{"id":5651,"date":"2012-09-27T22:03:00","date_gmt":"2012-09-27T22:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2012\/09\/27\/critical-mass-turns-20-returns-cycling-to-the-masses\/"},"modified":"2023-10-18T20:09:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T03:09:25","slug":"critical-mass-turns-20-returns-cycling-to-the-masses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2012\/09\/27\/critical-mass-turns-20-returns-cycling-to-the-masses\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical Mass Turns 20, Returns Cycling to the Masses…"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Here now twenty years after it began, people are finally starting to see what the importance of the Critical Mass movement. What never seems to get articualted however, is that CM stole bicycling back for the masses. At a point in time when the only voice for those on two wheels were the magazine such as \u00a0“Bicycling” and their \u00a0sponsors and you were not a cyclist unless you wore spandex, went\u00a0to far away places\u00a0with\u00a0your high spec bike\u00a0and rode only \u00a0the latest greatest, CM made it cool to \u00a0ride junk, right where you were. In the city..<\/div>\n
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It made it possible for you to be a cyclist if your bike could only do a few blocks and was not TdF race ready. It gave birth to tall bikes and bike churches and the plethora of cottage industries that celebrate the recycled bike part. It paved the way for an open mindedness to the\u00a0Busycle<\/a>\u00a0possibility. Ditto for the\u00a0San Jose Bike Party<\/a>\u00a0that also attracts thousands of cyclists who try to improve on CM by obeying the rules of the road. In giving birth to a whole new breed of bike rider, very few pedal at the SJBP ride in lycra or on high end two wheelers. .<\/div>\n

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On many levels, thank God for Critical Mass. H<\/span>ere is what one of\u00a0San Francisco’s newspaper’s sees:<\/div>\n
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Critical Mass anniversary a time to acknowledge what the movement has accomplished<\/span><\/div>\n

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By:\u00a0SF Examiner Editorial<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a009\/26\/12 6:33 PM<\/span>
SF Examiner Editorial<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The bicycle phenomenon known as Critical Mass started in San Francisco 20 years ago and has since been exported to many other cities around the world. Thousands of cyclists from across the globe are in town this week to celebrate the anniversary of a movement that has raised the profile of urban cycling.<\/p>\n

The first Critical Mass ride in San Francisco was called Commute Clot, a name that carries with it one of the biggest criticisms of the ride: That drivers and, to a certain extent, public transit riders can be stuck in congestion while the pack of cyclists rides through the streets without obeying traffic laws. But at its core, Critical Mass is a political statement about the roads we all pay for and how they should be used. And in spite of the occasional inconvenience that accompanies Critical Mass, it has been very effective as a political movement.<\/p>\n

After all, many reforms do not come from centrist ideas that emerge from government bureaucracies. The fringes of the left and right are often where changes start, and as ideas gain acceptance they are often watered down as they are embraced by centrists. The civil-rights movement started with illegal marches on the streets, not with congressional legislation. Same-sex marriage is just now being embraced at the federal level, decades after advocates started pushing for the right to wed.<\/p>\n

Two decades ago, when Critical Mass started, the idea that bicyclists also deserved space on San Francisco\u2019s streets was not as well-accepted as it is today. Cars ruled the road, and the dangerous space on the edges was where cyclists rode \u2014 if they were brave enough. But Critical Mass brought to the forefront the idea that bikes, too, deserved a safe space on the streets.<\/p>\n

Whether you love or hate the Critical Mass rides \u2014 and, at times, both attitudes have been appropriate \u2014 they have pushed urban cycling issues into the mainstream in San Francisco and around the world. The idea of a physically separated bike lane on Market Street, the grand avenue of The City, would have been inconceivable 20 years ago. Today, not only is there a stretch of Market with such a lane, but talks about re-doing the street include proposals to make many more miles of the stretch safe for cyclists.<\/p>\n

Critical Mass is not the only entity that deserves credit for the increase in cycling advocacy in The City. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition tirelessly pushes for projects that will make cycling safer. And several lawmakers who are themselves cyclists support riding as a transportation option rather than just a recreational activity.<\/p>\n

When the riders of Critical Mass hit the streets this Friday for the anniversary ride, they will stop cars in their tracks and halt Muni buses while the bikes go by. But instead of complaining about your own personal inconvenience, take the time to think about your mode of transportation and contemplate whether you have ever had to protest to make sure you were safe during your own commute.<\/p>\n

Although by no means perfect, Critical Mass deserves recognition for what it has helped to accomplish in the past 20 years.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0THX 4 all of U!!<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here now twenty years after it began, people are finally starting to see what the importance of the Critical Mass… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,1,39,73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-humor","category-uncategorized","category-san-francisco","category-uncategorized-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3VuuR-1t9","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5603,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2013\/11\/06\/nyc-americas-largest-city-gets-a-pro-bike-mayor\/","url_meta":{"origin":5651,"position":0},"title":"NYC, America’s Largest City, Gets a Pro-Bike Mayor","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"November 6, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Bill de BlasioBicycling has become a mainstream way for many New Yorkers to commute to work and travel around the city. It\u2019s inexpensive, it promotes public health, and it\u2019s a key part of helping the city respond to climate change. 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Only a few people today realize that the current surge in interest and ownership of recumbents is a renaissance of what occurred at the end of the previous century and in the early years of this one.The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Recumbent"","block_context":{"text":"Recumbent","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/recumbent\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-2ek3baymHs0\/UdBmD9QyhDI\/AAAAAAAABEo\/E-3YqKkG3GM\/s320\/Faure_1934_zps4a2ae7b8.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5694,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2013\/06\/11\/bias-against-recumbents-and-the-lance-myth\/","url_meta":{"origin":5651,"position":2},"title":"Bias Against Recumbents and the Lance Myth","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"June 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"And then there are the people who ride recumbent bicycles, a marginalized population of cyclists indeed. They are seen by many of the mostly younger cyclists who ride traditional upright bikes, as being less capable. They dismiss the recumbent rider as being a man or woman who is limited by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Recumbent"","block_context":{"text":"Recumbent","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/recumbent\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12938,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2017\/06\/23\/wallets-on-wheels-cycle-tourism-is-great-for-the-economystudies-show-that-tourists-on-bicycles-spend-more-money\/","url_meta":{"origin":5651,"position":3},"title":"Wallets on Wheels: Cycle Tourism is Great for the Economy, Studies show that tourists on bicycles spend more money.","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"June 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Until this heat wave paralyzed Davis (11 straight triple digit days), this awareness is was what I was planning to show Davis more business owners when I invite them to be a part of our National Bicycle Greenway attractions map for Davis per - https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/edit?mid=z-aFnloT8tI8.k9tpJBpP020U \u00a0 And showing cyclists where\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "NBG Business Plan"","block_context":{"text":"NBG Business Plan","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/nbg-business-plan\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Screen Shot 2017-06-23 at 3.52.08 PM","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Screen-Shot-2017-06-23-at-3.52.08-PM.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Screen-Shot-2017-06-23-at-3.52.08-PM.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Screen-Shot-2017-06-23-at-3.52.08-PM.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Screen-Shot-2017-06-23-at-3.52.08-PM.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9814,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2015\/08\/18\/reno-to-verdi-bike-lane-heaven-and\/","url_meta":{"origin":5651,"position":4},"title":"Reno to Verdi Bike Lane Heaven, Its Neighborhoods and…….","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"August 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"After I left the Reno Bike Project, per this report \u00a0that I dashed off today and had taken\u00a0a lunch break at the hotel, I traveled west staying within a mile of the Truckee River. Instead of turning right on Arlington and dropping down to the river path, I pedaled into\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "NBG Biking Cities"","block_context":{"text":"NBG Biking Cities","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/nbg-biking-cities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/IMG_1073.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/IMG_1073.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/IMG_1073.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/IMG_1073.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/IMG_1073.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/IMG_1073.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5637,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2012\/10\/23\/greenwaysbike-lanes-heralded-john-forrester-vehicular-cycling-debunked\/","url_meta":{"origin":5651,"position":5},"title":"Greenways\/Bike Lanes Heralded\u00a0– John Forrester & Vehicular Cycling Debunked","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"October 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The American Journal of Public Health published a Canadian study which proves that building bike infrastructure such as bike lanes, protected bike lanes, even bike paths, not only makes for significantly safer cycling but that such improvements are the preferred travel option of \u00a0regular, two wheeled \u00a0users of the road.This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "humor"","block_context":{"text":"humor","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/humor\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fN3MlzkohLs\/UIbDA3u2TEI\/AAAAAAAAAjY\/KjVtLe6BIqY\/s320\/largest.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5651"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17579,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5651\/revisions\/17579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}