Hearing about bicycle accidents like the one on Boston Post Road recently strikes a chord with us, as I'm sure it does with many others.

Every day we get on our bikes knowing full well the dangers of riding on the road and we have often heard stories of cyclists getting hurt. Staying healthy is one of our biggest challenges we've faced this year.

Just this past week, we were checking into our campsite when we were told of two Canadian girls who camped there just a few days before us and were hit by a car down the road. One is currently in critical condition.

And now, we hear about a cyclist being hit in our hometown, again, in critical condition. Hearing about both of these accidents makes our stomachs turn and we reflect on our choice to ride.

True, we take many precautionary measures in order to reduce our chances of getting hurt. Wearing bright, reflective clothing helps drivers to see us more easily. Our rear-view mirrors allow us to see approaching cars and make sure they have moved over for us. Flashing lights on the front and back of our bike when riding around dawn or dusk, or really anytime along the Pacific Coast Highway in its everlasting dreariness, is a great way to say, "Hey! Here I am!"

And finally, a helmet is a must.

But even with all of these precautions, an accident can still happen. Just as every time you get into a car you take a risk. Or when you get in an airplane ... Or even when you just step outside of your home. We could react to news like this and decide that biking is not safe and therefore we won't do it anymore. But instead, as many of you also seem to believe, we want to do something positive as a reaction to this event, such as advocating for better bike and pedestrian paths. The more people are aware of bikes on the road, the safer we are.

As sad of a story as this is, it is encouraging to see it spark so many positive comments towards bicycle awareness. There are thousands of people on their bikes everyday, not cowering from the dangers of the road, but enjoying the journey. The more people who are out there riding and bringing awareness to bike travel, the more that can be done to create safer routes.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Colleen Kelley and her family and friends, that she will fully recover from this. Until then, as advocates, let's keep the buzz going strong about bike safety and figure out some solutions.

One thing we can do right now is to support the Shoreline Greeway Trail, which some day will run through East Haven, Branford, Guilford, and Madison. As you can see from the video with this story, building the trail through Madison won't be easy. But all the more reason to join with the group now, and provide them with whatever support you can. To join, email: madison@shorelinegreenwaytrail.org.

And, on Nov. 5th, the group is having a First Saturday Bike Ride from Guilford to Stony Creek, a truly spectacular ride that will whet your appetite for this project.

Keep riding.

Christy and Adam are currently working their way up the Oregon coast, about to enter state number 48 after more than 280 days on the road. To find out more and to find out about their 11/11/11 project, check out their blog at http://giveabike.blogspot.com/ or their Facebook Page at https:/ /www.facebook.com/giveabike. To see where they are, you can check out this map at Track My Tour. Madison Patch is proud to be the Connecticut sponsor for Adam and Christy's trip. If you'd like to sponsor their trip, visit this page on their website.