The introduction of this article is by John Greenfield, and the interview is by Cameron Bolton.
This article's headline answered its own question. But a better query might be, who exactly is "Ace Mann"? (That's not his real name, but he requested that Streetsblog only refer to him by his "nom du vélo".)
If you've ever participated in a mellow-paced group bike ride in Chicago, you've probably spotted a ubiquitous figure pedaling along in a red-and-white beanie and striped shirt. That's an obvious nod to "Where's Waldo?", a kids' puzzle book series featuring illustrations crowded with people doing interesting things, which challenges children to find the similarly dressed title character.
You could also compare Mann to the protagonist of the 1983 Woody Allen film "Zelig", who appears at every important historical event. If you're a Chicago bike advocate, with apologies to the old Visa ad, he's everywhere you want to be.
We're not just talking about Chicago Critical Mass, the protest/parade/party that gathers every last Friday of the month after 5:30 p.m. at Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St. Again, he assists with running its informative Twitter account.
You'll also regularly spot Mann on social and community-building rides hosted by Boxing Out Negativity, the Black Joy Ride, Monday Night Ride, South Side Critical Mass, Southwest Collective, Streets Calling, and others.
Many of these events are based in communities of color on the South and West sides. Mann does his part to help spread the word about bike love happening all over Chicago by sharing footage of these events on social media. Here are aome videos tweeted from the Chicago Critical Mass handle in the past few days, which he likely posted.
So maybe we should call him Ace Mann: Citywide Mann of Mystery.
We did know one thing about Mann. Despite treating bike rides and advocacy like a full-time job, he does have unrelated daytime employment – more on that in a bit. But Streetsblog wanted to learn a little more about what makes him tick, hence this interview. The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Cameron Bolton: Tell me about yourself and what got you into biking.
"Ace Mann": I used to work at bike stores in high school and college. I moved to Chicago in 1999 or 2000, and I needed a job. So I just started as a bike messenger. There were some really good community bike shops here, like West Town Bikes, that I got really into. I just really like biking.
CB: You do a lot of rides on the South and West sides. Can you tell me more about that?
AM: I have attended many bike rides there, especially this year. I made it my New Year's mission to see if... a bike ride or a social ride was going on, I would try to attend it and, if possible, document it, and let the whole world see and feel the Chicago bike scene, which I think is thriving post-pandemic.
CB: What made you want to document the Chicago bike scene?
AM: I just don't think it gets enough promotion. There are a lot of different groups that are coming along, and that's something many people don't know about. I'm doing my little part to promote it, so that's cool.
CB: What's your favorite part about being involved with bike rides and community events?
AM: Seeing new people getting involved in biking. It's always been a big part of my life, and just seeing it moving out into a bigger audience is really nice.
CB: So you think we've seen an uptick in bike riding in the last couple of years?
AM: Yeah, especially new people getting into bike riding. I think it's starting to spread out. People are starting to gravitate to biking, especially with the unpredictability of the CTA now and its poor service. People are turning to bicycles, especially also with the high cost of car ownership. A lot of people are starting to see biking as an easy alternative. And the new bike infrastructure is getting new people, who I don't think would think of themselves as biking, into biking.
Many people are putting up TikTok videos or just videos of other rides. It's encouraging other people to start rides. So, it's getting easier to do social rides and get people together to ride bikes.
CB: What are the things you've noticed that all the different Chicago bike rides have in common?
AM: Biking is a source of transportation, but just getting out and having fun on your bike is something that people sometimes forget about. They're nervous about the streets. And it's always helpful when you're with a group of other like-minded people. Fun is probably the main purpose of all of these social rides.
CB: Word on the street is that you have a day job coordinating truck deliveries. Does that impact your views on biking and roadways in any way?
AM: Yeah, I help, or do, hazardous material delivery. It has me thinking about pedestrians and biking, especially large trucks in the city, and how they can be made safer. The logistics industry can be a part of the solution, and not part of the problem, for pedestrians and cyclists.
CB: Do you have any suggestions to make for safer streets?
AM: The City adding protected bike lanes is a very important thing to make bicyclists safer. It protects them not only from truckers, but also people making deliveries for DoorDash, UberEats, and more. More stuff is being delivered by cars nowadays.
CB: What's the most interesting thing that's ever happened to you during one of these bike rides?
AM: You're always having to deal with irate drivers, and the most satisfying thing is when you start talking to them, and just trying to get them to relate to you about sharing the road. They may be against me at the beginning, and then by just talking to them, or interacting with them, I may help them to understand the point of view of the cyclist. I've had a lot of interactions with drivers that have been negative, that I've been able to turn positive. So I always like that.
CB: Are there other aspects of biking around Chicago that you'd like to tell me about?
AM: I appreciate the work of the Active Transportation Alliance, Bike Grid Now, and you guys, Streetsblog. Cycling is a safe and easy alternative for people to get out there and be able to move around the city. And, as more people bike, it will become safer, because there will be be fewer cars on the road.
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