I would just like to thank everyone who has made such a dedication to honoring Iliah Pankin. He was my closest friend, and it is a great loss. My name is Robert Cox and I live in iowa and have know Iliah since he was 18. He will be truly missed and knowing that so many people had paid respects to such a wonderful person is more than words could say. Thank you to all the bikers who have made the trip and i know he is riding along side each one of you. Bikes were his life and passion. From my heart I thank everyone.
His dear friend….robert cox

Ilia was indeed a good soul, I remember when he first came to work at SUPERGO BIKESHOPS (now Performance)in Santa Monica, this tall kid with long hair listen to speed metal music stared as a part time in the shipping dept. he told me that his full time job was a messenger in down town LA but he love bycicles and he wasn’t kidding on his lunch brakes or after hours he always came to hangout with us at the service dept. to clean and fix his bike and we help him to get his bike back on the road, Ilia was a sencere guy and had a dry smile on his face all the time. As the time went by Ilia change his style this time he cut his hair really short and was listen to techno,industrial music but he never gave up his Led Zeppelin cd’s I even let him borrow some of my collection too, we got along very well, he was a good friend and co-worker I left the bikeshop soon after it became Performance and I live in Camarillo now but I always visited the shop to see my friends and last time I saw Ilia was a week before his last ride home a ride he never finished, a journey that we carry-on on Friday night and took him home so he can rest in peace I was amazed by the support of all the riders that came and pay respect to a member of our family “the bicycle riders” one brother down but not forgotten. I’m gonna miss him and so are the guys at the shop because who’s going to play techno music in the back now. I would like to thank Dave Green and Elon Rubin from the bicycle shop (Performance of Santa Monica)for helping putting together this memorial ride and for bringing together a bunch of us that don’t work at the shop anymore but still care for each other. And to all the messengers from down town LA, The midnite riders and everybody who one way or another was involve in this memorial ride for our loving friend Ilia.
Silverio Martinez.

What a wonderful spirit you have in your LA cycling community! Despite the tragedy, I cannot help being uplifted by the vigil, the rides, the ghost bike, the posts and the comments. I salute you all. cyquick.wordpress.com