LUMBERTON — The Robeson Road Runners group is gearing up for a quiet ride in honor of fallen bicyclists.
The second annual Lumberton Ride of Silence will pay tribute on Wednesday to the more than 600 people who on average are killed each year while riding bicycles on public roadways. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bicyclists face a greater risk of crash-related injury and deaths than occupants of motor vehicles do.
It’s an issue that hits close to home for the Robeson Road Runners. Jeff Cushing, one of the group’s founding members, was killed on Jan. 6, 2015, while riding his bicycle.
Cushing, a former track and field star whose prowess earned him a spot in the Athletic Hall of Fame at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, was struck by a car on Tolarsville Road. The driver’s vision had been obstructed by the sun, according to a police report.
“People are getting killed and injured every day somewhere in this country,” said Jim Parker, a member of the Robeson Road Runners who organized the event. “We especially felt Jeff’s loss. He got mowed down by a driver who clearly wasn’t paying attention or was driving too fast.”
Dedicated to Cushing, the inaugural Lumberton Ride of Silence drew 33 cyclists.
“Jeff’s son and widow came out and rode with us,” Parker said. “It was emotional and a lot of people got choked up by it. The people who came out were very glad that they came out.”
Parker is the husband of Maria Parker, a record-holding cyclist who competed in Race Across America and is the driving force behind 3,000 Miles to a Cure — a nonprofit she launched after her late sister was diagnosed with brain cancer. The couple runs Cruzbike, which sells recumbent bicycles, widely considered to be safer than traditional bikes.
“Most of the drivers here are extremely courteous and really nice,” said Jim Parker, who is a physician. “I would say that the drivers around here are actually better than average in terms of the way they treat cyclists. I give them kudos for the way they behave and drive.”
Jim Parker says that Robeson County also boasts “some beautiful roads to ride on.”
“This is one of the best places I’ve seen for bike riding,” he said. “But after we ride our bikes, we’d like to go home and enjoy our loved ones. When people are sharing the road they need to be looking out for each other. That’s no more important here than it is anywhere else.”
Riders in Lumberton will join the thousands of cyclists taking part in Ride of Silence events across the nation. The annual observance launched in 2003 to memorialize Larry Schwartz, a cyclist who was killed in Dallas after being struck by the side-mirror of a school bus.
In addition to honoring cyclists who have been injured or killed, the Ride of Silence helps to raise awareness of the myriad dangers they encounter on the road.
The ride, which is free and open to people of all ages, kicks off at 7 p.m. in the parking lot of Biggs Park Mall. Cyclists will follow a 7.2-mile path that winds through Lumberton and back to the mall.
“I set up the course to try to involve as much of the city as possible,” Jim Parker said. “We’re going to try to be quiet and solemn and reflective.”
Participants should arrive by 6:30 p.m. to sign a waiver and fill out a registration form. Helmets and bicycle lights are required for the ride. Cyclists will not be allowed to travel more than 12 mph and must remain silent during the entire ride.
Biggs Park Mall is located at 2800 N. Elm St. in Lumberton. For information, email Jim Parker at [email protected].