Area residents a few days ago erected a “ghost bike’ along Route 66 in Galena, Kansas, in memory of two German cyclists killed in an accident west of town.
The entirely white bicycle at 205 E. Front St. (aka Route 66) sits a short distance east of Cars on the Route in downtown Galena.
A sign above the bicycle reads: “Ghost Bike placed in tribute to bicyclists hit by a vehicle while traveling Route 66. Please watch out for bicyclists.” It is signed by the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association.
A smaller sign on the bicycle reads: “Hold us in your hands, O Lord, that our journeys in this life lead us home to you. May 8, 2016. Harry Jung. Heinz Gerd Buchel.”
Jung, 71, and Buchel, 74, died May 8 after their bicycles were struck from behind by a minivan on Kansas 66 about a mile west of Galena.
According to German-language newspapers, they had launched a Route 66 trip by bicycle from Chicago two weeks before.
Both were experienced cyclists. Buchel was second chairman of the General German Bicycle Club. According to a news release from the club (translated from German):
Büchel has spent weeks cycling around Europe every year, including Canada and Cuba. It tempted her to meet other people, to talk to them. They were aware of the demands on themselves and their equipment, as well as the risks to cyclists. – Heinz Gerd Büchel has led many cycling tours with us in recent years, for this summer he planned multi-day trips on both sides of the Rhine, in the Palatinate and in the Alpine foothills. He also represented the ADFC Bad Nauheim / Friedberg on a state level. Last year he relaunched the homepage of the Ortsgruppe.
The driver of the minivan was Alyssa Parker, 23, of Shawnee, Kansas. Parker was not injured nor ticketed, but the accident remains under investigation.
Renee Charles, president of the Kansas association, said the idea behind the ghost bike was hers, fellow association member Flo Collins’ and Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau director Patrick Tuttle’s. Tuttle also is an avid cyclist.
Galena city workers Bill McCool and David Berry and Galena assistant city clerk Tracy Roberts did the signs with Mayor Lance Nichols’ approval, Charles said. She added:
We had to place it near the Galena Viaduct on Old Route 66 because KDOT would not allow it [near the accident scene] in their right of way, which was understandable.
People who live in Route 66 communities where such tragedies occur take it personally and seriously because they somewhat responsible for foreign travelers’ well-being. So a number of Route 66 enthusiasts in the region are feeling heartsick.
UPDATE 5/23/2018: A local TV station did a story about the bicycle. One significant news item: Relatives of the deceased cyclists from Germany plan to visit the site soon.
(Image of “Ghost Bike” in Galena, Kansas, by Renee Charles via Facebook)
Good. I’ve cycled the length of Route 66 2.5 times by bicycle. The worst thing that has ever happened to a rider in my group is a broken shoulderbone, and he did that on his own. But I’ve been frightened by motorists many times. Text messaging has made things infinitely worse for bike riders. There’s not much that can be done to stop stupid people from being stupid, though.
While it is extremely sad to have a fatality on the route as a cyclist, I really like the “Ghost Bike” memorial. It is a very fitting tribute to the missing cyclist. I’ve seen a few in Oklahoma and they are beautiful and haunting and a reminder that we need to keep our speed down and be more aware as we motor down the road. (One evening at dusk, I was driving home on 66 in Edmond and nearly took out a bicyclist that I could not see, because they had no light, no reflective apparel. It was one of the scariest moments I can remember. I pulled the car over at Pops – in Arcadia, OK – just shaking…)