Bike ride honors accident victim (Sat May 7th)

Sat May 07 2005
Posted May 6, 2005
6,311

By Todd Ruger A memorial bicycle ride will be held today in honor of an Eldridge, Iowa, man who died last year when he fell under the wheels of a semi-trailer while riding on a rural Scott County road. The 125-mile ride round-trip from Eldridge to Bellevue, Iowa, is a fitting tribute to David Holmes, 43, who organized similar long bicycle rides in the area, said Robert Fry of the Cedar Valley Cyclists in Waterloo, Iowa. “He was known in the Midwest and just about everywhere in the country as an organizer of challenging cycling events,” Fry said. Holmes organized the long-distance rides, called Brevet, which require riders to compete without any support and bring their own bicycle, spare tubes, food, money and a helmet. The accident that killed Holmes occurred July 14 when the experienced biker was riding from Eldridge to Long Grove to work on the house he and his wife, Tammy, had under construction. In 1991, Holmes rode 750 miles in 90 hours during the Paris-Brest-Paris event in France and competed in the annual Quad-Cities Criterium bike races held each Memorial Day, his family said. In today’s ride, an estimated 40 competitors will be required to finish by 9:30 p.m., Fry said. The ride starts at 8 a.m. at The Quality Inn, 1000 E. Iowa St., Eldridge. Registration is $15 and will be available from 7 to 7:45 a.m. that day, Fry said. Todd Ruger can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or truger@qctimes.com.