Today I traveled to Loring Park in Minneapolis to take part in the monthly Critical Mass Ride. Basically, about 120 of us went on a great bike ride throughout major parts of the city.. IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC..in Downtown Minneapolis.
Actually, according to Wikipedia, Critical Mass rides happen in cities around the world, typically on the last Friday of each month. The idea is for self-propelled people to gather in a ‘critical mass’ to “become traffic”. Some ride to show alternatives to using an automobile. Some ride as a symbol of protest and solidarity for social justice. Some ride just to have a good time.
As for me, the energy of the group was just infectious! Riding across the Washington Avenue bridge, screaming, yelling, ringing bells, and hearing the echo of our voices ringing for almost a half-mile on the tunnel of the bridge was incredible! I dropped back to the middle of the crowd just to see the bikes filling all of the lanes! What a sight! Of course, there were angry motorists honking their horns at us, and a few announcements over loudspeakers from police cars to only use one lane, but for the most part, this was a fun, peaceful, and empowering ride! I probably rode about 10 or more miles around the city with everyone, as I rode for nearly two hours at a nice clip. It was just a rush to be in this community of people - radically making a statement through the streets of Minneapolis.
I’m hooked! I’ll be doing this again! Next time, I’ll take pictures (my camera batteries need recharging)! Tonight my body is very tired. But it’s a “good kind of tired” I’d say!
On Saturday, March 26, I dropped into The Hub Bike Co-op with Michael and my friend Randy to look at a new Breezer Bike that I was really interested in.
First, let me tell you about the place I decided to shop! The Hub Bike Co-op is a worker-owned bike shop. According to their web site, they are the only cooperatively owned bike shop in the Twin Cities. They have two locations, one on the University West Bank, and one on Lake Street and Minnehaha. They are a democratically run workplace, so I knew I needed to support them!
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In late February, while sitting at my computer desk at work, I kept coming back to a bookmarked website. It was a website for a bicycle ride down the Oregon coastal region. For about three months I had been daydreaming about taking such a trip, thinking how wonderful it would be, and maybe next year I could do something like this.
My daydreaming began taking over, and I started asking questions, emailing the coordinators.
“Will a guy my age and size be able to handle this ride?”
“Can I really train myself to ride up to 50 miles in a day?”
“What kind of bike would I need?”
And then, I called them one day, and they had cut their price for the week-long tour IN HALF.
I called back and paid my deposit over the phone. I set my intention in motion. No more daydreaming. I guess I’m really doing this. Here I am, 36, somewhat overweight (though still active), and I’ve never done a long bike ride in my life. I had planned on giving away my old bike needed repair and had been sitting in my garage for about 7 months.
But..my heart led me to register, and I’m following it. Over the last year I’ve been wanting to begin radically adjusting my life to a more sustainable way of living. I started taking my car less. I took public transit to work every day. This is the next step for me - to step out further, even beyond some comfort zones.
I’ve always wanted to live to be 100. Middle age is going to have to be 50 for me. At 36, I need to start thinking about longevity, and how sustainability, peace, imagination, and social justice play a part in my life. Now is as good a time as any to begin to change.
Stay tuned for more! Reality is setting in. I’m going on a bike ride down the Oregon Coast on June 29! I’m really going to do it! Wish me luck!
