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Re-Cycle.com is
undergoing a major
overhaul. In the
meantime, our databases
are not very stable.
Please understand that
data you save here may
be lost in the near future.
T-Shirts
Vintage/Collectible
Schwinn Parts
Tired Ol' Belts
Hand crafted from
100% reused bicycle
parts.
From waste to waist!
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Critical Mass |
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Critical Mass rides generally take place after the work day on one Friday of
every month (usually the last). Rides meander at the will of the pack and
last as long as riders keep riding. Check with your local CM ride at
www.critical-mass.org for more specifics about start time and place.
Critical Mass is an inclusive worldwide movement to promote cycling as a
means of transportation. Its roots are in environmentalism, fitness,
politics, economics, practicality, you name it. Critical Mass is an
organization in the sense that bike rides take place at a generally agreed
upon place and time. The rest is pretty disorganized. The result is part
rally, part demonstration, part protest, part urban scenic stroll.
The name Critical Mass reportedly comes from the Chinese practice of waiting
for a critical mass of cyclists to arrive at a busy intersection before the
cyclists have enough power and authority to stop car traffic and push
through the intersection. In one sense it's very disruptive. Then again,
it doesn't take long for the bikes to dwindle and the cars to reassert their
authority again. (Obscure trivia: This practice is detailed in the
documentary Return of the Scorcher. The Scorcher was a cycling publication,
"A Hot Paper for Hot Cyclists," that featured the first Schwinn bicycles in
the 1890s.)
In practice Critical Mass often works in exactly this way. The larger the
group of bikers, the harder we are to ignore.
So, come be a part of something. Critical Mass is for everyone at every
skill level or political ideology. Come meet people in your community.
Come celebrate biking. Come ride with us.
Critical Mass Etiquette
- Confused bystanders are often greeted with shouts of "Happy Friday!" This
greeting is often used as a cryptic explanation to pedestrians and drivers
that ask, "What is this?" Feel free to stop and chat with the uninformed
for a few moments to fill them in while the ride meanders on by. Critical
Mass succeeds when everyone understands our mission: more bikes, less
traffic.
- "Let the busses go!" Busses are part of the solution. They do not count
as traffic. Critical Mass riders should yield to mass transit vehicles even
if this means breaking up the group. The front will wait for you. If you
are the only cyclist that stops for a waiting bus, feel free to yell out to
the pack, "Let the busses go!"
- If you want the ride to go somewhere, go to the front of the pack and make
the suggestion to no one in particular. See if you can get consensus. On the other
hand, many rides follow a route determined by vote before the start time.
History
Watch the 45 minute documentary We Are Traffic on Google video.
Like all things radical Critical Mass began in San Francisco. Chris
Carlsson and Jim Swanson, two of the founders, passed out flyers for the
Commute Clot that was held on September 26, 1992. Some months later, the
group watched the Return of the Scorcher documentary and the ride has been
named Critical Mass ever since.
Rides
| Minneapolis, MN | Last Friday of the month,
5:00 | Loring Park |
| St. Paul, MN | 1st Friday of the month, 5:30 | The park
at Summit and Mississippi Blvd |
Submit details for a ride to Cutter@Re-Cycle.com.
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