Taking Back the Streets
I’m sitting at a stop sign at West Avenue and 12th Street. As soon as I see them coming, I’m immediately engulfed in a mass of bicycles. They zoom past my Scion like bats flying from under the Congress Bridge. Hundreds of bicycles of all types—and the riders just as varied—roar like a railroad: This is Critical Mass (CM).
Started in San Francisco in the early 90s, the movement now takes place in 300 cities, including Austin. Critical Mass is a way for cyclists to take back the streets. It not only proves that cycling is a more efficient way to save gas but also that it is “green”—no pollution and a sizable difference compared to other means of transportation.
Tom Wald, the Executive Director of the League of Bicycling Voters, is familiar with riding alone. “When I rode by myself, many motorists would harass me as a lone bicyclist by using the size, speed, and strength of their vehicle to threaten me with a collision,” Wald recalls. “The ride started as a way for people to commute home safely on roads. They should be able to be and feel safe. People commuting home, minding their own business should not be controversial, and that hostility from some in Austin is what continues to fuel CM.”
CM cyclist John Glover says, “There is a thriving bicycle culture in Austin and the roads are supposed to be shared. [CM] is an awesome bike ride to represent the presence of bike culture and rights. In the past year or two I think things have been slowly coming to this point.”
Trevor Wiseman agrees, “If there is anything I hope we can achieve it’s to make people realize that motor vehicles are not the only way to commute and bicycles are cheaper!”
Like music, there is a rhythm to cycling—a beat, a pulse. Many of the cyclists, including Glover, are musicians and are involved in many projects.
When asked if there is a link between CM and his music, his answer is simple: “Oh, absolutely. Several of my friends that play music also ride and vice versa. A lot of the time they seem to go hand in hand.”
Wiseman has also run the gamut of the Austin music scene. “I have played in multiple Austin bands over the years. I play guitar in a band called Capital Scam, and I am the vocalist for Whitman’s Tower,” Wiseman says. “Playing music and touring with my friends is the only thing I love more than bikes. I also do promos and guest star on various KAOS radio shows, Austin’s underground
radio station. A few of the DJ’s are fellow CM riders.”
Chris Smith finds inspiration in the rides. “Cycling is a very rhythmic activity and that often allows me to focus in a way that gets my creative juices flowing. I can often leave the house with some kind of phrase to start a song in my head, go for a ride and watch the rest of the words coalesce into something that might be worthy of getting on paper.”
CM meets the last Friday of each month at the West Mall of the University of Texas campus at 5pm. All level of riders are welcome.
And like a great rhythm, you just can’t beat it.
Leave a Comment
There are currently no comments.