Scores of cyclists are expected to take part in the Ride of Silence in downtown Rochester tonight.
"This is a ride to say, 'We miss you, we love you, and we're sorry that you're gone,' " said organizer Kecia McCullough.
The 10th annual event in honor of bicyclists who have been seriously injured or killed on public roads is taking place in cities across the world.
Participants are required to wear helmets, and they should expect to ride no more than 10 miles per hour. McCullough said it will have the same slow, reflective, somber feel of a funeral procession.
The starting point for the 9-mile route is Parcel 5. On-site registration starts at 5:30 p.m., and a pre-ride ceremony will take place at 6:15 p.m. A sign will display the names of victims of bicycle crashes. Rochester Police Chief La'Ron Singletary is scheduled to lead the way when the ride starts at 7 p.m.
The event is more than a memorial, McCullough said. It's also an awareness campaign of sorts.
"We're trying to send a resounding but concise and clear message that bicycle riding is a viable means of transportation," she said, "and that we all should share the road and that we should all be respected and feel safe."
McCullough said she was praying for the rain to hold off. The event drew 175 riders last year. This year, she's hoping for 275.
