Thought-leader group to tackle ‘ghostbike paradox’

LOVELAND — Do motorists really hate cyclists? Do cyclists actually ride three abreast on open roads? Why do cyclists shudder when they see one of those white “ghostbikes?” Quid Novi, the thought-leader group in Northern Colorado, will explore that dichotomy at its next showcase.

Quid Novi, Latin for “what’s new,” attempts to shed light on innovation. This month’s event will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Forge Campus Collaboratory Room, 815 14th St. SW in Loveland. A $20 admission will be charged, which includes hors d’oeuvres. Drinks will be available for purchase.

Attendees will learn about the paradox between what motorists and cyclists think about each other, and what Abrams main battle tanks have to do with any of this.

Fort Collins resident Rick Griggs, an avid bike rider and corporate trainer who founded Quid Novi in 2010 to cross boundaries for innovation and collaboration while encouraging participants to think and discover new ideas, will be the primary presenter at this event.

“In the fall of 2023, I assembled a creativity focus group that uncovered a puzzling phenomenon,” Griggs said.

The team of cyclists followed the rolestorming focus group rules and assumed assigned roles to generate ideas on reducing bicycling fatalities on American highways. During and after that session something Griggs called the “ghostbike paradox” began to emerge. Cyclists fear being hit and killed on rides, yet only 2% of all motorist highway fatalities involve bicyclists.

Cyclists see 1,000 deaths in a year and wonder why the world is not enraged, Griggs said, while motorists, traffic planners and legislators learn there is one cyclist road death out of 50 and accept this statistic as sad but insignificant — the “ghostbike paradox.”

Participants at the October event will explore this paradox and discover things about the topic, and maybe about themselves.

Participants also will have a chance to meet with published authors who join the monthly Book Expo, a part of every Quid Novi event.

Quid Novi meets the last Tuesday of most months, skipping May and December. Future events include “Mindfulness and Gratitude” in November. The 2027 program of events will be available soon.

Additional information and pre-registration can be found at QuidNovi.io.

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