pre-2004 and 2005 Pre-Ride Comments by Chris KostmanWelcome to the Ride of Silence. Let me open with the unfortunate statistic that explains the purpose for the LA version of this ride: "In Los Angeles County an average of 34 cyclists die every year in collisions with automobiles, and 2,900 are injured." For another statistic, in Utah, an average of 900 cyclists are struck by cars each year. But this is not a horrible problem in LA only. Although the first Ride of Silence was held just two years ago, right now, at this very moment, similar Rides of Silence are being held in over 165 locations across the U.S., Australia, Belguim, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Greece, and Mexico. (Last year the ROS was held in 54 locations, so this is a tremendous growth.) For morer info, visit http://www.rideofsilence.org Today's ride will be silent and slow-paced: 12 mph, no more, no less. We ride silently in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on America's public roadways. There are three reasons that we will do this:
In the spirit of sharing the road, we will ride in a double file, on the right side of the road. We will stop at stop signs and lights, each and every one of us. We will not let this ride turn into a "critical mass" ride. We will ride with dignity, demonstrating with our thoughtfulness and with our proper road etiquette that we DESERVE to have the road shared with us. Remember, in a bike vs car accident, it doesn't matter who was right, or who had the right of way, if we are dead. We must ride, first and foremost, to protect our lives, not to make a statement or to exert our rights. And when we get back into our cars, we will remember how we, as cyclists, wish that all motorists would drive. We can only lead by example, whether cycling or driving. So remember: 12 miles per hour. Stop for lights and stop signs. Stay to the right. Use hand signals as needed, but otherwise let the only sound be the whir of our chains, the wind in our hair, and the thought of our fallen cyclists in our hearts. Regarding the route, we will ride to Ocean Avenue, back to 26th Street, then to Ocean Avenue and back again. If, after riding, you wish to converse about the purpose of this ride, and share some anecdotes about those we've lost, then we will meet at Zen Zoo Tea, next to Starbux, at 26th and San Vicente. Remember, if you're going to be pedaling after dark, you'll need lights front and rear. And now, the Ride of Silence will begin with the reading of a shortlist of names of just some of the many cyclists killed by motorists. There are many, many more who have died and we tip our helmets to the memory of all of them. 
Gustavo Antonini, 66 Marjorie Asmussen William Cupples, 46 Lynne Elizabeth Cybyske (pronounced Sa-bis-key) Jim Dein ("deen") Tony Fitzpatick Nora Folkenflik Mike Glass Debra Goldsmith Phyllis Hassan Kim Hipshire Gene Hoag Adam Hollander Matthew Jerome Holmbeck Cory Horton Garrett Lamire Andy Sak Larry Schwartz Matthew Sperry Walter Tupper Kim Earl Wheeler Hans Wichery Kellie Rae Wilson  Another photo from the 2005 Ride of Silence |
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