The general definition of a "critical mass" is the smallest mass which will cause a reaction. For our purposes, the mass consists of bicyclists and the reaction is the improvement of bicycle safety. Sometimes described as an organized coincidence, a critical mass ride is a demonstration that the bicycle is a viable mode of transportation, an appeal to the local government to invest more in bicycle infrastructure, a reminder to motorists that bicycles are among them, and an enjoyable ride for all participants.
Our local philosophy about these rides can be summed up as "maximum visibility with minimum disruption." That is, our goal is to demonstrate that there are a large number of riders (and potential riders) in this area without going out of our way to annoy motorists. However, since we are concerned about the safety of the ride participants, we will be using a full lane during our rides. Since bicyclists are bullied about by motor vehicles every other minute of every other day, we believe taking up a full lane one hour a month is very reasonable. |
