Each year on the third Wednesday in May, communities across the nation hold the Ride of Silence to honor those killed or seriously injured on our roadways and to call for safer streets for all. In Fort Collins, this solemn ride—led by Bike Fort Collins—offers participants a chance to remember lives lost or forever changed by bicycle crashes and to reflect on the critical work still needed to protect vulnerable road users.
This year’s Ride of Silence took place on Wednesday, May 21, with more than 50 riders gathering at Purpose Brewing. The 8.75-mile route passed by two poignant locations—sites of two separate bicycle fatalities that occurred just days apart in 2023.
Before the ride began, participants heard moving words from the wife of John Lambert, 82, who died on July 3, 2024, from injuries sustained in a bicycle crash on June 27 in Pringle, South Dakota. John was a devoted member of the Poudre Sunrise Cyclists, and a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.
At approximately 5:45 p.m., the ride quietly set off. As is tradition, the Ride of Silence poem by Mike Murgas was read by Bike Fort Collins Executive Director Mike Moses, setting the tone for a reflective and somber procession:
Tonight we number many but ride as one
In honor of those not with us, friends, mothers, fathers, sisters, sons
With helmets on tight and heads down low,
We ride in silence, cautious and slow
The wheels start spinning in the lead pack
But tonight we ride and no one attacks
The dark sunglasses cover our tears
Remembering those we held so dear
Tonight’s ride is to make others aware
The road is there for all to share
To those not with us or by our side,
May God be your partner on your final ride
The ride paused for a moment of silence at each of two ghost bikes, memorializing local cyclists lost in 2023. The first stop, just over a mile into the ride, was at the intersection of Lemay Avenue and Centennial Road, where George Rigby, 81, was struck and killed by a northbound driver on February 26, 2023.
The second stop was roughly four miles in, at McMurray Avenue and Harmony Road, where Jim Defazio, 76, was hit and killed by an eastbound vehicle on February 27, 2023.
From there, the group circled around to the Mason Trail, concluding the ride back at Purpose Brewing. Participants took time to share their thoughts and reflections in community. One final speaker, Steve Douglas, addressed the group. Steve was a close friend of Ian Dickinson, who was tragically killed in a crash on April 27, 2025, on Larimer County Road 38E near Horsetooth Mountain Park. Ian had been an active member of the Tuesday/Friday Ride (TFr) group for at least 15 years and served as the Friday ride leader for over a decade.
Bike Fort Collins remains steadfast in advocating for safer roads and will continue to monitor and support efforts aimed at protecting all vulnerable road users.
Many thanks to everyone who joined this year’s Ride of Silence.
In the meantime, please ride safely.