Here now twenty years after it began, people are finally starting to see what the importance of the Critical Mass movement. What never seems to get articualted however, is that CM stole bicycling back for the masses. At a point in time when the only voice for those on two wheels were the magazine such as "Bicycling" and their sponsors and you were not a cyclist unless you wore spandex, went to far away places with your high spec bike and rode only the latest greatest, CM made it cool to ride junk, right where you were. In the city..
It made it possible for you to be a cyclist if your bike could only do a few blocks and was not TdF race ready. It gave birth to tall bikes and bike churches and the plethora of cottage industries that celebrate the recycled bike part. It paved the way for an open mindedness to the
Busycle possibility. Ditto for the
San Jose Bike Party that also attracts thousands of cyclists who try to improve on CM by obeying the rules of the road. In giving birth to a whole new breed of bike rider, very few pedal at the SJBP ride in lycra or on high end two wheelers. .
On many levels, thank God for Critical Mass. Here is what one of San Francisco's newspaper's sees:
Critical Mass anniversary a time to acknowledge what the movement has accomplished
The bicycle phenomenon known as Critical Mass started in San Francisco 20 years ago and has since been exported to many other cities around the world. Thousands of cyclists from across the globe are in town this week to celebrate the anniversary of a movement that has raised the profile of urban cycling.
The first Critical Mass ride in San Francisco was called Commute Clot, a name that carries with it one of the biggest criticisms of the ride: That drivers and, to a certain extent, public transit riders can be stuck in congestion while the pack of cyclists rides through the streets without obeying traffic laws. But at its core, Critical Mass is a political statement about the roads we all pay for and how they should be used. And in spite of the occasional inconvenience that accompanies Critical Mass, it has been very effective as a political movement.
After all, many reforms do not come from centrist ideas that emerge from government bureaucracies. The fringes of the left and right are often where changes start, and as ideas gain acceptance they are often watered down as they are embraced by centrists. The civil-rights movement started with illegal marches on the streets, not with congressional legislation. Same-sex marriage is just now being embraced at the federal level, decades after advocates started pushing for the right to wed.
Two decades ago, when Critical Mass started, the idea that bicyclists also deserved space on San Francisco’s streets was not as well-accepted as it is today. Cars ruled the road, and the dangerous space on the edges was where cyclists rode — if they were brave enough. But Critical Mass brought to the forefront the idea that bikes, too, deserved a safe space on the streets.
Whether you love or hate the Critical Mass rides — and, at times, both attitudes have been appropriate — they have pushed urban cycling issues into the mainstream in San Francisco and around the world. The idea of a physically separated bike lane on Market Street, the grand avenue of The City, would have been inconceivable 20 years ago. Today, not only is there a stretch of Market with such a lane, but talks about re-doing the street include proposals to make many more miles of the stretch safe for cyclists.
Critical Mass is not the only entity that deserves credit for the increase in cycling advocacy in The City. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition tirelessly pushes for projects that will make cycling safer. And several lawmakers who are themselves cyclists support riding as a transportation option rather than just a recreational activity.
When the riders of Critical Mass hit the streets this Friday for the anniversary ride, they will stop cars in their tracks and halt Muni buses while the bikes go by. But instead of complaining about your own personal inconvenience, take the time to think about your mode of transportation and contemplate whether you have ever had to protest to make sure you were safe during your own commute.
Although by no means perfect, Critical Mass deserves recognition for what it has helped to accomplish in the past 20 years.
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THX 4 all of U!!
