Charles City bicyclists ride in silence, in memory and in advocacy

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

About two dozen bicyclists rode slowly and quietly through Charles City streets and over the Charley Western Trail Wednesday evening in the 2024 community Ride of Silence.

The local version of the international ride is held annually in memory of area people who have been injured or killed while riding, to talk about what riders can do to help keep themselves safe, and the need for drivers of other vehicles to look for bicyclists and share the road.

“The ride aims to raise awareness among motorists about the presence of cyclists on the road and promote mutual respect and understanding between cyclists and drivers,” said bicycling enthusiast Mark Melrose, who offered a few words about the ride before Pastor Mike Downey said a prayer and the riders took off under an escort by a Charles City Police car.

“Today we ride in memory of three people who were killed on our roadways. Bob Philips was hit and killed south of Charles City on Shadow Avenue. Brian Lauterbach was killed on Highway 14. And most recently, Ellen Bengtson was killed south of Charles City on Shadow Avenue,” Melrose said.

“These are preventable deaths and I encourage all of you to support hands-free legislation when it comes up again in 2025,” he said, referring to efforts in the Iowa Legislature to pass a law making it illegal to use a hand-held device while driving.

Bengtson was killed in 2020 when she was struck by a pickup being driven by a man who glanced down to read a message on his cellphone. Her parents, who live in Washington, have been dedicated advocates of passing the hands-free law in Iowa.

The law came close to passing this year, and seems to get closer each year, Melrose said, and he said supporters of the law need to keep pushing for its enactment.

“Over the years, the Ride of Silence has become a powerful symbol of the cycling community’s solidarity and commitment to safer roads for cyclists,” Melrose said. “It continues to serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of sharing the road responsibly and advocating for safer infrastructure for cyclists everywhere.”

One unusual feature of the ride this year was a number of cyclists deciding before the ride began to ride their “fat tire” bikes.

Fat tire bikes are typically used for traction in snow or sand, explained Mike Lidd, who said he typically only gets his fat tire bike out for a couple of months in the winter. But he said he and several other riders decided to ride them Wednesday evening just for the fun of it.

Melrose, who was also riding a fat tire bike, said the leisurely pace of the Ride of Silence – designed so everyone can keep up and no one is left behind – is also more typical of the wider tire bicycles.

Bob Krueger, who organizes the ride each year, said he wanted to thank the Charles City Police Department for providing an escort for the ride.

Escorting the bicyclists down Clark Street to the Charley Western Trail then from the trail back down Main Street not only makes the ride safer for the participants, but also helps draw additional attention to the ride and its purpose, he said.

“The fact that they lead us makes it more visible,” Krueger said.