Bicyclists in Salem are encouraged to ride out Wednesday evening to honor fellow cyclists who have gotten hurt or killed riding bikes on Salem’s roads and beyond. 

The annual Ride of Silence takes place all over the world and starts in Salem at 7 p.m. on May 21, a press release from Salem Bike Vision said. Attendees will meet at 6 p.m. at the Red Lot at 1128 Marion Street N.E. prior to the 8-mile bike ride to tell stories about people they knew who have been injured or killed in cycling collisions.

It’s a personal cause for former Salem City Councilor Virginia Stapleton, a co-founder of Salem Bike Vision.

Stapleton is currently recovering from a bicycle crash on May 3 which gave her a concussion and a broken collarbone after she nearly struck an SUV that turned into an intersection, cutting her off, she said.

“I was really glad I was wearing my helmet. I have a lot of flashbacks, and the sound of the helmet hitting the pavement is really ingrained in my body,” Stapleton told Salem Reporter in an interview. “I won’t go without a helmet, that’s for sure.” 

Stapleton recounted the incident in a recent episode of  Demobrats podcast which she co-hosts. She was heading home after riding her bike with her family at Minto-Brown Island Park. Stapleton said the SUV pulled out in front of her as she approached the intersection of Union and High Streets downtown. 

“We entered the intersection and I mean not two seconds later I was staring at the broadside of his SUV,” Stapelton said on the podcast. “My back wheel came up off of the ground and then I ended up flipping over, and my helmet hit the pavement…My head was about two feet from his back tire.” 

Stapleton was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and told Salem Reporter her full recovery could take up to eight weeks. 

She said Wednesday’s bike ride is to recognize people who have no choice but to ride their bikes on Salem’s streets.

“I think about the people who bike because they have to. Those are probably the people who aren’t going to be there,” Stapleton said in an interview.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that in 2023 1,116 cyclists were killed across the country, the press release said.

In Salem two cyclists were killed in crashes in 2024. That year was the deadliest year for Salem’s roads in at least a decade with 25 fatal crashes. 

The event is hosted by Salem Bicycle Club and Salem Bike Vision and is part of a month of events for Salem Bike Month. 

Details on Wednesday’s route are available online here. 

Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.

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