Critical Mass is a mess of cyclists meeting once a month in cities around the world for the purpose of asserting their right to use the roads. In so doing they are frequently at odds with motorists, who tend to see this as
their territory and find themselves in traffic jams held up by directionless, leaderless herds.
[1] Depending on the city, composition of the group, recent events
[2] and other factors, it can be a festive affair with loud music and bells and whistles, or a serious demo. To some it is a purely social event; to others, an opportunity to demonstrate on a wide range of issues tenuously if at all related to human powered locomotion. For those not normally comfortable cycling in an urban environment, this may be their only regular such outing.
London Critical Mass takes place on the last Friday of every month. It coalesces on the South Bank
[3] under Waterloo Bridge around 6pm, and leaves whenever.
[4]See also
Notes
1 - There is no official route and nobody is in charge. Well, except those who think they're in charge. And the police.
2 - Such as fatalities, in which case an effort is usually made to visit the scene of the incident.
3 - There's a nice outdoor book market, so you might want to take panniers.
4 - The later it gets the louder the whistles.External link