sfwiggle.com

Gathering in San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza on the last Friday in September, Critical Mass celebrated its sixteenth anniversary where it all began in 1992. The monthly “We Are Traffic” ride that is organized by no one individual or group quickly spread to cities around the world. San Francisco’s monthly ride draws between a few hundred to over a thousand participants, with the anniversary rides and Halloween costume night drawing the biggest crowds.




In the spirit of the ride, there is no central website, but a multitude of sites worldwide with their own unique perspective on the event. Critical-mass.info states that “Critical Mass is a monthly bicycle ride to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists’ right to the road. Critical Mass has a different flavor from city to city — there’s a big variety in size, respect of traffic laws (or lack thereof), interaction with motorists, and intervention by police. … CM is intended to be a celebration, not an opportunity to cause trouble. Those who want to try to tie up traffic as much as possible and be confrontational with motorists are missing the point. We can assert our right to the road without being rude about it.”
Political statement or just plain fun, the ride has many fans. Elaborately decorated bikes and costumes abound, and two-wheelers with sound systems in tow help create a festive atmosphere. One can sense the community spirit at the event, as familiar faces and newcomers alike share ideas and enjoy the bicycle commaderie. Tourists and other curious onlookers stop to watch the unexpected parade and cheer the riders as the fun rolls by.



The ride is not without controversy, and conflicts do erupt from the pent up frustrations on both sides. Some cyclists see the event as an opportunity to lash out at motorists, but this is fortunately a small percentage. The stopping of pedestrians and public transport is also a concern, as the ride brings vehicular movement to a halt as it snakes around the city in its spur-of-the-moment route. In SF, the police have taken an “if you can’t beat them, join them” attitude, and they ride behind the mass on motorcycles to maintain some order and diffuse confrontations if they encounter them.


No individual or group officially organizes the ride, which does create some confusion. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition reports that many people assume the advocacy group organizes the ride, and they contact the SFBC expressing concern about the event. The SFBC politely informs them that they don’t endorse the ride one way or the other, but simply list it in their monthly calendar as a bike-themed event.



Love it or not, the monthly celebration continues in urban centers all over the planet, and as concerns about fossil fuel powered engines grow with scarce resources and rising temperatures, don’t expect it to slow down anytime soon.