Heaven Is...

An urban environment with endless miles of designated bike lanes...an epic singletrack loop whose dusty and gritty remnants are soothingly washed from your teeth by a cold beer...an outdoor velodrome underneath lights.


Its often been said that in any dispute, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In the battle between cars and cyclists neither side is truly immune to criticism. Many cyclists are still uneducated about the rules of the road, blatantly disobey those rules, or participate in unsafe practices (such as not wearing a helmet). I have been guilty of all of the above at some point in my life.

At the other end of the spectrum, many drivers are still uneducated about the rules of the road, embody a sense of entitlement about the roads they travel, or are completely unaware of anything other than automobiles on the roadways. I have also been guilty of all of the above at some point in my life.

That said, I am a cyclist. My loyalties reside with that community because in the ultimate argument between cars and cyclists, when steel meets flesh, the outcome often results in the loss of a cyclist's life or in a serious injury.

On Wednesday, May 21st, cyclists across the United States and around the world took to the streets in a Ride of Silence to honor those who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways.

By most accounts, these silent processionals, which moved along at a pedestrian pace, were well attended and not only offered homage to fallen cycling compatriots, but it also raised an awareness about the plight of cyclists that, frankly, many Critical Mass rides have lost sight of doing.

Although there are numerous accounts of cycling deaths and injuries that have taken place since we turned the page on 2007, below are a few that have taken place in only the past two months.

- David Krohn, 64, was left with a broken jaw and a gash in his head after a run-in with an angry group in a car on April 18th.

- Tyler Fabeck, 22, was killed in April 20th when, according to police, he turned in front of an oncoming car in Chicago's Logan Square area.

"He was the nicest person you would ever want to meet," said Dettmar, 22, of Lincoln Park. "He was full of life and willing to be the brunt of a joke."

- Amanda "Mandy" Annis, 24, a 5th-grade teacher at a Chicago West Side school, was killed on April 30th when her bicycle and a car collided in the Logan Square area.

According to her brother, "she loved biking. She had a car at one time but sold it when she decided she could bike everywhere."

- Twenty cyclists, including one Olympic hopeful, hurt after conflict with irate driver in Australia.

- William Crowley, MD, 57, was participating in the annual Tour of the Scioto River Valley when he was struck from behind by a sport-utility vehicle along Rt. 23 on May 11th. He was thrown from his bicycle and died at the scene.

Bill was an annual staple at TOSRV, having participated for many years, rain or shine. He was a physician, dedicated to helping people, he was a family man and a long-time Wolverine Sports Club member.

With the 2008 summer winds yet to blow, the toll of cycling deaths and injuries is still certain to rise. Statistics from 2005, where the number of deaths in single states are more than number of deaths reported in the entirety of some European countries, bear this fact out.

The truth, and therefore the answer, to any dispute lies somewhere in the middle. Isn't it about time that this great country of ours seeks that common ground to become the change we've only spoken about.