Who?
There is no formal organization – anyone joining in will be riding as an individual in their own right, and may come or go as they please. Indeed, this web site is by no means authoritative; it merely contains the impressions and view of its creators. Other web sites could emerge with their own views on what Bolton Critical Mass is about.
People on all types of cycles are welcomed with open arms, irrespective of their type of clothing or plastic hats, and some people will probably decorate their chosen cycle to add to the joyous nature of the ride.
Why?
People have many reasons for riding. A widely shared intention is to have a pleasant, relaxed ride, where we can chat whilst celebrating the joy of getting about under our own steam. Many want to show the people of Bolton that this is a normal mode of travel that almost anyone could participate in.
Up to now, the rides have been fairly small (maximum was 21 people on the Halloween ride), but sometimes it has been big enough to allow inexperienced riders to feel safer as a result of the safety-in-numbers effect. Hopefully the numbers will increase over the coming months.
Many people riding also want to show the Council leadership that there is a demand for safe cycling across the Borough and not everybody wants to use a car for every short journey.
How?
Each individual is responsible for their own actions, but it is to be hoped that people will abide by all laws and rules of the road (as is normal) and that people, whilst exercising and asserting their right to be on the road, will be courteous to other road users and not cause delays unnecessarily. (Note that currently a local order makes it an offence to cycle in Victoria Square itself or on the pedestrian precinct.)
What is Critical Mass?
Want to know what a Critical Mass ride looks like? You can see lots of pictures and videos from previous rides here. Pictures and videos of the Critical Mass rides held in Manchester may be seen here.
Critical Mass rides started in San Francisco in 1992 and now happen monthly in many towns and cities around the world There is a Wikipedia page with a lot of background information.
Bolton Critical Mass 