Critical Mass - London September 26, 2008

Critical Mass is an event typically held on the last Friday of every month in cities around the world where bicyclists take to the streets en masse. While the ride was originally founded with the idea of drawing attention to how unfriendly the city was to bicyclists, the leaderless structure of Critical Mass makes it impossible to assign it any one specific goal. Critical Mass has became a form of criticism towards car-oriented cities, pollution, and lack of environmental commitment all over the world.

We are not sure, opinions seem to differ. There are probably as many aims of CM as there are participants. Each individual comes there with his or her own idea of what it's about, and the sum of this makes up the Mass. We have no organisers and no planned routes.

Critical Mass achieved its international name following the first ever ride in San Francisco back in 1992, where it was christened 'Commute Clot'. It was "noted that, in China both motorists and bicyclists had an understood method of negotiating intersections without signals. Traffic would "bunch up" at these intersections until the back log reached a "critical mass" at which point that mass would move through the intersection".

The London monthly rides started in April 1994. 1995-96 reports. Videos from the 90s. It isn't just for cyclists, sometimes there are wheelchairers, skateboarders, roller bladers, roller skaters and other self-propelled people. Cycle sound systems often play music on the ride.

The London Mass meets at 6.00pm on the last Friday of every month on the South Bank under Waterloo Bridge, by the National Film Theatre.

Next ride October 31st 2008.

PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT THE ORGANISER