The Daily Times: Cyclists remember Roth – 12 August, 2006

Bicyclists plan a “Ride of Silence” Sunday for a fellow bicyclist killed when he was struck while riding on the shoulder of West Lamar Alexander Parkway. Jeffrey E. Roth, 48, was hit Wednesday afternoon. Maryville police said he was riding westbound alongside the parkway near North Union Grove Road about 4 p.m. when he was struck from behind by a 1990 Chevrolet pickup driven by Tommy L. Carroll, 46, of Friendsville.

Jeffrey Roth’s wife, Kathy Roth, was deeply moved by the news of the “Ride of Silence.” “I’m really touched that these cyclists have recognized his passion,” she said. Her husband often rode alone and far. He would go for 100 miles, 60 miles or 35 miles.

Thirty-five miles, she said, was an easy day for him. He enjoyed talking with other cyclists. “His favorite things were steep hills,” she said. Steve Hicks, a friend who met Jeffrey Roth a few years ago at First United Methodist Church of Maryville, recalled a passionate rider and wonderful man. “He’d ridden for years, but I think it was pretty much an everyday thing,” said Hicks.

Hicks has recently taken up riding. He said Jeffrey Roth was also a physical therapist, “a healer,” and he would sometimes ride from Maryville to Lenoir City and back after work. The ride will start at Partnership Park (in the 300 block of Partnership Parkway, Maryville), according to Jim Wachter, KnoxVelo Bike Club president. Coordinating the ride has been the work of a couple of local bike clubs who want to raise awareness about bicycle safety.

“Me being 48 with three kids and a pair of twins, it could have easily been me,” said Wachter. The Roths have three children, one 7-year-old and twins, age 5. They are all girls. The ride will be a silent, slow ride (maximum 12 miles per hour) in honor of Jeffrey Roth. The ride route will cover a four-mile loop that will pass the area of the accident.

“To raise awareness of cyclists on the road, we will ride the four-mile loop three times,” Wachter wrote in an e-mail to fellow cyclists. Road bikes and mountain bikes are welcome, and there is no cost for the ride, he said. There is no brochure, no sponsors, registration fees or T-shirt. “Please just pass the word about the ride,” Wachter wrote. “… For those willing to do an expanded ride we will have … a larger loop extending to Friendsville or Louisville.”

Bicycle safety awareness is a serious issue, especially for riders who use their bikes to commute daily. Maryville resident Steve Bright, who works in pharmaceutical research, rides to the University of Tennessee Medical Center about three days a week.

Bright, 52, said he does it not only to stay fit but to use less gasoline. He sometimes endures drivers who honk their horns in his ear or try and see how close they can get when they pass. While most people are respectful of bicyclists, he said some are not and he wonders, “What is it about a cyclist that people think we don’t have a right to be on the road?”

So he avoids Alcoa Highway, for instance, when going to work. He follows all the laws, has lights, uses signals and wears reflective clothing. “I ride to work for choice … to try to help the future,” he said. “Gasoline is not a renewable resource.”

Close calls for cyclists

Tim Patterson, manager of Cycology Bicycles in Maryville, knows Bright’s frustration. Patterson, 47, rides to work regularly from Louisville. He said he rides by the scene where Jeffrey Roth was hit. Patterson said he’s had a lot of close calls. He’s had bottles thrown at him, cigarettes flipped at him.

Some drivers have pulled over to vent their anger at him. “I’ve have had people hang out of their window and hit me on the head as they go by,” he said. “We have the same rules and rights in all 50 states that all cars do. That’s in your Tennessee (Drivers) handbook.” It’s something he finds himself explaining to people a lot. It’s not a daily thing, but it does happen.

Neither accidents nor angry motorists seems to have deterred Patterson. He plans to ride his bicycle even more next year. “I’m hoping next year that I don’t drive my car at all,” he said.