What's this all about? ask amused and bemused pedestrians on Market Street as hundreds of noisy, high-spirited bicyclists ride past, yelling and ringing their bells. There are a wide variety of answers: It's about banning cars. It's about having fun in the street. It's about a more social way of life. It's about asserting our right to the road. It's about solidarity. Critical Mass is many things to many people, and while many concepts expressed may evoke memories of past political protests, Critical Mass is foremost a celebration, not a protest.
Critical Mass got started in September 1992 in San Francisco as a way to bring these various populations together in a festive reclaiming of public space. The idea was initially conceived by one person, who bounced the idea off other cyclists (see Inside Out). San Francisco's prominent bicycle messenger community was enlisted primarily through word of mouth, while commuters were reached by someone standing in the middle of the financial district passing out flyers.
The first ride drew a crowd of 60 cyclists, and these numbers doubled for several months following. Critical Mass has continued to grow in San Francisco, drawing about 400+ from month to month, with an October 1993 high of 1000+, and has spread to other cities as well. With independent rides springing up all over the place, Critical Mass has begun to take on the character of a large scale, decentralised grassroots movement!
Ultimately, Critical Mass is just a bunch of cyclists riding around together, going from one point to another. (Someone coined the descriptive phrase organised coincidence.) But many important and interesting questions come up as we attempt this simple task. Why is there so little open space in our cities where people can relax and interact, free from the incessant buying and selling of ordinary life? Why are people compelled to organise their lives around having a car? What would an alternative future look like?
In writing this pamphlet, we have not set out to answer these questions. We are simply using our familiarity with two of the many Critical Mass rides (San Francisco and Berkeley) to help accelerate the spread of Critical Mass to other cities, and to share ideas, tactics, solutions, etc. We hope that a small, inexpensive, and easily reproduced pamphlet will go a long way toward providing interested parties with the information and materials they need to set up their own ride.
It is important to emphasise, however, that no two rides will be identical, and while Critical Mass may be a common approach to a common problem, different contexts will produce different dynamics, pressures, etc. This pamphlet, then, is in no way intended as an 'official blueprint' or strict set of guidelines set forth by some all-knowing committee. Rather, it is simply the brainchild of a small handful of Critical Mass enthusiasts in the Bay Area, and it will inevitably reflect our experiences, prejudices and beliefs.
This is an uncopyrighted publication! Massive reproduction is encouraged, though commercial uses are expressly forbidden....
This 'how-to' Critical Mass manual has been produced by Hugh D'Andrade, Beth Verdekal, Chris Carlsson, JR Swanson, Kathy Roberts and Nigel French, with help from many other friends.... Original printing by Solstice Press, Oakland.
To contact us, write c/o GRIP, 41 Sutter St. #1829, San Francisco, CA 94104, U.S.A.
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