ESC cycles to 'Critical Mass'
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photo by Nathan Vanderklippe
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Cyclists ride through Grand Rapids last Friday as part of the ‘Critical Mass’ movement.
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photo by Nathan Vanderklippe
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Bikeriding
Calvin students joined traffic Friday to support
alternative means of transportation.
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By Nathan VanderKlippe
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Every Friday afternoon at rush hour, cyclists in cities across the globe take to the streets en masse, winding through stopped cars and navigating their way through gridlocked traffic.
It’s a tradition that was started nine years ago in San Francisco, when a group of people came together to take on America’s sacred cow, the car, by riding through the town during the worst traffic hours. “The Revolution will not be motorized” shouted one slogan, and residents of San Francisco now take to the streets by the thousand in two separate Critical Mass rides each month.
From there it spread under the name “Critical Mass,” and now cyclists in at least 240 cities across the world – from Johannesburg to Delhi to Rio de Janeiro – follow the tradition.
In June 1999, Grand Rapids was added to that list. Since then, the movement has picked up some speed and a number of Calvin students have become regular participants.
In larger northern centers like Toronto, Critical Mass rides take place all year long. In Grand Rapids, the rides take place from spring to early fall. Last Friday was the first downtown Critical Mass of the season, and around 50 cyclists showed up to ride under sunny skies and relatively open streets.
The group of participants was diverse – everything from older workers to a child riding on the back of his father’s bicycle – but a good percentage of the riders were Calvin students. The ESC arranged a bike tuneup during the afternoon, and then rode downtown to the rendezvous location at Veterans’ Park.
“The normal way to get around is by your automobile,” said ESC member Bill Beckman. “All of us believe that driving around in your car by yourself is bad for the environment, bad for society and isolates everyone. We enjoy riding our bikes instead. It’s healthier for you, you get a lot of exercise, and it’s more fun because you’re out in the air.”
One reason for participating in Critical Mass is to give people a tangible reminder that bicycles are a legitimate mode of transportation, said Beckman.
“People don’t recognize bicycle traffic as a viable means of transportation,” he said. “When you ride on the road, which you have to do because riding on the sidewalk is illegal, you end up being almost hit all the time, and you’re not given the respect of a car. So everyone gets together and the bicyclists take over the road. It’s a fun way to say, ‘we’re traffic, too,’ and we’d like to raise awareness for an alternative means of transportation.”
Bikers are often hit by cars, and a number of injuries and even deaths happen at Critical Mass outings every year. Ben Hoff, another member of ESC, said knowing this makes him want to have attitude when he’s cycling.
“Once you get in the saddle you tend to have a negative opinion of drivers, so you’ll do anything to kind of show your presence on the road. Any negative reaction that a driver has to you, you’ll respond accordingly. If someone honks at me negatively, I’ll give them the finger, or if someone yells at me to get on the sidewalk, I’ll yell something back. I want to piss off drivers just to make them aware,” he said.
Hoff added that although the potential for annoyance exists, people in Grand Rapids seemed supportive of the Critical Mass ride. “We might have annoyed a couple drivers, but there were a lot of people honking support. People on the sidewalk were cheering us on and it was really positive, I felt.”
For the most part, the Critical Mass movement around the world has followed along those lines, with the exception of one notable event. The movement jumped into the media spotlight on July 25, 1997, when some 5,000 cyclists blocked intersections and disrupted traffic for hours in San Francisco. About 100 cyclists were arrested.
The social reasons for Critical Mass are important, but it’s also good fun, said Beckman. “It’s supposed to be positive; I think that’s the key. It’s a positive movement of like-minded people getting together to have fun and let everyone else know. It’s supposed to be a big party.”
Critical Mass runs the last Friday of every month in Grand Rapids. The next ride will be May 25, when cyclists will meet at at Division and Fulton at 5:30 p.m.
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