CYCLISTS are being invited to saddle up for a celebratory milestone bike ride in Worcester.
The city is hosting its 60th consecutive monthly Critical Mass bike ride on Saturday (May 16), marking five years since it started in the city.
The ride takes place every third Saturday of the month, meeting at 10.15am at Cafe Viaduct, for a 10.30am start, and usually lasts between 30 and 60 minutes.
Mass bike rides happened from Stockholm to Sao Paulo in the 70’s and 80’s, but the first ride called a Critical Mass took place on Friday September 25 1992, at 6pm in San Francisco.
Riders meet at a set place and time every week or month and ride as a group, with the idea that it makes it safe for everyone to ride on the roads as there’s safety in numbers.
Critical Mass rides are also used to send a clear message to city leaders that there are plenty of people who travel by bike, and with better infrastructure making people feel safe to ride, many more people would make journeys by the humble bicycle.
Dan Brothwell, chair of Bike Worcester said: “I absolutely love a Critical Mass ride, and make an effort to attend them when visiting other towns and cities. It’s fantastic to cycle on the road in a group and feel completely safe, and it is a great way to mooch about a place. The best thing is having a natter with other folk on the ride, folk you know, folk you’ve never met, having a laugh and sharing a story.”
