(10/28) The October Columbus Critical Mass was a wonderful ride that rolled up and down High Street, Summit Street, the downtown area, OSU campus and Clintonville. As always, the riders began to gather at 5:30 in front of the statehouse, socializing, joking, meeting new people, and this time exchanging comments about each other's costumes. When the ride officially began at 6, the head count was at 62 people, but later in the ride several bikers joined with the group.

Many individuals worked hard to promote this month's Critical Mass Columbus, which rides in conjunction with other Critical Mass events all over the globe. The result of these dedicated participants was the almost doubling of numbers since September Critical Mass.

This ride included many costumed riders, of which the best three were awarded Critical Mass Columbus patches made by Indymedia Team Members.

Some riders last month had expressed their concern that the message or even the name of the ride was being obscured and/or not promoted well, and that passerbys were percieving the ride as simply a leisurely ride, when it is both that AND a reclaiming of the road and environmental justice action. As a response, some riders made signs this ride such as "Bikes Not Bombs", "$0.00/Gal" and "CRITICAL MASS."

Actions such as Critical Mass, which work to promote safety and awareness and advocate cyclist rights to the road, are extremely important. The urgency of this message was especially poignant today, as three cyclists were struck this week by motorists in separate incidents:

* Wednesday afternoon (10/26) - A rider was clipped by a car and knocked off her bike while travelling south on High St. in the north campus area. It has been reported that she suffered minimal injuries.

* Friday (10/28) - At approximately 1:20 PM a cyclist was hit near the intersection of Indianola and 12th. This rider sustained serious injuries and he was still unconscious by the time medical emergency services arrived at the scene. The cyclist was taken to a nearby hospital, but no additional information about his status is currently available.

* Friday (10/28) - Shortly before the Critical Mass ride a cyclist was struck at 5:25 PM on High St. in the Short North area by a vehicle that failed to signal their turn. The rider fell into traffic and was relatively unharmed, but his bike was seriously damaged beyond repair.

Watch Video of the October Critical Mass Columbus

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For More Info Check Out:

Critical-Mass.org
Critical Mass Columbus