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:
- Recover the dead cyclist’s bike (if it’s recoverable from the accident) or obtain another cheap bike.
- 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.
- Chain it to a fence, pole, or some other immovable object at or near the site of the cyclist’s death.
- (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.