Join us!
About Critical Mass
Critical Mass is a monthly bicycle ride to take back
the streets. It began in San Francisco in 1992, and quickly spread to
over 250+ cities around the world. Critical Mass is new to Fort Myers...the
first ride was on January 27, 2004.
Critical Mass is an organized coincidence. It happens when a lot of cyclists happen to be in the same place at the same time and decide to cycle the same route together for a while. Very often, those taking part enjoy it so much that they decide to get together at the same place and time the next month and the month after and so on, and to get other cyclists to join as well.
Why We Ride
There is no such thing as one "goal" of
Critical Mass. There are as many goals and philosophies as there are riders.
Each individual comes with his or her own idea of what it's all about,
and the sum of these makes up the Mass.
Some goals include:
Showing motorist that cyclist share the roads in Fort Myers
Creating a vision and experience of a better future
Enjoying the great outdoors
Meeting friends
Exploring our city
Raising the profile of cycling in Fort Myers
Some motivations may feature more strongly than others, but any combination of the aims above and lots of others can be reason enough for anyone to participate in Critical Mass. Plus, cycling is fun and even better in a safe environment with other cyclists.
When & Where
This is easy. We meet and ride on the last Friday of every month. Depending on rain, people may show up, but then again they may not. We meet at Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers. Show up at 6:30 PM, and the ride will push off no later than 7:00. We plan a route, which will be discussed before the ride. Please do bring route ideas to the ride and discuss them with everyone(see below, What to Know).
What to Know
There are no organizers. Nobody is in charge. What
happens on a Critical Mass ride is entirely up to the individuals participating.
Some people may photocopy leaflets suggesting a route for the ride, but
no one has authority over anyone else. The more people that get involved, bring their friends, share ideas, cheer, or whatever,
the better the Mass.
Is Critical Mass legal?
Well, is riding a bicycle legal? Critical Mass does ride in the streets, following traffic laws. So, yes we do sometimes block traffic. We ride single file since it is the law. We'll sometimes ride two abreast while going through busy intersections as it is a safer way to go through them. It may get dark during our ride, so you will need a some kind of light for your bike to avoid a ticket(a bicycle must have a front and rear light while riding between sunset and sunrise). And as far as turning signals, we turn to the law book:
a cyclist signals intent to turn left by extending the left arm horizontally. A bicyclist may signal intent to turn right either by extending the left hand and arm upward or by extending the right hand and arm horizontally to the right side of the bicycle.
Please look and learn the bicycle laws of Florida here.
Here are some suggestions on how to ride at Critical
Mass:
Ride single file and
keep to the right.
Follow traffic laws when possible.
Be courteous and friendly.
Have fun and be loud.
Spread the word.
It's easy to do. Just tell a friend about the ride. They'll thank you
for helping to make them a better person.
local bike shops:
A J Barnes Bicycle Emporium
15248 S Tamiami Trail #150
Ft Myers, FL 33908
941-437-0373
Paradise Bikes
1712 Del Prado Blvd
Cape Coral, FL 33990
239-772-2453
