Under unseasonably cool weather and a little rain, bicyclists across
central Iowa rode Wednesday in memory of a fellow cyclist who was killed
in a hit-and-run this week.
Gregary “Wade” Franck, 41, was struck by a drunken driver in Des Moines on Sunday
while he was riding in the Urban Assault Ride, police said. Franck, who
was known by his middle name, died from his injuries Tuesday.
Immediately, bicyclists set up group rides to honor his memory and bring awareness to the treatment of cyclists on the road.
Bike
shops in Beaverdale, Altoona and Ames hosted group rides Wednesday
using the #RideForWade hashtag on social media. Also joining in was
Kyle’s Bikes in Ankeny — the shop where Franck worked as sales manager.
More
than 60 bicyclists showed up to a ride hosted by Rasmussen Bike Shop in
West Des Moines on Wednesday. As the group gathered, people swapped
stories of Franck among laughs, tears and a few Budweisers. Before they
hit the road, Sterling Heise made one declaration: “Don’t ride in
silence, because that’s not what this is about.”
It was about Franck, the close-knit biking community, and their mutual love of the sport. He would not have wanted silence.
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#RideForWade