[van-announce] Vancouver Cyclists Celebrate 10th Anniversary Critical Mass Ride

[Steve Kisby]

CRITICAL MASS VANCOUVER
For Immediate Release

Vancouver Cyclists Join Cyclists Around The World In 10th Anniversary Critical Mass Ride

VANCOUVER -- September 25, 2002 -- Bicycle riders in Vancouver join cyclists around the world in celebrating 10 years of Critical Mass bicycle rides. Critical Mass started on September 25, 1992, in San Francisco. Ten years later, it's still going strong and has spread to over 300 cities including Vancouver. In San Francisco, thousands of cyclists are expected on the 10th Anniversary ride on the last Friday of the month. 

In Vancouver, cyclists and other forms of human powered transportation will meet at the Vancouver Art Gallery (by the fountain) on Friday, September 27, for the monthly ride that starts around 6:00 pm and goes through the streets of downtown Vancouver. Decorated bicycles, signs, costumes, noisemakers, and bicycle "choppers" are all expected. Skateboards, roller blades, and roller-skates are all welcome too! The ride is on rain or shine. Cast members of the popular Fringe Festival play the Rocky Dino Opera and the Dinosaurs Against Fossil Fuels (www.bikesexual.org/dinos) will be participating in the ride.

"Feel the joy of riding beside another cyclist instead of a car!," said Bev Canuel, a regular monthly rider in Vancouver's Critical Mass. 

Critical Mass is a grassroots bicycle and skate event, held throughout the world on the last Friday of every month, where riders and skaters organize themselves and collectively occupy the streets in a fun, celebratory reclamation of public space. It promotes bicycles and other non-polluting forms of transportation.

Critical Mass functions on a decentralized basis, with no leaders, central planning, or corporate sponsorship. Although there may be a destination, riders at the front determine the route of the ride as the ride proceeds. And although there is no one in charge of Critical Mass, the authors of this release have played a role in promoting Vancouver's Critical Mass and have co-organized other popular rides such as the annual Wholesome Undy ride (http://vancouver.indymedia.org/news/2002/07/13415.php) that was recently selected by the Georgia Straight (http://www.straight.com/bov) and its readers as the Best Protest in Vancouver (September 19-26, page 21).

You can find more Critical Mass history and many examples of flyers and other historical documents at www.criticalmasshub.com, www.critical-mass.org, and www.monkeywrenchcafe.org/cm. For information on the monthly ride in Vancouver, email velolove at vancouver.indymedia.org, phone 604-736-8194, or check the web site at www.monkeywrenchcafe.org/cm 

Mass for Mass Transit.
We Are Not Blocking Traffic, We ARE Traffic!

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! Critical Mass Vancouver  autosaurus at tao.ca !
!     http://www.monkeywrenchcafe.org/cm     !
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   _ _ __.. .__o     Next Ride: Friday, Sep 27
- -_--.-  _`\<,_      5:30 pm Van. Art Gallery
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          THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE MOTORIZED