Ghost Bikes

I believe that some people may not agree with Cyclist memorials 'littering' the side of our roads. There's also the risk of the bikes being vandalised or stolen.

Who will keep them maintained?
Who will replace them if they're destroyed or stolen?
Do they get 'in the way'?
Are there better ways of paying tribute to the death of a loved one?

What do you think? Also, join in with the debate, Roadside memorials - Are they a nuisance?

On a walk out the other day, one had mysteriously appeared near where I live. Unfortunately, the light was failing and I didn't have a camera to hand so I couldn't take any good pictures of it at the time. This particular bike fatality happened well over a year ago so it proves that Ghost Bikes are making an impact on many people's lives.

This Ghost Bike (Rosie Wright, 26, Died: March 9, 2007) was chained to a private residence fence. The junction at which this Ghost Bike was situated is at a notorious accident black spot. A pedestrian has already been killed whilst crossing this road. His memorial is regularly replaced on a street light.

The most recent Ghost Bike to appear in King's Cross is that of Min Joo Lee, a 24-year-old fashion student from Korea.

In 2006, Emma Foa, 56, died after her bike was in collision with a cement mixer lorry at the same junction. Cyclist Madeline Wright died in 2007 near King's Cross Station after a collision with a lorry.

At this point in time, I would say that it wasn't possible to buy a Ghost Bike as it is. However, this may change and I could already be proved wrong.

Any resources I do find that enable you to purchase Ghost Bikes, I will list here, so please do keep returning back or subscribe to this Lens' feed :)

One way around this is to make your own Ghost Bike using your dearly departed's bike as the memorial (in order to obtain the bike, you may have to wait until the Police have finished with it as it could have been used as evidence. Aside from that you have to take into account any damage that may have occurred as the result of the accident) or an old bike picked up from a scrap merchant.

- Remove any fixtures from the bike that could be stolen from the bike in the future.
- The next step, then, would be to paint or spray the whole of the bike in white paint.
- To avoid damaging the bike further or scraping off the paint, carry the bike to its final resting place rather than wheel it.

This is important! If you plan to place the bike to a fence, railing, post, street light, gate etc, please do seek permission from the owners or relevant authorities.

Antony Smith, 37
Died: April 27th 2008
Antony aka 'Smudge' was killed in a collision with a truck in Hackney, east London, at the corner of Middleton Road and Kingsland Road. he was a graphic designer, cycling his usual route to work.

James Foster, 36
Died: July 15 2003
James was hit by a speeding car while wheeling his bike across Essex Road in north-east London. Pal Sarn Baggett built the ghost bike. It was installed on the fifth anniversary of his death and later vandalised.

James Danson-Hatcher, 23
Died: 4 May 2007
James was on his way home from cycling on the South Downs when he was in a collision with a car at the junction of Devils' Dyke and Saddlescombe Road. The ghost bike was placed as a memorial and a protest against a high speed limit on the road.

Rosie Wright, 26
Died: March 9, 2007
Research assistant, Rose of Newington Green, north London, was crushed to death by a lorry two days after buying a new bike. Her dad, Peter Wright, said: " We need to separate bikes and trucks." Rosie's ghost bike was the one just up the road from me. Unfortunately, the ghost bike has since been removed.

Lucinda Ferrier, 33
Died: June 23, 2008
Lucinda was hit by a lorry in north-east London. A notice on her ghost bike describes her as "beloved daughter of Nicholas and Mimi, sister of Olivia, Paul, Charles and Andrew, companion of Stuart."

Barry Cawley, 37
Died: 30 July 2000
Barry Cawley died on the road between Llanwrst and Betws-y-Coed in Conway, north Wales. He was mountain biking with two friends when all 3 were involved in a collision with a speeding car. Barry and the driver of the car were both killed.

Emma Foa, 56
Died: Christmas 2006
Emma was a jeweller and a writer. She was killed by a lorry driver at the junction of Camley Street. She'd been crushed between the rear wheels of a cement mixer and the roadside railings.