Ben Barry hopes Wednesday’s Ride in Silence will be heard by those behind the handlebar and behind the wheel.
CHARLOTTE -- Wednesday evening, cyclists around the world put on their helmets and went for a ride to remember others who were not there to ride with them.
“One of the big things was the joy that Lee Anne had when they were riding,” said Ben Barry of his wife, who was hit by a car and died during a charity bike ride last October.
Lee Anne’s memory still weighs heavy in the hearts and minds of the cyclists that took part in the Ride of Silence event in Charlotte. The 100 or so riders circled Myers Park in quiet solitude, remembering the six cyclists who have recently died in the area while taking part in the hobby that they loved.
Wednesday evening, cyclists around the world put on their helmets and went for a ride to remember others who were not there to ride with them.
"They'll be on our mind tonight, but frankly, they're on my mind every time I get on my bike,” said organizer Michael Gibbons. “It's hard not to think about people you know that have been injured or killed on a bike."
Meanwhile, Ben Barry hopes Wednesday’s Ride of Silence will be heard by those behind the handlebar and behind the wheel.
"I've seen some discourteous drivers, and I've seen a lot of very discourteous cyclists,” he said. “I think we need to learn to share the road like it says."
The annual Ride of Silence started five years ago.