The clcik* The 400+ members of the Cape Fear Cyclists share a love
of biking and a focus on street safety
There was the start-up ‘click’ of footwear locking
into pedals, the audible hiss of rubber meeting
road, the occasional chirp and squawk of a bird,
and every once in a while, a single word that
would pass from the front riders to the rear.
“Clear!” was the message, as the procession moved through
intersections, then silence. No one spoke.
For eight years, bicycle riders from all over the world have
joined this Ride of Silence, on the third week in May, in memory
by Skip Maloney | photography by Allison Breiner Potter
of those who’ve lost their lives riding a bike.
This year, about 50 members of the Cape Fear Cyclists joined
this internationally organized group of riders on a somber procession,
setting out from Empie Park in Wilmington on an 11-mile
journey that took them through quiet, residential neighborhoods,
Hugh MacRae Park, and briefly, the chaos of early evening traffic
along College Road. They rode in a single file that couldn’t
get through a traffic light on a single attempt. Front riders waited
beyond the intersection for the others to catch up.
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WBM august 2011