James Kaberline ripped off a body cast made of toilet paper Friday evening at South Park before he hopped onto his bicycle to lead a group ride through Lawrence.

Kaberline, a Kansas University freshman from Oskaloosa, is part of Critical Mass, a bicycle ride with many followers across the country. Its riders attempt to promote cycling as a transportation option.

“This is Lawrence, and there’s a lot of trash talk about people on bikes,” Kaberline said. “We want to get through and show that we are traffic, too.”

The Lawrence ride takes off around town the fourth Friday of each month, and on Friday, Kaberline planned for riders to wear Halloween costumes. When he realized that he was the only one dressed in theme, he removed his mummy costume.

After eight bikers arrived, including four riding with the group for the first time, Critical Mass left South Park and rode north on Massachusetts Street.

As tradition, the riders always go through downtown Lawrence, but the rest of the ride is on the fly, wherever the leader wants to go, Kaberline said.

James Kaberline, center, takes some gentle ribbing for dressing up as a mummy for Critical Mass, a bike ride that takes place once a month. Kaberline had tried to get members of the bike ride to dress up for a Critical

“We’re called an unorganized coincidence because we’re informal, and it’s another coincidence because we ride down Mass. Street every time and we’re called Critical Mass,” Kaberline said.

Lately, Critical Mass has advocated cycling as an alternative to paying for higher gas prices.

“It doesn’t cost much. I don’t see why everybody isn’t doing this,” Kaberline said.