BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

G+ event

https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c4k9n5siii18mr76th40o1cdpho/108000363177314506940

I hope that works.

excellent. thank you.

Yes - I'll be there. Bringing the hubby, too. Thank you for organizing.

Should Mark Schneider's name be added to this? He wasn't hit by a car, and he wasn't in Pittsburgh, but he was on his bike and so we may want to memorialize him. Just a thought.

That will be a Sunday service schedule for buses under the reduced service plan. Not that Sunday service before the cuts was all that great, but there will be next to nothing, or plain nothing, for large parts of the area on Sundays under the new plan.

So traffic might be higher than typical for a Sunday. And don't expect much help from bus racks. Me, I have an 11-mile ride just to get to the ride, but I'm planning to be there.

I'll be there. Hopefully bringing the family too.

Other than making nice to cars, is there any compelling reason to start at 7am?

I will show up (dressed in black), but is the point to make us bikers feel good (in a sanctimonious way), or is it to communicate to Pittsburgh drivers (and authorities) that they need to take responsibility for their behavior?

As a contrast, why is it that the Pittsburgh Vintage Car race gets to shut down major roadways for an entire week-end? Is that considered to be more important to Pittsburgh (and its citizens) than the murder of two cyclists?

For each Ride of Silence for Dr. Varacallo, there was a round of small speeches. Is something like that planned for this one? If so, I would like a minute or two at the mike.

count me in. trying to get my family involved as well. the state of things have been feeling helpless lately, and the least anybody can do is commemorate those whose lives have been needlessly cut short. i know that this is a welcoming, no-drop ride, and it's important to get novice cyclists involved in this; not only to have them be a part of a group ride through the city, but to show them that any small gesture is crucial to the community. a ride of silence may not change anything, but at least people are out there showing others that we're not going to ignore or forget what's happening.

a big change needs to happen, but i feel personally helpless to really be part of any big change, as much as I'd like to. the ride of silence is something anybody can do to get involved.

I'm not sure why it needs to be at 7am either--especially on a holiday--but I'll be there anyway. No (blood) family in town, but I'm making sure just about everyone I know knows about it.

I had no say in the time/date, but I can understand the reasoning behind it.

Monday morning seems like a good time to create rush-hour visibility for the many cyclists who commute daily to jobs & schools amongst car traffic. Not sure if that is the reason, though.

That's Labor Day, no?

Holiday. Lots of people on their way to the Labor Day parade, perhaps.

I'm glad it's early - I have family stuff the rest of the day, and this is the only time that weekend I'm actually free. It will also help because I have a bit of a haul to get to the start, and then back home.

I'm in, as is my partner. Planning to rustle out of bed at least one friend on the way to the ride.

someone just asked me about the route. Her partner wants to ride but isn't much of a cyclist. I told her that it will be as flat as possible, and slow-paced. Does anyone have a link to the route map?

Based on the the preliminary route directions that are listed, it shouldn't be much in the way of hills, some slight inclines, but nothing that would seem insurmountable.

Thanks for topping this. As you've by now surely heard, no bus cuts. Regular Sunday service, same levels we've had for the past year.

Being that it is Labor Day, there are a bunch of transit detours. See PAT's page here.

Prepare for rain. Remnants of Isaac will be approaching by then.

Bright and early- wanted to bring this up again so it got noticed one more time.

I'll have tires on pavement by 6, rolling through Millvale by 6:30, crossing Butler/40th about 6:40, if anyone wants to join me. I'll have my yellow Flock Of Cycles shirt on.

top

Going to try to get up in time. Still doing laundry and cooking at the moment though.

Should we bring our own black bands, or will they be provided?

Usually they are provided, but I still have mine from last time I think...

arg. my morning errand ran late. I tried to catch up to no avail. Hope there was a good turnout!

Slept thru the alarm! Hope there was a good turnout, and my personal thanks to all who made it out today. My sympathies to the victims and their families.

Never having been to one before, I cannot compare numbers- I am guessing between 150 and 180? It seemed like a lot of cyclists, which was great.

All of the local news stations had cameras throughout the ride. Look for stu on tv!

/like

150-180 people for today's R.O.S. event? That sounds great!

Thank you for those who participated -_-

This was terrific. Thanks to the organizers and to everyone who showed up. I'm glad we were able to do this.

Great ride this morning. An impressive turn-out!

Good coverage on both WTAE and KDKA noon news telecasts.

WTAE coverage.

No video, but LoriF and I made it into the online story.

WTAE coverage.

i'm out of town, so i'm sad i couldn't make it, but i'm glad there was such a great turnout!

It was definitely cool looking up the line and seeing the long blocks of 5th ave having an entire lane occupied by riders.

GO GO Gadget Positive Media Image GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

KDKA video here: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/09/03/ride-of-silence-hopes-to-raise-bicycle-awareness/

Cruddy comments on the channel 4 article already.

...thanks to the folks that stopped while I fixed my flat tire. Doh! Fortunately it happened during the slow out and back section so we caught up easily.

Ah, I see there is a video on the WTAE story now.

"cyclists plan to it [the ride of silence] an annual event"?

WTAE missed a beat there, in an otherwise decent story....

We got a late start from Swissvale, but cut down Beechwood and waited for the group at Beechwood and Fifth (the guy with the tandem taking photos). We were there less than 2 minutes, so we timed it perfectly. In our haste to leave the house, I forgot to make sure my stoker had his meds, and he was getting frustrated, so on the way back we dropped from the group at Penn and Braddock and headed home. Photos can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.495544700475256.130384.100000591901689&type=1

(let me know if you have trouble viewing them)

@biking with autism, unfortunately, i do not have FB, so can't see your pics. thanks for coming out & taking a few!

@julieb: Here's a link to a non-Facebook gallery of the same images.

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/ride_of_silence

@biking with autism FANTASTIC!

Thanks to the organizers, it was good to ride in memory of Mr. Price and Mr. Green. Unfortunately, the people in the car with Jersey plates flipping everyone off next to the start of the ride @ Cathedral of Learning underscored the need for additional education with sad irony.

The start was really poorly organized. I wish it had been done like the last Flock, where we went around the library plaza and joined Schenley Dr Ext mid-block, which would have allowed the group to smoothly make the transition on a green light into the left turn lanes of Forbes, rather than taking off diagonally across the Forbes Ave intersection and cutting off several cars like a swarm of bees. Their reaction may have been a little over the top, but I completely understand why the people in that car were frustrated.

I just got a nice note on a Facebook thread from Dr. Varacallo's sister Kathy. (For those who came in late, Dr. Varacallo, the town doctor in Dubois, was killed in a left-cross situation by a speeding driver in 2010. We made trips up there in both 2010 and 2011 for Rides Of Silence in his honor.)

Anyway, here is what she said just a bit ago:

"Tell everyone I said hello...

The Varacallo family was very appreciative of all the efforts put forth by the Pittsburgh groups that came up to DuBois to do the RIDE OF SILENCE for my brother, Dr. Albert Varacallo. The kindness, compassion and thoughtfulness will not soon be forgotten. A heartfelt thanks to all who took of their time, expense and energy to make that two hour trip, either one or both years. Bikers are such compassionate people and the Pittsburgh groups are no exception. They went above and beyond to show their concern for our family during this time. You all have a special place in my heart."

Thanks to the organizers of the ride. I appreciate the time and effort that went into this. It was a large ride, well attended and publicized. Events like this help build a positive image of cyclists in the community.

A coworker said that she saw that on the news. Someone she was speaking to about the news story did the whole "well bikers don't obey the law blah blah" and my coworker defended the cycling community. She knows that I and most everyone on this board pretty much follows the traffic laws.

thank you to your co-worker! argh! when will people quit overgeneralizing, start thinking for themselves, and start opening up to people who do things differently? well, we have allies out there! and, thanks to the great turn-out monday morning, more people are seeing that most of us do obey the law...and are having fun and getting great exercise (physically and mentally) while pedaling our two-wheeled, 25 lb. (plus or minus some poundage) machines!

btw ripping from another post, @stefb sounds like the person your co-corker was talking to was engaging in some "asshattery".

Another ride is planned. Being organized on Facebook. Here's the link.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/37552077351/10151024850857352/

"

Attention Pittsburghers, This friday @ 5pm Point State Park there will be a critical mass to remember the fallen and injured riders of late. Tell your friends, tell your mom. Lets make this HUGE! Onelove.Twopedals. *dh*

"

[dh being Dave Hunt]

Hello Stu, may I ask a question?

The original ride discussed in this thread was supported by several of the "recognized/established/respected" Pittsburgh bike communities - WPW, PMTCC, BikePgh, Flock, the Masters - and so the Labor Day ride came with an imprimatur and the promise of a certain prudent non-confrontational behavior, even if at times some may have deviated from the "stop at red lights" notion.

But this second ride is a completely different thing, right? It's a C-Mass ride scheduled for 5pm Friday (much different situation) planned by some guy named Dave? No endorsements, much more freelance? This is very easily going to be a disruptive event.

I think it's subject to misunderstanding to say "hey, we're doing this again" if the Friday C-M event is, in fact, a very different thing than the endorsed original Labor Day ride. Or am I mistaken? I'm awaiting enlightenment.

All the best, V.

A ride is happening. The major groups you mentioned are apparently unaware of it, and/or not endorsing it. It appeared on the Pgh Critical Mass group on Facebook, which is an entirely different group from us. I made comments to the effect there that I didn't see what it was going to accomplish, in a positive light, but they appear determined to go ahead with it anyway.

I won't be there.

Now I understand. I agree with you.

And I'm glad you brought it up, it's good to know what's going on.

Thanks Stu! V.

Based on what was listed on the fb link, it almost seems that this is more of a last minute "lets get out & ride as a show of support" happening as opposed to a major planned event.

So it is also probable that the other groups simply aren't yet aware of this either.