While not an “anarchist” event, there will be a Critical Mass bike ride in Grand Rapids tomorrow. Critical Mass rides are part direct action against aggressive motorists and the larger car culture and part celebratory action promoting alternatives to car culture.
The ride starts at Ah-Nab-Awen Park in downtown Grand Rapids. Riders will start meeting at 5:00pm and will leave by 5:35pm.
The folks putting together the ride have put together a nice summary of what Critical Mass is:
Critical Mass is a monthly bike ride that takes place in hundreds of cities around the globe on the last Friday of every month. It is not a political organization; it is not divided along any ideological or social lines. It is simply a bike ride for anyone who likes to bike. “It is, more than anything else, a reclamation of space, a demonstration to show that the city belongs to people and not machines.”
The route:
The route can be decided ahead of time or decided on at the beginning of the ride. It can be a group effort, or maybe only one person has an idea for a route. Whatever the case, everyone should feel comfortable with and agree to the route that is chosen. If not, changes must be made so as to make sure nobody is ignored. It is important to have a route before the ride starts because otherwise its easier for people to get confused and for the ride to get broken up.
Some notes on traffic:
It is safest to take up an entire lane, and it is also legal to do so, as long as you do not ride more than two abreast. Taking up a lane increases the amount of space motorists will give you when passing. If there is only one lane and a decent shoulder, it might be better to ride in the shoulder. Use discretion However, if there is only one lane and no safe shoulder, we have no choice but to take up a lane, which will block motorized traffic. This is legal, but it will make people mad, so in planning a route, it’s best to avoid such roads for the most part.
If the front of the Mass approaches a red or yellow light, they should stop for the simple purpose of not dying. However, if the light changes and there are more cyclists coming through the light, the intersection should be blocked by corks, and the ride should continue until everyone has passed through the light. Stop signs are treated similarly. Stop if there are cars who have the right-of-way before you, but as soon as the bikes start going through, then everyone should go. Cork as necessary.
Some advice from me:
Stick together. A dense Critical Mass is safer and more effective than a spread out line of bicyclists. Don’t ride too fast or too slow. It helps to think of the Critical Mass as a really long car.
Speak up. If you see people who are breaking up or endangering the group, let them know. Speaking your mind is not authoritarian, but rather empowering to both the individual and the group.
Know the law. Cyclists are empowered by knowing rules regarding bikes. In most situations, we can safely follow the law, and if we know what the law is, we can avoid trouble.
Wear a helmet. It’s not required or anything, but it’s safer.
Bring water. If you don’t have a water cage on your bike, bring a plastic bottle and ask someone if they can put it on their bike or in their backpack/rack/pannier bag/cat litter bucket for you.
Things that you shouldn’t worry about:
Bicyclists. You are not required to be an athlete to come on Critical Mass rides. The pace will usually be around 10 miles an hour, or whatever most people feel comfortable with. Riders should be considerate if any one rider can’t ride as fast as the rest.
Cops. For the most part, they will leave us alone. I’ve never once seen a cop so much as interact in any way with Critical Mass riders. Then again, I’m from Ann Arbor. I have seen more police antagonism from cops in GR, but on the other hand, there are very few and very unimportant laws we will be breaking, and as long as we don’t cause too much trouble, they’ll leave us alone.
Motorists. We might get honked at, but don’t be worried. I’ve had my life threatened numerous times while riding by myself, but I’ve never had any trouble when riding with more than one or two other cyclists. People really don’t want to mess with you if you have friends.
On the other hand, you will have to start worrying about these things if you provoke them (even if they provoke you first). It’s road rage no matter what vehicle you’re using. I think that people are often most anxious and stressed out when they’re in their cars, especially in downtown, rush-hour traffic, so be considerate as much as possible. Motorists should have some fun too, otherwise they’ll never want to get on their bikes and ride to work. If you see a fellow rider fostering rage, antipathy, anxiety, etc. or escalating a conflict, please let them know that they are not helping the community by being antagonistic.
In conclusion…
Critical Mass should be fun, relaxed and peaceful, not competitive or intentionally confrontational. However, the act of simply riding one’s bike in public can turn into a confrontation when motorists choose not to respect bicyclists. Individual cyclists, too, may cause conflict. There are a number of paths that can lead to physical injury, legal problems, or simply the dissolution of a community of cyclists. I’ve been riding in Critical Mass ride for only a few years, and so rather than make any further claims about what a Critical Mass ride should look like, I defer to the experience of other CM riders who have been doing it a lot longer and have seen a lot more things. Therefore, I’ve posted on the discussion board some passages from “How to Make a Critical Mass: Lessons and Ideas from the SF Bay Area Experience.”
Bikes are sexy! Bikes are fun!
Enjoy the Critical Mass!
In Short: Come meet up with us, it will be fun, safe and a great way to kickoff the year right.
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