Critical Mass

Via BikeBlogNYC, the Miami Bike Scene recently posted this post-game clip of Dwyane Wade in which the All-Star Heat guard shares his fondness for going on bike rides with thousands of other people. On Friday, it seems, Wade and teammates LeBron James and Mario Chalmers warmed up for the next day's match against the Brooklyn Nets by going on a 20-mile Critical Mass jaunt through the streets of Miami.

(Following this weekend' high profile crash and fatality at Critical Mass, there's bound to be some discussion of fixed gears, "brakeless bikes" and helmet usage. Here at Streetsblog, we don't want to run away from the controversy or try and tell you how to think so we decided to run a series on the issue(s) raised by the events of the last 96 hours. If you would like to chime in, feel free to do so in the comments section, or if you are interested in publishing your own op/ed, drop me an email at damien@streetsblog.org - DN) 

Last night, a cyclist died on Critical Mass after losing control of his bicycle and crashing into a wall on UCLA's campus. Jerico Culata was only eighteen years old and friends and family are already mourning his death. Police are investigating the cause of the crash but have already noted that Culata was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Other riders were involved in the crash, but the LAPD reports no other serious injuries.

Critical Mass avoided controversy on Friday night, rolling to the Westside to UCLA Medical Center (where the last hospitalized victim from the Culver City Crash a couple of weeks ago is still recovering) to the traditional stop at Western and Sunset.  Tickets were kept to a minimum, I could count on one hand the number of times I saw officers pulling over cyclists, and I heard more discussion of New York's decision to allow gay marriage than I did complaints about the LAPD's handling of the aforementioned crash. The LAPD estimated that at its peak, there were 1,300 riders taking part in the ride.

I got a notice in my inbox that the popular Internet Radio show Bike Talk will spend an episode discussing all things "Critical Mass" in Los Angeles. To say that it's been an interesting year for Critical Mass is an understatement. To make things even more interesting, last month's ride had some cyclists take the lead in acquiescing to the LAPD's demand for a route before they would cork intersections. The ride went smoothly. The intersections were corked.

(editor's note: Nope, I wasn't there this month.  This is all second-hand reporting.  Alex de Cordoba did attend the mass and offers a report on the ride and thoughts on how it can move forward at The Engaged Observer. - DN)

This Friday at 7:30 P.M. riders and their police escort will pedal out of the Wilshire/Western starting point for the next chapter in the "new" Critical Mass.  Ever since the LAPD was caught on tape violently "policing" Critical Mass in May, police bicycle riders (and some using motorized vehicles) have joined the Mass to help make the protest ride as safe and smooth flowing as possible.  As word has gotten out that Critical Mass is now the safest bike ride in North America, the number of riders has swelled from a couple of hundred to an estimated 2,000 last month.