May there be bicycles in heaven.
Summit & Snelling Ave – Alan Grahn Memorial Ride
The Alan Grahn Memorial ride, hosted by Hilary Louise Hancy and Rob Stepaniak, took place at 6:30PM on May 16, 2018 to celebrate the 75-year life of a husband, father, grandfather and outdoor enthusiast. He also inspired the #SafetyOnSummit movement.
For posterity, here is the video I recorded on the ride (not edited for time / 53m48s).
“It’s been gut-wrenching, it’s been really difficult to understand and absorb,” said Andy Grahn, Alan’s son.
– Cyclists ride to remember bicyclist killed in St. Paul bus crash
Hancy knew she had to do something significant — something tangible — to honor a fellow member of her metro-area cycling tribe.
– A group ‘memorial’ ride will honor cyclist killed on St. Paul’s Summit-Snelling
I have a friend who knew Alan well, and she’d brought her two kids on the the ride. Earlier we’d given each other big hugs, and there were plenty of people in the group that knew Alan personally and were shaken by his untimely death.
– A Hopeful Sign from the Memorial Ride
Skilled philosopher, climber, skier, runner, and biker, proud beer and coffee snob.
– Alan Douglas Grahn Obituary
Alan Grahn married his wife, Nancy, in 1969 and they had been married for 48 years when he died. He is survived by a son and daughter, two grandsons, and a younger brother and sister.
– ‘A rich and full life’: Cyclist killed in bus crash was avid outdoorsman
When Al Grahn’s children were young, he would take them camping every weekend, his son recalled. He had planned to take Andy Grahn’s 5-year-old son to Albuquerque, New Mexico, next week to go camping for the first time.
– Bicyclist killed in St. Paul crash was 75-year-old outdoorsman, grandpa
Alan Grahn’s Facebook posts reflect the life of a grandfather, family man and active outdoorsman. Photos show him hoisting his grandchildren in the air, while others show him scaling cliffs.
– Bicyclist killed in crash with school bus identified as active grandfather
Grahn’s family said he was enjoying retirement. He liked to climb, hike and bike.
– Cyclist Killed in St. Paul Crash with School Bus Remembered
At the intersection of Summit and Snelling avenues, where bike paths and lanes of heavy traffic come together, Grahn died.
– Cyclist Killed By School Bus Remembered For Love Of Adventure
The ride is intended to remember Grahn “and all other cyclists who have been killed while cycling on public roadways,” organizers said online.
– Memorial ride planned for St. Paul cyclist who died in crash
“We don’t want another ghost bike,” said Tom Basgen, one of the St. Paul residents who’s organizing for safer bike lanes on Summit Avenue. Basgen stood near Summit and Snelling avenues, where cyclist Alan Grahn was killed last month…
– After fatal crash, a push for bicycle and pedestrian safety on Summit Avenue
Please keep comments about your endearing memories of the ride and/or Alan. There are other Streets.mn articles for discussion on cycling safety, etc.
Thank you.
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Thank you for posting. I’m sad I wasn’t able to make that ride.
It’s fitting you post this as St Paul is finally dedicating some money to make the Summit/Snelling intersection safer. And it sounds like the city will buffer the bike lanes on Summit west of Lexington at some point- but I’m hearing that it’ll probably be 2020 now instead of this summer.
It’s really sad that a death is the only way to get movement on safer streets as those of us out there riding have been telling the city constantly that the current situation isn’t safe but they refuse to put the resources towards fixing it until it is too late – and then there are continued delays.
It was a good ride. Certainly very sad, but it showed just how connected bikes make a community. We can’t change the past. But we can learn from it and be inspired to do good things. #SafetyOnSummit was one of those things.
Thanks for posting this. It’s important to remember.
Thanks, for sharing, James. It weirdly seems like more than a year ago.