Web exclusive: Silent bike ride has profound effect on residents and riders
Kinesiology senior Aaron Bachman places his hand on the shoulder of physical education senior Lindsey Polinko at the Capitol while speakers recount their stories of loved one’s deaths and injuries caused by sharing roadways with motor vehicles after the Ride of Silence, which led cyclists through MSU and down Michigan Avenue. Bachman and Polinko, both members of the MSU triathlon team, wear jerseys marked with initials in honor of fellow triathlon member, Mason Barker, who is recovering from being in a coma. Polinko visits Barker on a regular basis and keeps other members updated on his condition.
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Editor’s note: The photo caption was updated to reflect the current condition of Mason Barker.
On Wednesday evening, a slow and silent procession of cyclists rode through the streets of campus.
Making their way through downtown East Lansing, the riders turned on Michigan Avenue and rode into Lansing, stopping at the foot of the Capitol building as the sun slowly set. Here they parked their bikes, and for the first time since departing, they spoke.
They shared stories of friends and family members killed and injured while cycling as part of the Ride of Silence.
The Ride of Silence is an event that was first held in White Rock Lake in Dallas in 2003 to observe the death of cyclist Larry Schwartz. The event drew a crowd of nearly 1,000 cyclists. Since that day, the annual event observing cyclists that have been injured and killed on public roads has expanded and is now a day observed around the globe.
The Ride of Silence was first held on MSU’s campus in 2007. Tim Potter, marketing and sales coordinator of transportation services for MSU Bikes Service Center, was an organizer for the event.
“I just really believed in it,” Potter said. “The concept of doing a ride like that in silence, where we just spent the time thinking about and remembering people, bicyclists who have been hit and killed or injured, and I just really thought the concept was an excellent idea.”
Shirley Saylor, a resident of St. John, Mich., said she got her first bike when she was 5 years old and said that her native China is a country with many cyclists.
“I have been doing the same activity in Hong Kong and (that’s) why I’m joining this activity,” Saylor said.
Aaron Bachman and Lindsey Polinko, kinesiology seniors and members of the MSU Triathlon team, rode in support of their teammate Mason Barker, who was struck by a car on Round Lake Road in August of 2008. Barker went into a coma for several months and is still recovering from severe brain injury.
Polinko said after riding to support her friend that she wished she had participated in the event earlier.
“I felt bad not having done it in years past, not thinking or not really considering until it happens to you, so it’s kind of awakening in that way,” Polinko said.
Bachman said that he found the silence of the ride to be moving.
“I thought it was a really powerful feeling just being in complete silence that whole time and everyone kind of honoring that,” Bachman said. “It was really interesting when people would make comments from the side of the road and we wouldn’t say anything or wouldn’t look. Everyone was serious and you knew that everyone was riding for a reason.”
Lyndon Babcock, a Lansing resident, completed the event to show his support for cyclists.
“I did have a friend, maybe 30 years ago, who was killed in a bike-car collision,” Babcock said.
At 75 years of age and suffering from multiple sclerosis, Babcock has been unable to ride a traditional bike for two years, instead opting for a recumbent cycle.
“This keeps me rolling,” Babcock said.
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