Ride of Silence | Listen to the Roar!

Yesterday 150 cyclists here in Charlotte NC joined thousands across the globe to ride in silent honor and testament to people who have been killed or injured riding their bikes. Charlotte has had more than it's share of cycling related tragedies recently; losing Rachel Giblin, Todd Weaver, Brian Rau, Andy Antonishak and just last fall Lee Ann Barry and Tom Hoskins. All of these people were normal people with families and jobs, Tom, Lee Ann and Rachel were killed while riding in charity bike rides! What brings our fallen friends and us together is a shared passion for riding a bike!

It's as simple as that. We may ride for different reasons; fitness, sport, giving back, commuting or just the incredible sensation of freedom one gets from rolling down the road.

It shouldn't be dangerous but it is -- but together we can do something about that. Yesterday we rode nine miles in silence to honor our friends, our cycling comrades in hopes that we can make a difference. Our hope and our plea is for everyone to please Share the Road and to give cyclists a break. Is a few seconds delay or frustration really worth killing someone! Visit Share the Road for Rachel here to learn more and get a powerful magnet!

I guarantee that cyclist you're getting ready to pass on the road is....a mom, a dad, a sister or brother a teacher, a doctor, a cop,  your neighbor...but most importantly they are just like you! So please give some thought the next time you see a cyclist on the road -- it might be somebody you know or as the passion for cycling grows who knows someday it just might be you!

Shown here are Buttons of Hope we wore in honor of Lee Ann Barry, Rachel Giblin, Todd Weaver and Larry Schwartz (the inspiration for the Ride of Silence --find out more here)

And thanks to Charlotte's News 14 for covering the event see the TV video here