GRAND RAPIDS -- Grand Rapids' Critical Mass bike ride celebrated its third anniversary in the streets of Grand Rapids on Friday, June 27th. Fifteen cyclists came out to celebrate bicycles as a means of pollution-free transportation, in addition to the three-year anniversary. Critical Mass is a monthly mass bike ride promoting bikes as a fun and healthy alternative to driving. Rides occur on the last Friday of every month in over 200 cities worldwide.
While Critical Mass has no "official" goal, it has been promoted in Grand Rapids as a way to foster community amongst cyclists, providing a monthly celebration of sorts in which cyclists can assert their rights and enjoy the safety of riding as part of a large group, while promoting bicycles as a viable means of transportation.
The first Critical Mass ride in Grand Rapids occurred in the mid-June of 2000, with the rides occurring regularly on the last Friday of every month since June 2000. The size of the ride varies dramatically, with as many as 50 cyclists participating in some of the larger rides (April of 2001 and September of 2002) and as few as ten cyclists in some of the smaller ones. This month the ride had no encounters with the Grand Rapids Police, and indeed the GRPD has ignored Critical Mass for the past three rides, a fact that participants welcome. The ride is supposed to be a fun experience for cyclists, and in the past encounters with the GRPD have dampened enthusiasm among participants.
Critical Mass is a leaderless event and relies largely on the efforts of individual participants for promotion. A local activist group, Media Mouse, maintains a website for Grand Rapids' Critical Mass and sends out monthly email reminders about the ride, but does not have any type of leadership role. The website features flyers for interested participants to post around town and attach to bikes that they see parked around town, and for the most part, the ride is promoted through flyers and word-of-mouth.
The next ride will be on July 25th. Critical Mass meets at Veterans Park at the corner of Fulton and Sheldon in downtown Grand Rapids at 5:15pm and rides at approximately 5:30pm.
