The Art Rides Erika, Ashley, Dallas, and I participated in were a great way of promoting bicycles in a way that was exciting, different, and car-less. We met new people, went to art gallery’s I’ve never noticed before, and cruised the streets of Downtown Ventura with a group of dressed up super heroes all riding bikes. It was great to see how many people showed up for the rides, and how many people tagged along while we were on our way to another art gallery. Everyone, including the people who watched us pass by were hooting and hollering for the mob of superhero bikers, and I remember turning to my friend Squeaks and saying,” I wonder what it would be like if everyone in downtown road bikes tonight,” he replied to me calmly,” It would be great.” Bike movements like Art Rides, or bigger ones like Critical Mass, are about people coming together to be part of a change, something new and separate from the regular routine that capital forces us to live in. The Art Ride allowed me to feel independent and free from the demands that constantly tell me how I must live. I now know what is good for me, and want others to be part of this change.
Americans need to interact with each other more; share thoughts and opinions with one another so in return we can all have a broader sense in how we feel as a community. If neighbors were more concerned with each others problems, we could help each other out instead of calling and expert to fix something then leave a bill and never see the guy again. This is capitals key to gaining more and more control over our lives, and it happens right under our noses. Americans have become so comfortable with calling the “guy”, that we forget to use our own heads to try and fix the sink, or toilet, or shower head, etc. Because of this modern way of thinking, Americans become socially fragmented from each others lives, and capital is able to grow by making more people work instead of helping one another out.
The bicycle sub-culture is the best way out of capitals reach. Chris Carlsson effectively explains,” bicycling subculture stands for localism, a more human pace, more face-to-face interaction, hands-on technological self-sufficiency, reuse and recycling, and a healthy urban environment that is friendly to self-propulsion, pleasant smells and sights, and human conviviality (Nowtopia 115)”. An equal community where everyone can excel, but nobody has to be the top dog. Art Rides promote this attitude towards a more do it yourself community by showing others how much room there actually is in the boundaries many Americans have grown accustomed with.
Like most things, it’s easier said then done, but it can be done. With more and more bicycle sub-cultures influencing their views to vast and different parts of America, people will begin to notice the importance to change. It’s more then about proving capital wrong; instead it’s about joining and promoting a cause that is much bigger then ourselves, a cause to create a better quality of life.
Works Cited
Carlsson, Chris. Nowtopia. Oakland: AK Press, 2008. Print.
