This parking lot is the meeting spot for Fort Lauderdale Critical Mass, a group bike ride that takes place on the last Friday of every month. You might have a critical mass in your city, as it’s an international phenomenon. Although there are various Facebook groups announcing locations, there’s no official organizer or committee for any of these rides. Critical Mass is a cross between self governance and total anarchy, with a smile. Just find out where the ride meets, and show up.
As is usually the case, everyone here has chosen to follow Zoey around Fort Lauderdale tonight. She seems to know where she’s going. We start the ride through a neighborhood by the park, which I’ll need to weave through to get a shot of the front again.
If you use a bicycle to get from place to place, you’re used to dealing with cars. Even if you as a cyclist follow the laws, the majority of motorists wouldn’t even notice. To them, you’re just an inconvenience in their much more important lives, and roads are for cars. Not tonight. Tonight, motorists are the minority. This to an extent, is the original concept behind Critical Mass, but I find that most everyone is here just to have a good time. A lot of the participants actually get into cycling because of this ride, and as a result they become better drivers. I like that.
Since we’re out on a Friday night after rush hour has ended, most everyone is excited to see us. In years past, the group grew too large, and the police even got involved. Since then things seemed to have simmered down, and the ride has become quite predictable and dare I say, orderly. It only takes us a few minutes to pass through an area, and the response is almost universally positive. In some bigger cities, Critical Mass has all but ended due to the many problems that can arise from such a large group. Other masses continue with very few issues, even with tens of thousands of riders.
When we pass through areas, people always shout out to us, asking where we’re going. I should take the time to explain everything to them, but it’s more fun to say that we’re all going to Publix. For you non Floridians, Publix is a supermarket with exceptional sandwiches.
Generally, you can show up to Critical Mass on a bike or anything human powered. There are always a few creations among the group, like Benjamin’s Tall Bike.
The ride usually ends somewhere downtown, with much of the group dispersing. Wherever you are in the city, you’ll likely see more cyclists than usual late into the night.
So if you want to ride Critical Mass, it’s probably a matter of finding out where it meets in your city. Search Facebook or ask a cyclist. They’ll probably be happy to tell you. If your city doesn’t have a Critical Mass, just show up somewhere at the same time every month, and go for a ride. If you’re consistent, maybe people will start following you. It’s worth a shot. Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll see you next time.
Bike ride took place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on July 29th 2016.
Music: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/my-ride
