Ghost Bike

I saw a ghost bike for the first time last fall when I was studying in Copenhagen, Denmark.  At the time I had no idea what it was or where it had come from or why it had been stripped of all gadgets and gizmos and painted white.  I soon discovered that it was a memorial to a cyclist who had been killed while riding a bicycle on the streets on Copenhagen.

Two months ago a cyclist from a cycling club in NYC was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle about one mile from my house.  Not long after the incident, a ghost bike appeared at the site of the crash.  Last week another ghost bike was placed in his honor, this one in downtown Doylestown.

ghost bike in Doylestown

Although Bucks County, PA is a popular destination for tourists and cyclists, with its winding country roads and quaint historic charm, the roads are narrow and not safe for bicycles.  I miss riding my bicycle on the streets of Denmark, where bike lanes are everywhere and cyclists can easily navigate the streets of any town or city, in heels no less!

Dane on a bicycle
photo courtesy of CopenhagenCycleChic.com

P.S. for more on Danish cycle style, check out CopenhagenCycleChic