KAILUA-KONA — On Saturday morning, the streets of Kailua-Kona fell quiet as nearly 100 cyclists gathered at the Kona Community Aquatic Center for the 15th annual Ride of Silence. The Ride of Silence, which is part of a nationwide movement now in its 22nd year, honors cyclists who have been killed or seriously injured in traffic collisions.
The event partnered with community organizations such as the Hawaii Cycling Club (HCC), Coffee Talk Riders, PATH (People for Active Transport Hawaii), Velofix, and the Hawaii Police Department (HPD).
Dwayne Sluss, a Kona Community Policing Officer with the Hawaii Police Department for 14 years, said his participation with the Ride of Silence over the last five years has been to help raise awareness and educate the community on increased safety on our roadways.
“The significance of this ride itself is to bring public awareness and safety regarding bicyclists out on the roadways,” Sluss said. “We lost someone this year who was close to everyone’s heart, Franz (Weber), so this year’s event has a special meaning to it.”
As Officer Sluss stated, this year’s Ride of Silence carried a deeper meaning for the Big Island cycling community. It was dedicated to Franz Weber, a beloved advocate for cycling safety who passed away in April from injuries sustained in a cycling accident. Weber served as president of the Hawaii Cycling Club and was the driving force behind organizing the Ride of Silence for many years. His tireless efforts not only helped to raise public awareness and policy changes for cyclists but also encouraged everyone to “Share the roads with Aloha.”
Cyclists were escorted by HPD over the slow paced, two-mile route that went onto Alii Drive, through Historic Kailua Village, to Hualalai Road and Kuakini Highway, before returning to the pool parking lot. It was the silence that gave the ride its weight. It asks drivers to pause and remember that each bike on the road carries a life — someone’s parent, child, sibling, or friend.
“As there is an increase of cyclists out on the roads, we want drivers to be aware that cyclists are out there and they have use of the lanes as well,” said Maiki Cofer, Vice President of the Hawaii Cycling Club. “So just be on the lookout for us. We could be a friend, a family member — we want to return safely whether we are out commuting or just out to exercise. Like drivers, we want to return home safely as well.”
The Ride of Silence began in 2003 in Dallas, Texas, following the tragic death of endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz. He was struck by the mirror of a passing bus during a training ride and died from the impact. That first ride drew more than 1,000 participants. Since then, the ride has spread to cities across the globe, each one quietly echoing the same message: cyclists deserve to be seen, heard, and protected.
Officer Sluss shared some advice to the public.
“Just slow down, take a breath. There’s no need to try and squeeze bicyclists off the roadway by driving the white lines, just have courtesy as that person has a family as well.
For cyclists, ride in the bike lanes. Ride single file, just use common sense. Don’t take a road that doesn’t have a shoulder on it. Go with the flow of traffic and just follow your basic cycling rules. Everyone has to be more vigilant when they are out on the roads because we don’t have the best of roads. Just be safe and look out for each other.”
