If you’re planning on driving Friday night, be prepared when the clock hits 5:30. Tonight, the cyclists take the streets for another celebration of Critical Mass. Motorists will plan for traffic jamming, horns honking, blocked intersections, frustration, and arriving late to any destination. Cyclists will enjoy open road lanes, comradorie, miles of smiles, costumes, and pure genuine fun. Get ready for celebrating the last Friday of the month in style.

Critical Mass is celebrated world wide on the last Friday of every month. Cyclists gather at 5:30 in a designated location. Here in San Francisco, Justin Herman Plaza serves as the hub for organizing the masses. Cyclists ride to the foot of Market Street, and wait for it all to begin. Some folks wear elaborate costumes and others don’t wear anything. Helmets are encouraged because of the high volume of participants. At Critical Mass, no one is in charge, there’s no organized route, no structure, no schedule. It’s created so ANYONE can voice his or her opinion or suggestion.

Critical Mass was created in 1992 to reclaim the streets for cyclists. It became a social opportunity to ride together, as a community, once a month. The idea caught on, and today Critical Mass is celebrated in 300 cities across the world.

Air up those tires, tweak the brakes, tune up the gears, and spend your Friday night on the town on a bike! You don’t even have to signal turns and stops, just go with the mass.

Photo Credit: Lyle

• Tag: bikes, Critical Mass, events, San Francisco