Bicyclists begin islandwide ride to honor slain comrade

Zach Manago continues to inspire people eight months after he was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle through Wahiawa.

Loud roars went up in the state Capitol mall about 5 p.m. Saturday as the first of more than 100 bicyclists of different ages and walks of life made their way in. The riders had begun the morning in Wahiawa and made their way through Kaena Point, Waianae and Waipahu in a 68-mile trek that was the first leg of Zachary Manago’s Ride in Paradise.

The ride continues this morning along a 76-mile route that will take the cyclists from the Capitol through the Windward side to the ride’s final destination in Haleiwa.

The main purpose of the ride is to promote traffic safety among bicyclists and motorists. Zachary Mana­go’s family joined the Hawaii Bicycling League, and various corporate sponsors to put on the event largely because promoting bike safety was a passion for the former Moanalua High School baseball star.

Among those most moved by the event were Zach’s parents, Daphne and Dennis Manago.

"It’s pretty awesome," said Dennis Manago, as he watched riders continue to stream onto the Capitol mall. He noted that his son had written a paper calling for more bike-dedicated lanes on Oahu and urging motorists to be more aware of cyclists.

Chad Taniguchi, bicycling league executive director, said several people skinned their knees during the roughest segment through Kaena Point but there were no serious injuries the first day.

"We said at the beginning the purpose of this ride was to take care of each other and finish safely," Taniguchi said. "We didn’t want people riding fast. We didn’t want people separating from the group. We asked them to honor Zach’s memory."

Aiea resident Christian Yee, 31, was among those who used to do a weekly Tuesday night ride with Zachary Manago from Pearlridge to Lagoon Drive and back. Yee took part in Saturday’s ride as well.

Manago had been riding with the group for only months when he was killed but he had quickly become part of the team’s family. Yee said he believes it was partly because Manago had to stop and got separated from the group when his bicycle broke during his very first ride.

He was moved when he discovered that the group had gone out en masse to search for him.

"From then, he was probably hooked," he said.

Since Manago’s death, he said, the number of riders has increased from an average of less than 10 to more than 30.

As the riders made their way to the Capitol Saturday, a separate group of league volunteers held a bike safety clinic that attracted a smattering of newer riders.

Kapahulu resident Julie Lam learned how to maintain her bicycle. Friends recently persuaded Lam, 32, to begin riding a bicycle for the first time. Lam said she was surprised to learn how many people ride bicycles; a lifelong driver, Lam has also learned to appreciate the opposite view.

"It used to be where I thought they were such a nuisance ­— bicyclists," Lam said. Now, Lam is a proponent of more bike lanes.

A recurring conversation at the Capitol Saturday was why the percentage of Hawaii bike riders appears to be significantly smaller than many mainland cities where the weather is less cooperative.

Donations received from the two-day ride will go toward a bike safety education fund. For more information, go to hbl.org.