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Bikers have fought for their right to share the road with automobiles for the past 15 years. In 1992, an event known as Critical Mass took place in San Francisco.

At the event, 45 bikers with strong opinions on biking rights joined together and cycled on downtown streets, sharing them with the many cars in rush hour traffic.

Julie Karre, founder of the Hamline Cycling Club, has interest in Critical Mass.

"Typically a [Critical Mass] event is planned in advance, and stresses bike safety and alternate transportation," states Karre.

Karre laments the fact that Critical Mass rides have not occured in the Twin Cities since 2004.

"I'm not sure all of the cycling community agrees to communicate the goals of Critical Mass," Karre said.

Critical Mass began because cyclists wanted to combat automobile pollution, demonstrate a healthy, active lifestyle, and show alternatives to daily car traffic.

It's widely known that cars pollute the air and contribute to global warming. Many Critical Mass participants believe fewer cars on the roads and an increase in cyclists will fight the high amount of toxic car emissions in this country.

Critical Mass draws a socially conscious crowd of participants. Due to the fact that the events take place in large cities, many college students who live in participating cities attend.

Former University of Maryland college student Daniel Hall joined in College Park, Maryland when he was an undergrad.

According to Hall, cycling fights the increasing urban sprawl. It causes less traffic and less pollution than drivingčplus it is healthier than sitting in a car in rush hour.

The event has grown steadily since 1992 and has become a worldwide bike ride. These rides happen on every last Friday of each month, with a few cities adding extra ride days as well.

Some urban Critical Mass sites have hundreds of riders, while others have very few. In that respect, some rides are more successful at getting their ideas across to the public than others.

Some cities’ riders also react differently around motorists and police. In both cases, there can be both positive and negative attitudes.

Critical Mass is not a sponsored event. It is not an association and there are no demonstration leaders. Instead, it is a group of people getting together and cycling for what they stand for.

And of course, there is no participation fee.

“I ride in protest to car culture,” Hall said.

He also rides to advocate for safer biking spaces, to share the roads, and to reclaim space.

The ride is not an objection to automobile transportation. Instead, its goal is to set an example of an easy alternative to city driving.

According to Critical Mass' official website, some riders purposefully tie up traffic and are confrontational with motorists. The website makes it very clear that this is not the objective of Critical Mass.

Denying others their space on the road is not a collective goal.

“It is a celebration of cycling,” Michael Bluejay, the current operator of the Critical Mass website, said.

Bluejay was a former Critical Mass participant, but has not been directly involved for a few years.

It is because of this renegade attitude that organizers do not want to obtain a city license to make the events official. The rides often get a bad rap from cops.

“There have been instances of police harassment, most notably in New York City during the last Republican National Convention,” Hall said.

New York City recently filed a lawsuit to ban Critical Mass from taking place.

Hall also mentioned an event in Brooklyn where the police rode ahead to block off intersections so there were no accidents. He said police involvement can go either way.

But with 20 to 30 and often upwards of 100 cyclists on the road, how do drivers react? Even with a single biker on the road, cars veer far away to avoid them.

“The overwhelming response is almost complete confusion,” Hall said. “Sometimes you run into people who are thrilled with what we are doing, while sometimes people flick you off.”

Drivers haven’t shaken Hall’s confidence biking on busy downtown streets, and apparently that goes for thousands of other bikers as well.

With monthly rides around the country, the demonstration is as popular as ever.

The best way to learn about Critical Mass is to participate, according to Hall.

Critical Mass events have been absent from Minnesota for two years.

Perhaps bikers like Karre would be interested riding with Critical Mass if it returns to the Twin Cities.

Visit www.critical-mass.info for more information and to find out how to start up a Critical Mass ride locally.