Annual Ride of Silence – May 15, 2024

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, the 8^th annual Bowling Green Ride of Silence will start and end at the Veterans Building Parking Lot, located at City Park. The ride will cover ~8 miles, with a speed no faster than 12 MPH, and will have an escort provided by the Bowling Green Police Division. This event is free and open to the public and no registration is required. The ride will depart promptly at 7:00 PM after a short presentation; participants should arrive by 6:30 PM. Each rider is required to wear a properly fitted helmet and ride a correctly sized bicycle in safe, working mechanical order. It is highly recommended that young riders, not able to travel on their own, participate via a tow behind trailer or child bike seat.

Prior to the ride, we will remember Eric Ramlow, who was killed in 2016 while riding on Sand Ridge Road. We will also remember Larry Sattler, who was killed in 2020 while riding along Oil Center Road, Michael Szabo, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2023 while riding on Main St., Robert Rausch, Tom Santoro, Sierah Joughin, Douglas Kania, Matthew Billings, James Lambert, Emilee Gagnon, Harvey Bell III, Andy Gast, Jimmy Hughey, Jeff Roth and others prior to the start of the ride.

This is a community event supported by the City of Bowling Green, the Bowling Green Police Division, the Bowling Green Bicycle Safety Commission, We Are Traffic, TMACOG, Maumee Valley Adventurers, and the Toledo Area Bicyclists.

The International Ride of Silence, now in its 22^nd year, will begin in North America and continue to roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a slow, silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to Share the Road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves. The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 MPH and remain silent during the ride. The ride, which is held during National Bike Month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways.

A Ride of Silence will also be held in Toledo, meeting on the UT Campus.