Hey ladies! You already have white tops and black bras and short black skirts and black tights and white shoes in your closets, so all you’ll need is a road flare or two.
And how much will that run you, a couple bucks?
And then you’ll be ready for action the night of October 31st looking just like the realthing:
Click to expand
Bringing a friend or two with you? Well then have them wear pencil skirts and follow you around.
And your guy friends can bring their bikes along – it all comes together.
And then festivities will end, of course, this Friday with the big 20th Anniversary Ride the evening of September 28th, 2012. (Not that you’d know it from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition website’s ”Chain of Events” section, where all info about CM* is now censored.)
“It started with a bike ride in San Francisco on Sept. 25, 1992. About 50 people cycled in a pack along Market Street, hoping to earn some respect from drivers who sometimes ignored them or edged them off the road. They called it the “Commute Clot.” Today it’s known as Critical Mass, a movement that’s spread worldwide. Supporters say it promotes cycling and the rights of bicyclists. But critics say it is illegal, clogs traffic and antagonizes drivers. We talk about Critical Mass’ 20th anniversary, and its effects on the city.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:
Chris Carlsson, co-founder of Critical Mass who was part of the first ride on Sept. 25, 1992, and has since participated in Critical Mass rides in Milan, Vancouver and Porto Alegre, Brazil
Tune in at 10:00 on your radio or on your device, Listen Live.
*The SFBC raises money through fees but it also gets mucho dinero directly from SFGov. So that’s why it endorsed Ed Lee for Mayor even though SFBC’s members generally did not and still do not like Ed Lee. Similarly, Chrstina Olague, Mayor Ed Lee’s hand-picked recruit for District 5 Supervisor, gets endorsed over Julian Davis even though SFBC members actually favor JD. The SFBC is basically a quasi-government agency now, so it’s very afraid of seeming to say something negative about certain members of the City Family. It’s also afraid of hurting the chances of its officers someday getting jobs / health care directly with SFGov / SFMTA. Anyway, that’s why the SFBC is basically a SFGov kiss-ass these days. It will lobby San Francisco government, certainly, but that’s about as far as it wants to go. (Think about it – who would the SFMTA endorse for Mayor?)
Now, I know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking, “what about criminal liability for the organizers?” But the thing is that the organizers are saying that participants need to stay to the right (more or less) and stop for red lights. That should serve to keep the ringleaders out of the hoosegow.
But what about civil liability? Well, that’s unlimited, baby, the sky’s the limit on that score. (I’d want a seven-figure liability policy in place before I’d start organizing huge bike parties, myself.)
Anyway:
TIME: FRIDAY JAN 7 – 7.30PM GATHER – 8PM ROLL
START: GIANTS STADIUM – WILLIE MAYS GATE
END: CIVIC CENTER QUAD — NEAR BART
PARTY THEME: BIRTHDAY PARTY!!
San Francisco Bike Party rolls out the new year in style, our
inaugural ride is a rockin birthday party for the whole city! The
ride will take a leisurely tour of some popular areas of the city
along with our mobile sound systems. We’ll stop and party at 3
well-known spots along the ride. You are welcome to join or leave the
ride at any intermediate spot – the route will be posted the week of
the ride. If you want to volunteer to help with the ride, come early
and we’ll show you what to do.
GOOGLE MAPS ROUTE — http://tinyurl.com/36kjur6
MAP MY RIDE ROUTE — http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/26568284
Stay in the loop:
RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125976360799352
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Francisco-Bike-Party/118246874907825
WEB: http://www.sfbikeparty.org/
EMAIL LIST: http://groups.google.com/group/bike-party-sf/boxsubscribe
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/SFBikeParty
FLICKR GROUP: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sfbikeparty/
HOW WE RIDE:
- Stay in the right lane
- Stop at red lights
- Leave nothing and nobody behind
- Ride predictably and in control
- Roll past conflict
- When in doubt, “bike party!!”
San Francisco Bike Party is a monthly CELEBRATION of biking!
- SFBP is for ALL RIDERS of different ages, types, and skill levels to enjoy.
- SFBP encourages people to bring POSITIVITY and CONTRIBUTE to good times while being RESPECTFUL to others.
- SFBP rides FUN and SAFE with stops to DANCE and SOCIALIZE along the way.
- SFBP follows PLANNED ROUTES exploring all different parts of the
city each month.
Who runs it?
- SFBP is created by a CO-OP, by and for bike enthusiasts, run by volunteers.
- SFBP volunteers plan the routes, test ride them, help participants
ride in control, avoid traffic disruption, and not get lost.
Who is it for?
- SFBP is for EVERYONE, cyclists and people on and around the street.
- SFBP invites riders from EVERYWHERE around the Bay Area and beyond
to participate and BRIDGE COMMUNTIES.
Where and When:
- SFBP is on the 1st FRIDAY meeting 7:30 rolling 8:00 pm every month, with the route being announced beforehand, beginning in and riding thru different parts of
San Francisco.
Now, the SFPD made the same Tweet last month, but February’s CritMa had a forecast of lots of rain so the turnout of bike riders was low. Tomorrow should be sunny, and what with Daylight Savings Time kicking in we should have a rocking Critical Mass with plenty of attendees.
What makes San Francisco’s monthly Critical Mass an illegal bicycle parade is the fact that nobody gets permits. ‘Cause getting a permit is hard - it would entail doing stuff that costs a lot of money and it would make you a magnet for lawsuits, so who needs that, right?
I’ll tell you, the biggest shock that drivers have when they get stuck at an intersection is that they get no sympathy from the cops.Drivers without criminal records tend to stay by their cars and watch the parade of bikes.
OTOH, drivers with criminal records, well, Critical Mass is a test of their ability to maintain. Some fail.
Do I think San Francisco has the will to kill Critical Mass? No. But do I think Police Chief George Gascon is planning on shaking things up, in the coming months, you know, when rain no longer threatens* and the number of cyclists is bigger? Yes.
Well here’s something new under the sun. It’s the Vandal cargo pack for cyclists from the Mission Workshop.
See? It expands, thusly:
So you can carry a pony keg of delicious, if warm, Sierra Nevada on your back, or, indeed, an entire bike:
Their video shows you how it works. (Try not to yell out “co-option, co-option” as you see two tandem riders participating in Halloween Critical Mass 2009.)
Mission Workshop is just getting started, so they don’t yet have a retail store. But they do have a full-on corporate-style media campaign. Here it is, enjoy:
“Introducing Mission Workshop and Their First Expandable Cargo Backpack ‘The Vandal’
Mission Workshop is a San Francisco based company located in the heart of the Mission District. The company was born from over 15 years experience designing and manufacturing messenger bags and clothing. The founders of the bag company Chrome opened Mission Workshop in October of 2009 and just released their first backpack called “the Vandal.”
The Vandal is a weatherproof backpack designed for cyclists and anyone else that relies on their bag to get them through the day. It’s big enough to handle your daily gear and expands for additional cargo when needed. The Vandal’s expansion system gets bigger without using extra fabric and seals flat to disappear when not needed.
According to co-founder Bart Kyzar, “Most people prefer as small of a pack as possible but regularly need extra carrying capacity. Even with a full load, the Vandal can expand to accommodate an additional bag of groceries or a case of your favorite brew. It easily turns from 1200 cubic inches into 2200 cubic inches on the fly.”
The pack incorporates three built in compartments. The main roll top compartment is large and has RF welded seams making it completely waterproof. The middle compartment is perfect for a laptop and the smaller compartment is designed for personal organization. In addition to these, the expandable area is always ready for use when needed.
The Vandal has also stepped up the design on the backpack harness by integrating a frame sheet and fiberglass rods for support and comfort. This makes the Vandal much more comfortable than other cycling packs and has given it enhanced stability under heavy loads. The Vandal is PVC free and only uses fabrics coated with urethane. In addition to the environmental benefits, urethane coatings are much tougher than PVC and better retain their waterproof capabilities.
