Bikes forever, bikes like crazy.

Bikes! Bikes. Today I got a new bike. More about it and our upcoming 12-day, 1000mile adventure soon. But first, a bike story about Chicago:

I just got back from Chicago. And on Friday, in Chicago, I took part in Critical Mass. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds (A passing estimate I overheard was "700ish, a smaller month") of cyclists of every age, ability, costume, all rode together through three hours worth of Chicago city streets, creating the Critical Mass, as they do on the last Friday of every month. So many bikes, that we take over the road. A really pleasant and striking reversal of the usual Car-Bike situation. All the cars just have to wait for us to pass. If they don't want to, random volunteer cyclists stand in front of them until all the bikes have passed.

We even had police-bikers with us*. The law was on our side.

Also cyclists with stereos providing soundtracks, and cyclists with cookies providing welcome snacks.

The most interesting/nicest thing I noticed was that motorists were not angry or upset at us. They were smiling and waving and returning our cries of "Happy Friday!" Especially business drivers: buses, taxis, truckers. There's something about bikes and community spirit.

I've heard that most largerish cities have their own Critical Masses. Maybe yours does? Find out, and happy riding.



*This was especially handy as our route through some of the city's south side ended up taking us right past the scene of a recent homicide (some said double). Pros and cons of the big city, all in one.