Posted May 26, 201015 yr On the last Friday of every month in over 100 cities around the world, cyclists congregate together to ride in demonstration and in celebration. Critical Mass has no leaders and no agenda. People come together to ride for many different reasons. To assert cyclists right to the road, to promote bikes as a fun, healthy and viable alternative to cars, to build a greater sense of community, to get more folks on bikes, or simply to celebrate bike love and ride in solidarity with other like minded individuals and have some fun! The Cleveland Critical Mass meets at Public Square the last Friday of every month at 6pm, taking off promptly at 6:30.
May 26, 201015 yr Just a reminder that the May Critical Mass is this Friday, May 28! We meet at Public Square at 6pm, then take off promptly at 6:30pm. The weather forecast calls for 72-degree temps with lots of sun. Why not start celebrating your Memorial Day weekend meeting new people who love bicycling and making a statement that bikes belong? We'll ride as a gigantic group for 1.5 to 2 hours, then find a place for food, drink, and socializing. Join us for the whole evening or whatever part works for you. Hope to see you Friday! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105112062868739
May 28, 201015 yr Last month was ~25. We're expecting 40-50 tonight. I think that the high is around 40, but we're trying to grow and new people have expressed interest in coming today and in the future.
May 30, 201015 yr We had over 50 for an outstanding ride! Here are some photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/shawnmariani/ClevelandCriticalMass052010?feat=embedwebsite# And here's the route: http://shawnmariani.com/ccm/ Hope some UO folks can join us next month!
May 30, 201015 yr Wow, those pictures were great. It looked like a lot of fun for all. I'm going to do my best and try to make it for the June ride.
May 31, 201015 yr It was a lot of fun! All skill levels and walks of life are welcome. We even had a young med doctor and a local meteorologist ride with us. It's a really excellent way to meet new people. Just ride up to someone and strike up a conversation for a mile or two.
June 15, 201015 yr Join us Friday, June 25 for the next Cleveland Critical Mass! Details here on Facebook.
June 18, 201014 yr We have 54 people signed up on Facebook for next Friday. Why don't some UO folks join us?
June 22, 201014 yr Cleveland to go 'underground' Friday Social cycling event part of national movement Posted: 8:51 PM By: Tom Livingston CLEVELAND - The final Friday of every month, a group of Clevelanders meets at Public Square for a bike ride through different areas of the city. Critical Mass is a movement started in San Francisco in 1992. According to a press release from Shawn Mariani of Critical Mass Cleveland, the group attracts " those who are seeking networking and friendships, exercise and those who want to promote bicycling as a sustainable method of transportation." The Cleveland group will meet this Friday at 6 p.m. at Public Square and will depart at 6:30 p.m. The rides last an hour or two and usually end someplace where the group can continue to socialize. http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/cleveland-to-go-underground-friday#
June 22, 201014 yr Yahhhh! I've been tweeting about the event for this Friday! I'm really going to try to come out and make it but if I can't maybe I can convince some other people to ride :)
June 23, 201014 yr From The Cleveland Critical Mass Facebook page --- Reasons why you should definitely attend Cleveland Critical Mass THIS FRIDAY: 1) This month, we're poised to have our largest turn-out yet! Over seventy have confirmed their attendance already. 2) The weather is supposed to be perfect for a bicycle ride. Sunny and 80 degrees, with 0% chance of precipitation! 3) We got media this month. CCM was mentioned on WEWS Channel 5 and will likely get a few shout-outs on Fox 8 Wednesday. If cameras show up, let's show NE Ohio that we have strength in numbers and that bicycles belong! 4) Meet new people who love Cleveland and enjoy bicycling. Roll up to someone you think is interesting and strike up a conversation along the ride! 5) Food, drinks, and great company afterward at a location to be determined! Suggestions are welcome in the comments of the event page. 6) Few things are more fun than bicycling in a gigantic group, all while getting pedestrians and drivers to cheer you on! 7) Celebrate the first weekend of the summer! As always, we'll meet at Public Square in front of the Terminal Tower at 6pm, then take off promptly at 6:30pm. The group will swing by Public Square again at 7pm to pick up stragglers and people who have to work a little later. Catch you Friday!
June 24, 201014 yr From Facebook. Anyone else from UO riding tomorrow evening? It's like a gigantic moving party on bicycles! --- Critical Mass Reminder + Add'l Info Greetings, all. Just a quick reminder about Cleveland Critical Mass tomorrow. Meet at Public Square at 6pm, and we'll take off promptly at 6:30pm. We will swing back through Public Square to pick up late arrivals at 7pm or shortly after. We anticipate ending this month's ride at Lincoln Park Pub on West 14th Street in Tremont, since LPP has plenty of space for a large group, a nice-sized patio, food, and places around to park a lot of bikes. So if you become disconnected from the group or cannot ride and would like to socialize afterward, we will meet you there sometime after 8pm. A few us have discussed supporting our cohorts in the bicycle community in their attempts to have bicycle and pedestrian access incorporated into the new Innerbelt Bridge. You can catch up on their campaign on gcbl.org. We are planning to take a quick group photo near the ramp in Tremont towards the very end of our ride to take a stand on the issue. This is completely optional, and those who choose not to participate may press on to our ending destination. Please consider joining us to send a message to ODOT that bicycles are a vital part of communities. Lastly, please join our Facebook group if you haven't already so that you can stay updated about future CCM activities. Just search "Cleveland Critical Mass" and you should find it without any problems. Let's all ride safely tomorrow, look out for each other like we always do, respect all riders and non-riders alike, and most importantly, make this ride the best yet! CCM
June 26, 201014 yr Approximately 150 came out for a 1.5-hour, 12-mile ride through Downtown, Midtown, Asiatown, the Warehouse District, and the Near West Side. Blog post on the route, WEWS Channel 5 interview, and photos: http://shawnmariani.com/ccm/ Next ride is July 30. Join us!
July 18, 201014 yr Cleveland Critical Mass makes Regina Brett's list of fun, free things to do in Cleveland: http://www.cleveland.com/brett/blog/index.ssf/2010/07/more_free_fun_things_to_do_in.html Also, here's a nice primer on Cleveland Critical Mass: www.clevelandcriticalmass.com Cleveland Critical Mass has been receiving a fair amount of media attention recently, and if you happened to just learn about us now, here’s some info for you. First and foremost, please join the Cleveland Critical Mass Facebook group here. We send updates about our rides and start conversations there. Critical Mass is an international phenomenon, and we join over 300 cities throughout the world in having a gigantic, entirely grassroots campaign the last Friday of every month. The general purpose of Critical Mass is to assert cyclists right to the road; promote bikes as a fun, healthy and viable alternative to cars; build a greater sense of community; to motivate and inspire more people to ride bicycles; or, simply celebrate bike love and ride in solidarity with other like-minded individuals and have some fun. We in Cleveland meet at 6pm at Public Square (in the quadrant nearest to Tower City Center) for socializing, then depart promptly at 6:30pm rain or shine. There are no leaders and no agenda, and the route is largely improvised. We do our best to obey traffic laws and respect all motorists and non-motorists alike. We generally plan to meet at a predetermined local establishment at approximately 8 or 8:30pm for food, drink, and socializing. Cleveland Critical Mass has attracted as many as 150 bicyclists from all walks of life, and we are continuing to grow each month. For a video of Cleveland Critical Mass, please click here. Our next monthly ride will take place Friday, July 30. For more information, please visit the Facebook page linked above or clevelandcriticalmass.com.
July 21, 201014 yr Information about the Cleveland Critical Mass July ride, from Facebook --- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142283619131368 Cleveland Critical Mass July Ride July 30 - 6pm to 8:30pm Public Square, Downtown Cleveland gets critical again on Friday, July 30! Bring your bicycle and a few friends to this month's Cleveland Critical Mass ride. As always, we'll meet at Public Square at 6pm, then depart promptly at 6:30pm for a gigantic bicycle ride through the streets of Cleveland. Afterward, we'll ride to AJ Rocco's, located at 816 Huron Avenue downtown, around 8 or 8:30pm for food, drink, the outdoor patio, and an opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow CCM people. If for some reason AJ Rocco's surpasses capacity, there are plenty of great overflow options in the general vicinity. Last month, approximately 150 people from all walks of life and of all skill levels celebrated bicycling, Cleveland, and the onset of summer. Visit Youtube and search "Cleveland Critical Mass" to see what you might have missed. We will have free CCM stickers for you to sport on your bike, helmet, or wherever! However, CCM has no budget nor money and some of the promoters paid out of pocket for them. So if you can chip in a little something to help cover the cost of printing them and the CCM fliers that have been appearing around town, we would be eternally grateful and can further help grow the mass! A big thanks goes to Jakprints for their support of CCM. Don't forget to bring your cameras and take a ton of photos to post to the CCM public gallery! Finally, as CCM is a completely voluntary activity and each bicyclists chooses to ride or not ride for themselves. Whether you have ridden with CCM multiple times or July will be your first, please visit the about page of clevelandcriticlamass.com and review the CCM mission statement and guiding principles. Roll on and grow the mass!
July 26, 201014 yr 128 rsvp'ed on Facebook, with 113 maybes! We should hit or exceed 200, as long as the forecast remains nice (sunny and 80). Hope some of you UO folk are planning to join us! If you have questions, feel free to post them here.
July 29, 201014 yr Who from UO is planning to come Friday? I think I saw a few in the Facebook rsvp list.
July 29, 201014 yr I will be in Cleveland Thursday and Saturday. It's a bummer, I would like to see one of these rides for myself. I hear so many strong opinions about it from both sides.
July 29, 201014 yr ^ Cleveland has grown exponentially this year. Cleveland's is pretty easy going, fun, and social. The people who come out treat CCM as a giant party/parade on bicycles, smiling and waving at pedestrians and motorists and getting them to cheer or make noise for us. CCM isn't necessarily confrontational or militant like Critical Mass is in other cities. Might that be different if there was more traffic on the streets when the group rides, though? Probably. The roads are relatively quiet when CCM has taken place.
August 1, 201014 yr We had between 225 and 250 for a very parade-like, very festival and fun bicycle ride. Here's the route: Hope some of you UO folks can join next month! You're really missing out on an awesome, very Cleveland experience!
August 10, 201014 yr man, i had to miss the last 2 critical mass bike rides but the august one is not to be missed for my life. this video is so amazing, i love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 10, 201014 yr I was bummed to miss the last event also, if it's Aug 27th, a Friday night, I can make it
August 10, 201014 yr Friday, August 27 (and every last Friday of the month)! We meet on Public Square beginning at 6pm, then depart at 6:30 sharp. Bring friends! We're aiming for 350+ this month. Last month, a random guy bought eighty CCM shirts and handed them out (those went super fast). Someone else gave away stickers to everyone, and another brought a few sheet cakes for after the ride. It's a cool community thing going on. There's talk of one of the businesses in the Warehouse District offering up a pig roast to CCM on the 27th. Details TBA!
August 18, 201014 yr From Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140214182680550 --- Cleveland Critical Mass August Ride Friday, August 27 - 6:30-9:30pm Meet at Public Square downtown Come one, come all to Cleveland Critical Mass! The mass is what you make of it and what you want it to be. Want it to grow? Bring all of your friends and tell everyone you know about it! Last month, approximately 250 bicyclists participated in July. Can we top 300? 350? The next ride takes place Friday August 27 from Public Square downtown. We'll begin meeting at 6pm, then depart promptly at 6:30pm for a gigantic bicycle parade and celebration throughout the streets of Cleveland, rain or shine. We'll ride until 8 or 8:30pm, then hit up a local establishment for food, drink, and mingling. Look for that destination and details about perks to be announced next week. If any CCM people have suggestions or connections to a place that would love to host a large group and offer specials this month, please message us. Interested in coming in to downtown with others? Find a group riding in from your area or coordinate your own in the comments of the event page. Lastly, all participants are requested to review and become familiar with the CCM guiding principles on the about page of clevelandcriticalmass.com. Ride on!
August 18, 201014 yr ^Question for you, CD: Do you know whether Critical Mass is more popular in Cleveland now than ever before, or has it had big turnouts like this in recent years? If more popular now, what do you attribute it to- better/broader outreach? As an expat, I look forward to the video you post every month and am really hoping to make it to a ride someday. Are you guys going to continue into the fall and winter, weather permitting?
August 18, 201014 yr Hey strap, thanks for the interest and the compliments. To answer your questions...Yes, CCM is more popular than ever! There was an effort in the early 2000's to do Critical Mass, but it topped out around thirty riders and got busted up by police (unfortunately, the links to the Free Times articles don't work). Last July, there were only twelve bicyclists. This year, we had 25 in April, 50 in May, 150 in June, and 230-250 in July. The FB group grew from about 400 in the spring to about 750 today (with about 100 joining since August 1). CCM is at the height of its popularity right now. What made it grow so quickly? I think that the right mix of people are behind the scenes, and began establishing a solid routine of when we would create Facebook events and latched on to promote online. One of the guys bought fliers with his own money, and we put them out all over restaurants, bars, and shops. Word of mouth spread very quickly, and people who attended in the past had so much fun that they brought (and continue to bring) everyone they know. They've become very loyal advocates and grassroots promoters because they believe so much in CCM. The videos have been excellent pieces of marketing and have gotten people excited. Lastly, the weather has been absolutely beautiful for every ride since April. Some people are planning to ride year-round regardless of weather, but the end of the riding season bash will likely be the Friday before Halloween this year. Last year, we had about thirty people dressed up in costumes, and we're looking to do something more outrageous this year, too. I'll continue posting the events here, but November and December had a drop-off last year because they fell on days of or after holidays, then January, February, and March were too chilly for people's liking. It's been a great vehicle to meet new like-minded people, though, in a fun, festive atmosphere. Personally, I have easily more than 50 new friends that I've met at or through CCM. It's so easy to roll up to someone you think is interesting, then ask them what their story is. So I'd say if you bicycle and want to connect with others, CCM is definitely your place to do it. I think that a lot of people love coming to see their new friends and catch up with them. I'm always happy to provide whatever information I can about CCM, so ask away if you have questions!
August 18, 201014 yr ^Awesome, thanks! I remember those early 2000s incidents with the police (reading about them, anyway). One of my favorite parts of the videos is seeing the overwhelmingly positive reactions from motorists and pedestrians you guys bike past. I'm sure the lack traffic congestion in Cleveland after business hours helps with that...you're probably not slowing a lot of people down. What's the relationship with the cops like these days? Well great work to you all. Seems like a nice way to energize a lot of folks and to see the city. One of the months I'll rent a bike and tag along.
August 18, 201014 yr ^ The relationship with the police is okay. They were notified that we would be out last month. I can't speak for them, but the sense is that there will be no problems as long as we are civil and not militant. You can see in the videos that we wave/ring bells/cheer and get people to cheer for us/wish people happy Fridays/give fives. However, last month, two riders were ticketed for blowing a red light in front of an RTA officer and riding in the bus lane on Euclid. He had a chip on his shoulder. The rest of the group stopped behind him.
August 26, 201014 yr Another email from CCM on Facebook. Hope some of you can come. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous (70s and sunny/clear), plus we're ending this month's ride at the Sunset Grille on Whiskey Island. 191 are RSVP'ed on Facebook already. Here's the event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140214182680550&index=1 --- Just a reminder that the latest Cleveland Critical Mass ride will take place this Friday. We're anticipating more than 250 bicyclists will enjoy riding Cleveland streets en masse, stellar company, and beautiful weather (a clear evening with temps in the 70s). We'll end this month's ride at Sunset Grille on Whiskey Island. Come hang, meet new people, and celebrate the final ride of the summer season! Bring fun things to do on Whiskey Island, such as frisbees or footballs, or just yourself to enjoy with others. If there's a volunteer who would be willing to lead riders who are driving to Public Square back there after the ride so that they can pick up their vehicles and meet us at Sunset Grille, please post in the comments in the August ride page. We have plenty of stickers to hand out, so grab a few to display on your bike, bodies, street signs, or anywhere else! Get there early before they're out. Spread the word and bring your friends! See everyone at Public Square at 6pm Friday!
August 27, 201014 yr Hope to see some UOers tonight! All of you are welcome to join. We're anticipating around 300 bicyclists from all walks of life.
August 29, 201014 yr From clevelandcriticalmass.com --- August 2010 CCM Written by Shawn on August 28th, 2010 Date: August 27, 2010 Bikes: ~240 Weather: Clear, Low 70′s° F Miles: 16 miles Ride time: 1:40 Route: Route map Video: End Point: Sunset Grille, Whiskey Island Next ride: Friday, September 24, 2010
August 31, 201014 yr Awesome photo that shows the magnitude of Cleveland Critical Mass. East 9th Street full of bicyclists as far as you can see.
August 31, 201014 yr Awesome photo that shows the magnitude of Cleveland Critical Mass. East 9th Street full of bicyclists as far as you can see. WOW! Nice! :clap: :clap:
August 31, 201014 yr awesome! i was just walking home from work here in vienna and critical mass came by. it looks to me to be about the same size! it looked amazing and i really wanted to join. awesome photo!!
September 11, 201014 yr Cleveland Critical Mass September Ride Friday, September 24 - 6:30pm Join hundreds of other bicyclists for Cleveland Critical Mass on Friday, September 24. We'll begin meeting in the southwest quadrant of Public Square at 6pm, then depart promptly at 6:30pm for a gigantic bicycle parade throughout the streets of the Sixth City. This month's ride will end in two locations: Ingenuity Festival and ABC the Tavern. After riding until 8 or 8:30pm, CCM will make an appearance at Ingenuity beneath the Veterans Memorial Bridge. In the interest of safety, the plan is for us to walk our bikes as a group from one side of the bridge to the other to demonstrate to festival goers that bicycles belong and have a place in Cleveland. Choose to stay at Ingenuity as long as you'd like, then make your way to ABC the Tavern on West 25th Street, which has graciously extended happy hour specials on fifteen beers all evening long for CCM bicyclists. In the next few weeks, stay tuned for details on the CCM Halloween ride and end-of-the-season celebration. Lastly, all participants are requested to review and become familiar with the CCM guiding principles on the about page of the CCM website. Give respect and be courteous to pedestrians and motorists, keep the mass together for solidarity, and celebrate bicycles and Cleveland! Confirm your attendance on Facebook here.
September 11, 201014 yr ^ By the way, here's the album of the photographer who took that photo. He has some stellar CCM shots.
September 21, 201014 yr * bump * Join us this Friday if 1) you like bikes; 2) you enjoy meeting new people; 3) you like taking over Cleveland streets along with 250 others.
September 21, 201014 yr ^ By the way, here's the album of the photographer who took that photo. He has some stellar CCM shots. That doesn't open, but this is a good idea http://www.flickr.com/photos/spirallightdesign/sets/72157624700545467/show/
September 21, 201014 yr ^ By the way, here's the album of the photographer who took that photo. He has some stellar CCM shots. That doesn't open, but this is a good idea http://www.flickr.com/photos/spirallightdesign/sets/72157624700545467/show/ Too bad thats not what we see everyday :lol:
September 24, 201014 yr Anyone from UO planning to come tonight? Almost 250 confirmed on Facebook alone. If the weather looks good, we'll easily top 300 bicyclists this evening!
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