Critical Mass (cycling)

Critical Mass has a decentralized (rather than hierarchical) structure. Critical Mass is sometimes called an "organized coincidence", with no leadership or membership. The routes of some rides are decided spontaneously by whomever is currently at the front of the ride, while others are decided prior to the ride by a popular vote of suggested routes often drawn up on photocopied fliers. The term xerocracy was coined to describe a process by which the route for a Critical Mass can be decided: anyone who has an opinion makes their own map and distributes it to the cyclists participating in the Mass. Still other rides decide the route by consensus. The disorganized nature of the event allows it to largely escape clampdown by authorities who may view the rides as forms of parades or organized protest. Additionally, the movement is free from the structural costs associated with a centralized, hierarchical organization. In order for the event to function, the only requirement is a sufficient turn-out to create a "critical mass" of riders dense enough to occupy a piece of road to the exclusion of drivers of motorized vehicles. Authorities in New York, California and Oregon have expressed concern with the difficulty of coordinating with the riders, due to the lack of leadership.[11][12][13]

Bike lift in Budapest, September 22, 2007

Critical Mass rides vary greatly in many respects, including frequency and number of participants. For example, many small cities have monthly Critical Mass rides with fewer than twenty riders which offer safety in numbers[14] to cyclists in those locales, while on the opposite extreme, in what have been the largest events using the name Critical Mass, cyclists in Budapest, Hungary hold only two rides each year on April 22 (Earth Day) and September 22 (International Car Free Day). The "Budapest style" attracts tens of thousands of riders.[15] The April 20, 2008, Budapest ride participation was estimated at 80,000 riders.[16][17] In Vienna, close to Budapest, a Critical Mass Ride has been held every month since 2006 and attracts up to 1,000 or more riders.[18]

Detail from the November 20, 1992 flyer by Joel Pomerantz which introduced the concept of corking

Because Critical Mass takes place without an official route or sanction, participants in some cities have sometimes practiced a tactic known as "corking" in order to maintain the cohesion of the group. This tactic consists of a few riders blocking traffic from side roads so that the mass can freely proceed through red lights without interruption. Corking allows the mass to engage in a variety of activities, such as forming a cyclone, lifting their bikes in a tradition known as a "Bike Lift" (in Chicago this is referred to as a Chicago hold-up), or to perform a "die-in" where riders lie on the ground with their bikes to symbolise cyclist deaths and injuries caused by automobiles, very popular in Montreal. The "Corks" sometimes take advantage of their time corking to distribute fliers.

The practice of corking roads in order to pass through red lights as a group is in contravention of traffic laws in some jurisdictions and is sometimes criticized to be contrary to Critical Mass' claim that "we are traffic", since ordinary traffic does not have the right to go through intersections once the traffic signal has changed to red.[19] Joel Pomerantz, the writer, rider and co-founder of Critical Mass who popularized corking in San Francisco, explained in his 1992 instructional flyer that he sees the ride as a single vehicle for safety purposes, similar to a longer, articulated bus. He argued that it enhances both traffic flow overall and safety to keep the ride together as in a funeral procession, which he viewed Critical as, metaphorically, for the death of car culture and crash victims.[20] Frustrated car drivers inhibited by the ride have sometimes reacted in hostile ways toward riders, even erupting into violence and arrests of motorists and cyclists alike during Critical Mass rides.[21] Pomerantz's flyers have also proposed that drivers should only be as mad as they are at any traffic jam, most of which they accept as normal.

The Critical Mass rides have inspired a number of other bicycle movements, that range from political movements to the "Critical Tits" ride during the yearly Burning Man festival.[22] In Chicago, a movement has grown out of the Critical Mass community to promote winter cycling via the bikewinter campaign.[23] The extensive news coverage of San Francisco's July 1997 ride spawned an international celebration of bicycling, called Bike Summer.[24] Kidical Mass originated in Oregon, and encourages bicycle riding for children and families.[25] The movement gained momentum in North America and Europe and set a record in September 2019, when 1100 riders took part in Dortmund, Germany.[26] Critical Sass was an all-female version of the ride in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that took place the second Friday of every month. The Tweed Run (along with various other vintage bike rides) is a well dressed mass which takes place annually in a number of cities across the world. Examples of Critical Mass rides for political movements includes the Free Tibet Rides (May 2008): Free Tibet Critical Mass in Columbia, Missouri, "Tibetan Freedom Bike Rally" in San Francisco (Aug 2008), and in "Bike Ride for Tibet" in London (Aug 2008).[27]

San Jose is the home to San Jose Bike Party. Bike Party rides on the third Friday of the month with a different starting point and route each time. Rides are typically 15–25 miles in length and usually 1000-2000 riders in Summer. The ride aims to build a community of cyclists and prove that bikes can co-exist with cars. It is different than Critical Mass in that it rides after rush hour and obeys all traffic laws and has a pre-determined route.[28][29][30]

San Luis Obispo, California, is the home of the "Bikes are happening..." meetup. Bikes are happening... starts at Mission Plaza at 9:30 pm on the first Thursday of the month. The ride consists of a continuous half mile loop through downtown San Luis Obispo. Since there is no permit for the ride, riders are asked to follow three rules: have fun, respect the community, and obey all traffic laws.[31]

In Portland, Oregon a tactic called a “bike swarm” has been used by Occupy Wall Street protesters to separate marching protesters from police.[32][33]

A huge bicycle demonstration is the "Fahrrad-Sternfahrt" in Berlin, Germany, since 1976. Each year in June and usually have 150.000–250.000 riders. Together the 19 rides are more than 600 miles long including two sections of motorway.[34]

Critical Mass riders in Atlanta

In San Francisco, an event known as "Critical Manners" was created as a response to Critical Mass. Critical Manners rides through the city on the second Friday of the month, with riders encouraged to obey all traffic laws such as stopping at red lights and signaling.[35][36] Tucson, Arizona holds the Tuesday Night Community Bike Ride as their alternative to Critical Mass. The weekly ride encourages bicycle commuting and motor vehicle awareness in a peaceful and friendly way.[37]

In 2007 there were conversations about starting Critical Manners in Portland, Oregon.[38] According to the Critical Mass book, a similar project known as Courteous Mass is described as "an alternative to Critical Mass."

An alternative ride named RideCivil formed in Seattle in late 2007.[39] Rides are on the second Friday of every month, and focus on encouraging civility between motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.[40]

The Mobile Social is a large no-drop, family and first-timer friendly alternative ride in Atlanta sponsored by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Rides start on 2nd Thursday of every month, meeting at Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta and a focus on promoting local small business and cycling for commuting, social and civic engagement.

On June 12, 2009, an Indianapolis Critical Manners ride called "Courteous Mass" was launched[41] but is no longer active as of 2016.[42]

On August 14, 2009 there was a Critical Manners ride in Vancouver, British Columbia.[43] The ride consisted of between 70–100 cyclists riding through the downtown core, making all attempts to follow the rules of the road (stopping at red lights / stop signs, using hand signals to turn, using the right-most lane or bike lane when applicable). The event generated some coverage in the local media[44] and was generally deemed a success by the participants, although there were some criticisms.[45] The ride only survived one outing.[46]

In Kathmandu, Nepal, it has been organised since April 2013. In general cyclists gather at Kathmandu Durbar Square, Basantapur and ride round the city before grouping together again. Sometimes there are people organizing awareness programmes in this gathering. People who really love cycling and feel awareness about own health, environment they doing Critical Mass Gathering even after the heavy Nepal Earthquake 2015 with slogan "Quake or Shake, Sunny or Rainy, we have to flow with time for next smile..."

Critical Mass (Kathmandu, Nepal)