Tucson RIDE of SILENCE 2024

The Ride of Silence is Wednesday at 5:00 pm. Please join us.

NOTE: It's a bit hard to find the start point using Google Maps. It's simplest to click the link or follow the directions in the Event Description on Meetup, which is copied here START POINT Link: The ride will start at Ramada 19 in Reid Park. Directions: From Country Club Rd south of Broadway Blvd, go east on Concert Place and north on Bucky Steele Dr to the parking lot by Ramada 19. Look for signs when you enter the park on Concert Place.

The Ride of Silence is an annual cycling event held to honor and remember cyclists who have been killed or injured while riding on public roadways. The event’s aim is to raise awareness about cyclist safety and the legal right of cyclists to share the road.

The route (ROUTE Link) is 8.2 miles with 129 feet of ascent. The average speed will be slow and solemn at 8 to 10 mph.

The ride starts at Reid Park, goes north on Country Club, east on Broadway, south on Craycroft, west on 22nd, north on Country club, right on Concert Place to return to the park. We will share the roads with traffic for the entire route but will have a police escort at the front and back of the rider group during this slow paced, silent ride, which is essentially a funeral procession to honor fallen riders. Police will direct riders and motorists as needed. Please obey their commands and stay between the police escort vehicles at the front and back.

It will be hard to get lost on this ride, but as good practice, please load the route into your bicycle computer, it will help if you get separated from the rider group. Call Cliff at 520-551-1155 by 5 pm on the day of event if you are lost or need other assistance to get to the start.

Please arrive by 5 p.m. and sign in on our ride waiver. It's OK to arrive earlier. Volunteers will have multiple clipboards available for signing in. We will have black armbands and water available for riders. Riders are encouraged to wear an armband. After rider preparations and a brief ceremony, riders will depart at around 5:30 p.m. with a police escort.

Afterwards: Please hand in your black armbands after the ride. Feel free to make your own plans for any post-ride food or activities.

Water/Bathroom Breaks: There are public restrooms available 150 yds southwest of Ramada 19, adjacent to the bandshell.

As this is an open community event, we will not be gathering information such as emergency contacts from those who sign up for the event on Meetup. If you are bringing family members and friends with you, please let us know how many when you sign up on Meetup.

If you are not a member of our cycling club, you are welcome to join this ride without becoming a member. If you you interested in becoming a member you you can find more information HERE.

What to Bring:
Food & fluids for 1 hour - a 24oz Bottle or Hydration Pack.
Bring a tube/patch kit and a way to inflate your tires.
Be sure your bike is in good mechanical condition.
CPSC approved helmets must always be worn while riding.
No ear buds! This is a safety requirement, not a request.

If you are participating in this ride, we ask that you agree to obey traffic laws and obey stop signs and stop lights (unless otherwise directed by police as part of riding as a group).

You are a representative of the greater cycling community and will therefore conduct yourself appropriately. This is a slow-paced, silent, no drop ride. Please be patient and courteous. If any of these standards are unclear to you, please ask for clarification.

For more information about the Ride of Silence, send an email to [rideofsilence@bikegaba.org](mailto:rideofsilence@bikegaba.org), or a text to 217-726-5560.

Ride of Silence 2024 Audio Clip created by Evan Davis of Tucson Media Studio