Critical Mass is a monthly bicycle ride to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists’ right to the road. The idea started in San Francisco in September 1992 and quickly spread to cities all over the world. CM has a different flavor from city to city – there’s a big variety in size, respect of traffic laws (or lack there of), interaction with motorists, and intervention by police. There are no leaders and no central organization licenses rides. In every city that has a CM ride, some locals are simply picking a date, time, and location for the ride and publishing it, and thus the ride is born.
CM is an idea and an event, not an organization. CM is intended to be a celebration, not an opportunity to cause trouble. Those who want to try to tie up traffic as much as possible and be confrontational with motorists are missing the point. Focus on the ride, not on the cars that also happen to be on the road. Don’t have a CM in your city? Then start one!
The following photos were shot at the CRITICAL MASS FRANKURT, first Sunday of June 2008, by Mario G. Brucculeri.
Critical Mass Frankfurt, every first Sunday of the month, 14h. Every following Friday, 19h. Frankfurt/M., Opernplatz.
www.critical-mass-frankfurt.de
www.critical-mass.de
www.critical-mass.info
www.critical-mass.org