24-05-2025
Shop hosts silent ride in honor of bicyclists killed
GOSHEN — A small procession of bicycle riders wound their way through Goshen on Wednesday as part of the international Ride of Silence, held every year in honor of cyclists who have been killed on the road.
The group departed from Lincoln Avenue Cycling after they were led in prayer by owner Danny Jones. At the lead for the past 14 years has been Jeff 'Pedals' Chupp.
'Probably since 2011, I've been the leader. We just kind of treat it like a funeral procession in a way,' Chupp said. 'I always look forward to this ride every year.'
Riding is important to Chupp as something that helped him lose a significant amount of weight.
'I used to weigh 425 pounds. I'm not quite 425 anymore. A life-changing hobby, really,' he said. 'That and weightlifting. Trying not to eat at Culver's every night.'
But it can be a dangerous hobby because of the multi-ton vehicles that share the road with bicyclists. The Ride of Silence began in 2003 following the death of a Dallas cyclist who was hit by the mirror of a passing bus.
'They wanted to do something in honor of them, so they came up with the idea of going out and doing a 10-mile ride at 10 mph as a memorial ride,' Jones said. 'It kind of grew from there and then it's gone international.'
National event organizers say the 2024 ride drew participation at 239 locations in 40 U.S. states and 14 countries. Goshen began participating more than 15 years ago.
Jones said a customer of Lincoln Avenue Cycling first organized the local ride and the shop kept it going. He said it can be a personal cause for some of the participants, who may know a fellow rider who was killed.
'We usually have one or two riders a year that have somebody. According to the gentleman that helps do the research on this ride ... he mentioned we've had three killed this year already,' Jones said. 'There's quite a few that have been killed in this area. When we say this area, we count Elkhart, St. Joe, I think he goes into Kosciusko as well, as far as the neighboring counties. It's unfortunate, so it's mainly an awareness statement to remind motorists that bikes have a right to the road as well. But we also are appreciative of the bike trails that have been developed, so we try to encourage cyclists to use those wherever they can.'
Deaths in and around Elkhart County this year include two riders who were killed in March when they were struck by an SUV west of LaGrange. Crash data kept by the Michiana Area Council of Governments show 71 accidents involving bicycles in Elkhart County since 2019 – four of them fatal – out of the total 163 bicycle-vehicle accidents in the four-county region in that period.
Bicycle safety is a big focus in MACOG's Move Safe Michiana project, a safety action plan expected to be released soon. The draft version notes that public feedback they gathered indicates people would prefer to walk or bicycle to places if it could be done safely.
Many Michiana area residents feel that there isn't enough separation between vehicles and non-motorized travelers such as bicyclists, walkers, and horse and buggy users, according to the plan.
The plan lists several candidate projects for safety improvements, such as the Lincoln Avenue corridor in Goshen and Prairie Street in Elkhart. Both were identified as areas where 17 or more severe crashes occurred between 2019 and 2023.
Goshen gave an East Lincoln Avenue bike path a trial run along a three-block stretch in 2022, with an eye to build a path between 8th Street and Indiana Avenue if it was deemed successful. Jones said the test run had a few flaws.
'It got used some, but ... I know some of the cyclists were not happy, because they put it where garbage cans were being put out and there was a lot of obstructions and parked cars,' he said. 'And because of where parked cars were, motorists were turning in on cyclists that were crossing intersections, so it wasn't the best placement necessarily for where they put it.'
An open house to present MACOG's draft plan is scheduled for 3 to 4:30 p.m. May 29 at the Greater Elkhart Chamber, 418 S. Main St.
