The International Ride of Silence is held on the third Wednesday of May every year. The ride honors vulnerable road users who have been injured or killed by traffic violence while bicycling, raises awareness that bicyclists have a legal right to use the road, and reminds motorists to respectfully share the road with all users. Join cyclists worldwide in a silent, slow-paced ride to commemorate those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.
The Bicycle Coalition of Maine has been the state coordinator for the Ride of Silence since 2020, and each year we work with groups and individuals across the state to encourage greater ridership, while also holding our own ride in Portland.
Want to join our Portland ride on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 at 7 p.m.? Use the registration form below, and meet us in the CycleMania parking lot.
You can also join a ride happening elsewhere in Maine! There are currently rides scheduled in:
Andover – 6:15 p.m. (meet at corner of Route 120 & Route 5 – email Chasecyclermaine@gmail.com)
Lewiston – 6:15 p.m. (meet at corner of Main & Lincoln – email sbmartin722@gmail.com)
Saco – 6:30 p.m. (meet in Dyer Library parking lot – email SacoBikePedInfo@gmail.com)
Yarmouth – 7:00 p.m. (meet at Hannaford on Route 1)
Want to host a ride? The Bicycle Coalition of Maine has compiled the following resources to help guide and support groups and individuals interested in hosting a Ride of Silence in their community. Potential hosts should email dbassett@bikemaine.org.
Ride of Silence guidelines:
- The ride is intended to be silent. Participants should only speak when calling out safety hazards.
- Helmets are required for all participants.
- Routes should not exceed three miles.
- The riding pace should not exceed 10 miles an hour. No riders should be left behind.
- Hosts should provide participants with the rules of the road and group ride protocol prior to departure.
- Hosts should consider notifying local public safety officials about the ride and its route.
- Hosts should consider having participants sign a waiver.
Interested in learning more about facilitating a successful slow ride? Check out one of our Wednesday Webinars on organizing slow rides.
