Critical Mass, the monthly cycling event and social movement, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a massive bike ride across San Francisco on Friday, September 30th. The event started in SF in 1992 and has spread to over 400 cities around the world with the goal of inviting the cycling community to ride together, reclaim the streets, and enjoy a safe evening of cycling. The leaderless ride is free and open to anyone who wants to participate.
Referred to as a “bike ride, celebration and protest” by its organizers, Critical Mass always makes an impression, affecting the city’s traffic in a manner reminiscent of a mix between a motorcycle gang and a funeral procession. While the seemingly endless snake of bikes makes their way through various SF neighborhoods, traffic stops completely. Some motorists cheer, others fume quietly at the delay, but everyone waits. It’s an impressive sight and a physical manifestation of the old idiom “there is strength in numbers.”
Join the Critical Mass 30th-anniversary ride on September 30th at Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco. The meet-up starts at 5:30pm and the ride starts at 6:30pm.
Featured image: By Michael W. Parenteau (mwparenteau at English Wikipedia) – Own work, Public Domain.