The following is an archive of an old website I maintained for a while called “Critical Mass Edmonton” at cmedmonton.org. Unfortunately, I lost touch with the Critical Mass croud amd found that the rides them selves were happening less and less frequently. A hard drive crash on my computer caused me to lose much of the website as well. I managed to recover most of the content and finally found the time to put it back online. I'm extremely happy to see that Critical Mass is happening once again and gorgeous new website is also being maintained to clebrate the bicycle. So anyway, here's what I have.
Critical Mass is an International movement to get people out of their cars and onto their bikes. The cyclists take to the Streets of downtown with bells ringing and voices cheering the slogans of Critical Mass. We travel to 109th St and across the High Level Bridge, on the street. It's a beautiful bridge when there's only cyclists on it. We continue down 109th St to Whyte Ave and turn left and finish in Old Stathcona and end at the Gazebo beside the Strathcona Farmer's Market.
Still want to know more? Try here.
I just read in the guestbook about a Critical Mass in Regina. I hope it goes well. I miss living there, in fact. Their website is here.
Woohoo, it's been nearly a few weeks but I'm finally back online. I've moved with my dear girlfriend and a roomate to a happy little apartment in Heritage. I dare say it is the bloody urban sprawl people have always said it is. We have all the convenience of shopping at "where's the f**king bicycle rack" South Common. (Note to self to email someone about that.) Holy mini-vans. It's great fun to have people driving those yell at you. I've established the universal reply to all road-rage coming from a mini-van is simply put "...and you drive a MINI-van". That's my venting experience with the deep south end.
I feel somewhat obligated to mention the forrengn relations problems in the states, much the way every other page on the internet has mentioned it but I think I'll leave that alone. My girlfriend tells me I've never without a song in my head and she's right. I've had John Lennon's "Imagine" trapped somewhere in the back of my mind since the eleventh. I just hope I'm not the only one.
I dare not say that that's it for summer not that it really matters. My bicycle is what allowed me to give up skiing all those years ago. Cycling in the snow is so much more fun and so much less hassle. I hope the Critical Mass rides will continue through the winter this year.
Just in time to top off the peak of my cycling season, I picked up a
little more speed than I should have onto the big solid steel High
Level Bridge. I sideswiped some steel on what is nicknamed, "the death
rail". I think Claire came up with that when she was talking on CJSR.
Anyway, I hit it going about 30k and smashed my arm.
Cross your fingers because my doctor thinks the muscle might be torn. I'm on my way to the hospital to get the x-ray tonight.
I rolled around on the pavement for a bit. No pedestrians stopped or
anything. Of course I had too much pride to tell anyone that I'd
crashed and may have broken my arm. I eventually pulled myself together
with my one good arm and crashed down on the grass for a while. A
fellow Critical Mass rider finally stopped and checked on me. I finally
pulled myself together and carried my sore lil' ass into a clinic.
I really can't afford to tear the muscle cause I have to move in a month. Funny how things happen that way.
Don't worry. Contrary to my girlfriends wishes, I'm not retiring for the season. There's a long winter of cycling ahead of me.
I'm
back to getting my little ass in gear and collecting updates and
whatever. I was at the library the other day, shmoozing though graphic
design books (personal fetish of mine). I ran across an old book or
military drawings. I ran across gritty old 1900 picture of some scouts
on bicycles. There was an interesting little blurb beside it. I had to
scan it.
A couple other odd little bits I found in bikeforums.com:
The Urban Cyclist Vocabulary
and
Spike the Bike, a mildly violent little tale. I haven't had a chance to read it all yet but it looks like something like "Maximum Overdrive".
To those who follow this site, I am still alive. I've been a little slow at keeping up on any webpublishing lately. The weather has just been too beautiful to be inside writing. I have been collecting a few strange and curious items that may be of interest that I'll be posting soon.
One quick item before I have to dash off to work...
I received this email recently regarding that Volkswagon ad with the courier whose about to have it in with the "now softer" door of a bug.
Hi,
I saw the Edmonton CM website. As a VW owner and a masser in Saint
Louis, I'm appalled. I already have the VW consumer advocate phone
number to file a complaint at (1-800-822-8987, option 3) but I would
like more information about the VW dooring ad. Your website says
it appeared in a graphic design book as well as Consumer Magazine.
Do you have any more information, like what issue/print date of
Consumer Magazine, etc.
Thanks!
-sarah
I sent sarah the info about the graphic design book but I have not seen the actual ad printed in a magazine. If anyone out there has seen this ad in print, please let Sarah know in email at sarah@pound.perl.org.
I scanned this out of a graphic design book recently. It was originally printed in Consumer Magazine as a full page ad. I can't believe they were serious. (click on the image to enlarge
At last the NACCC has an WWW page.Here it is.ttyl
Hi Chris & Critical Massers,
The North American Cycle Courier Championships July 5 to 8 will be an exciting time in Edmonton. 300+ bike couriers are expected in town, there'll be plenty of fun biker activities going on and it's only one month away!
At the May Critical Mass, we introduced the idea of an extra CM ride during NACCC and I was pleased that this was received with happy enthusiasm. I have spoken with Biker Bill from ACME (Associated Cycle Messengers of Edmonton) and he advises that Friday 6th would be a good day. There will be a media event at 6 PM that evening at NACCC's home site, the Uni. of Alberta Quad, which will entail local celebrities riding the race course as well as special performances by the couriers.
It's a perfect opportunity for a ride beforehand from City Hall, allowing time to ride to the University and to be present for the media event. It would have to be a slightly earlier meeting time than usual (5 PM?). No doubt there are ideas about a theme and the route from the High Level Bridge to the campus.
Claire
Claire Stock Transportation Engineer Transportation Streets
Department The City of Edmonton Phone: +1 (780) 496 2407 Fax: +1 (780)
496 4287
claire.stock@gov.edmonton.ab.ca
Questions or comments? Post them in the forum is you like, the forum has been a bit inactive lately. -Chris
Trevor sent this fine informative link in to me today. It's the City of Edmonton's Bicycle Facilities information page.
First off, awesome ride yesterday. I beautiful comeback to a not so great ride last month. The one lane free plan worked well. For those of you who weren't there, we decided to leave one lane free throughout the ride until we reached the High-Level Bridge. One the bridge, we took over the entire bridge. The turnout was good too. Lots of people just joined in along the way. I think it had to do with the eerie "join us" being spoken hypnotically throughout the ride. Whatever works I guess.:)
In other news...
I received an email recently from the world critical mass newsletter regarding Bikesummer 2001. There's not much more I can say than have a look at the letter for yourself here.
I just read in the paper that George's Cycle is going out of business. As I'm sure most of you noticed when they moved out of Whyte to cut the high cost of rent in the area. They're now closing down their other main store on 118th Ave. I bought my mountain bike there back in 1997. Though I haven't been to George's much since they closed their Whyte Ave location, I'm sorry to see them go.
As George closes his doors, Tricycle Works opens it's doors. I don't know much about this new shop. I had a peek in the window but didn't have time to stop in. I will though. Tricycle Works is located at 10588 109 St .
I witnessed my first Gas sale the other night at the Petro-Can on 109 St by the Ledge. I had to stop in there and get something to drink. There was a line-up all the way to the street. I laughed loudly so the pathetic motorists could hear. It was so funny to watch these desperate souls trying to save a few pennies. I think scenes like this will be common place for a long time to come. It's all so science-fiction.
Speaking of Science Fiction, there's an awesome book by Vancouver author William Gibson called "Virtual Light". It's about a bicycle messenger in San Fran, set a couple decades from now.
See you all at the ride tomorrow.
I finally got down to watching the "Wheels of Change" documentary. It's incredibly inspiring. I wonder if we should set up a viewing of bicycle movies some night in the future. That south meeting room at City Hall would be a nice little venue. There much be other bicycle video's like this one. It's really an awesome little movie.
Shane in Calgary established the first Calgary Critical Mass Website. At least it's the first I've seen. Good job Shane. I'll be monitoring the site for updates and thanks for the link. Also, you can email the Calgary CM at calgarycriticalmass@yahoo.com.
I was in Earth's General Store the other afternoon picking up stickers for my gf's new bicycle. EGS is probably the best place in the city for stickers that make a real statement. I got to talking with the store clerk. CM came up in the converation and suddenly I was opened up to a flood of information. He explained to me the Chinese origin of the name Critical Mass. He pulled out several video tapes about Critical Mass and other bicyclist activist subjects. I don't own a VCR but I will see these movies soon... oh yes... very soon.
I was thinking of setting up a viewing of the movies somewhere sometime. If anyone's interested, please email me. Or, you can rent them to watch by yourself. Just stop into Earth's General Store at 10832 Whyte Ave, on the second floor, and ask the staff. You don't need a membership; just leave your name and address.
I was doodling at work today and came up with a funky new logo for the site. I'll set it up as soon as I get a chance. Hopefully tomorrow morning.
Also, keep an eye out for the VUE Weekly this coming Thursday. I spoke with one of the riders who was at the early portion of Friday's ride. He should have a story in the paper. I can't wait to read it. I'll post it on the site in a week or so it I'm allowed.:) If anyone else out there finds anything interesting from the media such as news clippings about Critical Mass or bicycling in general, don't hesitate to let me know. Better yet, type it up and send it to me.
The message board/forum is up now. Enjoy.
I'm still a little stunned by what happened tonight. For anyone who wasn't there, the ride was smooth but a little quieter and slower than usual, I found. Everything went as usual until we made it to Whyte Ave. Police stopped us and attempted to quickly get us all to use one lane as if it were a compromise. This guy in a police uniform got out of his car and started shouting, "You can only use one lane." Of course, half the group had already past him. If short, two people were roughly arrested and three tickets were issued.
Every other week, the police smiled and waved. What's going on with city of ours? Was it because of frustration with the more violent perceptions people had of the protests at the Summit of the Americas? Is council trying to crack down on behavior that doesn't "look good" for their city? What doesn't look good about a community of cyclists sharing their beliefs? Ever since I first moved here, I believed the Old Strathcona neighborhood was Edmonton's answer to something different. A place where people could express themselves and do things a little differently. Critical Mass has traveled down Whyte for months. Everything was smooth and we made out point. Cyclists are traffic!
l be opening up a forum system for people to express their thoughts on what happened and Critical Mass in general. I'm excited to hear what people have to say. Cheers!
This is not the end for Critical Mass.
We are collecting donations to help pay for any tickets handed down today. It's a little unclear as to who and how the funds will be collected. It's not easy for something isn't something to collect money to help. Critical Mass is still just a coincidence.
Until I get a forum for people to communicate, please, leave a message in the guestbook or send me an email. I promise I'll get your thoughts and messages online and out there.
I finally had the privelage of meeting Biker Bill of ACME at a meeting that Claire set up. Discussed at the meeting was the North American Cycle Courier Championships 2001, on July 6th to July 8th. The city it expected to be packed with cyclists that weekend. The Championships are being planned out to be a bicycle festival involving bicyclists thoughout the city and not just messengers. I'm expecting it will be similar to BikeSummer in Vancouver and Chicago. Either way this festival is going to kick ass! Unfortunatly, Critical Mass won't land on the day of the festival but a parade before the opening ceremony is being talked about. Stay tuned for more details as the come in.
I almost forgot to mention, I was in Vancouver last week. It was beautuful to bicycle there. I went everywhere. I hate to sy it but getting around was so much easier there. Of course there was a transit strike there too. The bicycle routes are beautiful and there's so many cyclists. It's like a critical mass all the time.
I found an awesome new zine called "Momentum". It's all about people powered vehicles. I found my copy at MEC there. I brought back 5 copies and have 2 left. I'll drop one off at Bikeworks for anyone to read. The paper is released bi-monthly. Sadly, it's not issued here in Edmonton. Their address is
momentum@emeraldcity.bc.ca
#205 - 425 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 6E3
Emerald City Communications doesn't have their homepage yet but it's worth a look at.
In other news, I was channel surfing yesterday and caught a glimpse at some of the aftermath of the Summit of the Americas. I haven't really been around to keep track of what went on. I suddenly fell on the floor when I saw what happened. There was Jan, a loyal Edmonton CM rider, helping to clean up after the protests from the night before... on CBC Newsworld. It was awesome. It gave me goosebumps. He said something lke "this wasn't the message we wanted to send". Speaking in reference to the violent part of the protests. Cheers man.
It was good to see a few CM riders here at the Edmonton FTAA protest on Saturday morning. It looked as though 300 or so people turned out. It was beautiful. I'll have pictures from that here too. There was a ton of media there and many other people taking pictures too. I don't know if PAN will be posting pictures from the rally or not. Everyone paraded from Gazebo Park, down whyte, across the High Level Bridge, (a tight squeeze on the sidewalk), and wound up at Ezio Faraone Park.
I've finally posted the March 30th pictures. I've got a picture from the November Ride too. I didn't think it'd turn out at all but it did... somewhat.