How (and why) to make a ghost bike (and why I hope I never have to)

I was walking along Massachusetts Avenue (or Mass Ave as the locals call it) when I saw this ghost bike.

A lot of non-cyclists don’t know about ghost bikes, but you’ve almost certainly seen one before. When a cyclist dies on their bike, their cyclist friends will create a ghost bike.

Here’s how:

1. Recover the dead cyclist’s bike (if it’s recoverable from the accident) or obtain another cheap bike.
2. Spray paint it white. Everything. The spokes, the gears, the chain, the tires. It’s all gotta be white. This makes the bike unusable, so it probably won’t be stolen.
3. Chain it to a fence, pole, or some other immovable object at or near the site of the cyclist’s death.
4. (Optional). Add flowers, candles, etc. to the basket or ground around the ghost bike per your mourning customs.

Ghost bikes serve as a memorial for the victim’s friends and family and a warning to living cyclists of dangerous intersections or stretches of rural roads. 

I never like seeing ghost bikes (someone died!) but I do appreciate their existence. It’s nice to be part of a community that has rituals like this.