Critical Mass Bike Ride Planned To Take On Bemidji
Sympathy Occupy Wall Street Rally To Follow

By Erin Sundvall

An example of a Critical Mass Flyer -- taken from Bing Images

Since 1992 Critical Mass, a mass group of people taking over streets via bicycles, has become a phenomenon in the United States.  Cyclists have made this event an international happening as well.

According to chicagocriticalmass.org, the name Critical Mass stems from “Return of the Scorcher,” a documentary made in 1992 by Ted White.  The documentary was made in China and showed how human powered transportation and motorized transportation has an understanding in that country. With no traffic lights or stop signs, a group of people are pushed together in an intersection. When critical mass occurs, according to Critical-Mass Web site http://critical-mass.info/ “they are able to all move together with the force of their numbers to make cross traffic yield while they cross the road.”    

At noon on Saturday, Oct. 26, Bemidji’s “unofficial” Critical Mass organizer Luke Holden will be leading a group of cyclists into the streets of Bemidji.  Paul and Babe will be the meeting place for this specific ride. 

Luke Holden had a laid back or go-with-the-flow presence.  Wearing a puffy red vest, brown pants and sporting shaggy brunette hair, Holden is the epitome of a hipster.  He brought his bike into a Bemidji State University classroom with him as a “prop.” He explained how he got involved in Critical Mass and why.

He told a story about how the movie “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” got him involved with bicycles. He had a replica of the bike in the movie when he was young. Holden since has obtained an appreciation for older style bicycles with a potato as a passenger.

Holden also talked about his first experience with Critical Mass in Minneapolis, Minn. He was 18 and saw a flyer for the event stating that food would be provided.  That was an immediate yes for Holden. The social aspect is also an attraction.

Critical Mass is an international event for cyclists on the last Friday of every month.  The Bemidji event is being held on a Saturday in hope of recruiting more people to get involved. There is not a set path or distance for the ride.    The point is to “get cyclists to ride in a big 

cluster and to take the city for a little bit,” said Holden. 

There are many ideals behind Critical Mass.  In Holden’s words, Critical Mass “can be about politics, but the most important thing is cyclists’ rights.”  Many sources have claimed that Critical Mass is a protest. A quote from the Nov. 2010 Los Angeles Times blog "Cyclists cited, bikes impounded in Long Beach Critical Mass ride,"written by Stephen Ceasar describes a Critical Mass ride shut down by police for “riding unlawful bikes,” and “running stop signs.”

After the Bemidji Critical Mass bike ride is finished there will be an Occupy Wall Street rally. This rally is in sympathy for the protesters on Wall Street.