Steve Cantar, 51, of Denver, who co-organizes the Denver Ride of Silence along with Doris Rigoni, says he discovered the ride after a student in the spin class he teaches was deliberately struck by a vehicle while biking and spent months in the hospital. A few days after he heard about the accident, he found the Ride of Silence Web site ( www.rideofsilence.org)and saw that Denver wasn't represented.

"I knew that we had to have one in Denver," he says. Since there wasn't much time to plan ahead and apply for permits to ride together on Denver streets, the group rode the loop in Washington Park, a road where cars aren't allowed for long stretches. Thirty-four cyclists participated the first year.

Cantar, who's never been hit by a car, has had many close calls, and says he thinks most cyclists have as well, whether it's their own fault or that of an inattentive, or even malicious, driver.

"I don't think there's anybody who's thrown their leg over a bike and taken it out on the road who hasn't witnessed a close call, been part of a close call, or worse," he says.

Although both rides have taken place in Washington Park, where the audience is mostly walkers, joggers, rollerbladers and other non-driving park patrons, Cantar says they're revisiting the plan, to see if next year's ride can have a police escort through city streets where participants can be more visible to motorists. And with more promotion and word-of-mouth advertising next year, hewould likethe rideto grow to involve more and more people.

"I'm hoping we'll be forced to take it out of the park because there'll be too many people," he says.