In Vancouver during the summer, Critical Mass rides have upwards of 1,000 people. It’s almost like a party. People have boom boxes tied to their bicycles, huge low-rider bikes and some even drink beer. Children ride along, and if your bike skills aren’t so great, don’t worry because the group moves slowly and people take care of each other.
I first did Critical Mass rides about 15 years ago in Milwaukee. These were much different rides. At that time, riding your bicycle on city streets was a rather dangerous thing to do. I would ride downtown from the campus of the University of Wisconsin, only a 15-minute ride, nothing compared to the hours I spend on a bicycle commuting nowadays. But I had to be extremely careful, and I always had that vague feeling that I was doing something wrong.
