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Blog Entry 117 of 713 What's Going On
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Going to Mass on two wheels

Contributed by: Brendan Leonard/YourHub.com   on 8/27/2006

I've had pretty good experiences as a bicycle commuter in Denver -- most automobile drivers I've encountered are pretty courteous, but there's always the occasional one who lets me know I should be riding "off the road," "on the effing sidewalk" or, as one lady yelled at me one afternoon on 12th Avenue, "You're supposed to ride against traffic!"

This is what Critical Mass is all about: Riding in a huge group and altering traffic, for once, putting the bikes in control and raising awareness. The Denver Critical Mass meets at about 6 p.m. on the last Friday of each month by the fountain at the north end of Civic Center Park. YourHub.com World Headquarters recently relocated to the big white building about 150 feet from that fountain, so I felt I owed it to myself to check out the Aug. 25 Critical Mass.

I met my friend Nick near the fountain at 5:30, the time we had heard the ride would start, and we saw only a couple people who looked remotely cyclist-esque, and they were drinking Miller High Life and smoking cigarettes near the portable toilets.
"That can't be Critical Mass," Nick said to me. "That guy's riding with a 30-pack of PBR on his handlebars."

"Yeah, I think that might be," I said.

We rode over and talked to Phil Ross, 40, of Denver, who is not the Critical Mass leader or organizer because there is no leader or organizer. Phil has worked as a courier for Express Messenger for the past seven years, and has been doing Critical Mass on and off for the past six years.

"I think it does some good for some folks, and some folks it just p%*&es off," Phil said. For the past three rides, the Denver Police have provided an escort for the 50 to 100 participating riders,both to keep them safe and to make sure they obey the rules.

The riders (most of whom are either bike messengers or look a lot like bike messengers, drink Miller High Life or Pabst Blue Ribbon, ride fixed-gear bikes and don't wear helmets) meet at the fountain, where motorcycle officers wait, let the officers know what route they want to ride, and go.

Although Phil is not the leader of Critical Mass, when he got everyone together before the ride to tell us we'd be heading up 14th Avenue to York Street, then going around Cheesman Park once before heading back downtown on 13th Avenue, he explained that the officers would ticket anyone who ran a red light or committed any other infraction of traffic laws.

My heart jumped a little when I caught myself pedaling through a yellow light about to turn red very early in the ride, but I safely made it through and saw Nick go through right behind me. We took up two lanes of 14th Avenue, which is usually a very dangerous street to ride on (I take 16th Avenue or 12th Avenue, both designated bike routes, to work), and all the cars had to try to pile into the far left lane.

One guy on a cell phone yelled at us, asking, "What are you guys?" and a few people in cars or on foot cheered for us.Another guy, riding in the back seat of a car in the left lane, shouted over the police motorcycle next to me, "You'll be very safe riding with a policeman!" Indeed, my friend, indeed. Phil was pulled over near 14th Avenue and Downing Street, and I assume ticketed.

Seventy-five or so of us all rode, slowly, up 14th, sometimes getting separated by red lights and then reassembling later,to York Street and back west into Cheesman Park. After a lap, Nick and I ducked out early to get some dinner with guests from out of town.

After we ate dinner, I brought everyone to YourHub.com World Headquarters to check out our new office, and we stepped out onto the 10th-floor terrace to enjoy the view. Sure enough, there were six people drinking beers next to their bikes, down by the fountain in Civic Center Park.
________________________________________________________
For more information about Critical Mass, show up next time, on the last Friday of the month at about 6 p.m. by the fountain in Civic Center Park.



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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
Submitted By: Bill Boucher
posted on 8/28/2006 @ 9:38:11 PM
Rated Blog Entry
You crazy kids with the bikes and the Dan Fogelberg music.
[Report as objectionable]
Submitted By: Jim McAllister
posted on 8/27/2006 @ 9:03:58 PM
Rated Blog Entry
I want to see you riding that bike to work in January! I'm sure you will fire up the old green Grand Am during those cold winter days in Colorado.
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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
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