Fallen Into Knowledge

Here is another, about half way into the ride, taken while re-grouping

Here we are just before leaving on the ride - I would estimate between 200-300 people total rode.

I just now got back from this month’s Critical Mass, and as I’m sure will be reported heavily on the local news tonite, the Mayor, Tom Potter, rode with us (as previously noted, see below). When I asked him why he wanted to ride with us, he responded that he had received conflicting reports on the movement from those who rode and the police the are inevitably our escort; so he wanted to see for himself what this was all about. He also noted that he had just planned on showing up - this wasn’t supposed to be a media event. But it was - it seemed as though every local TV station was filming and reporters were present from every local newspaper. Also, since the word got out about the mayors riding with us, there were hundreds of cyclists present.
I talked with some of the people there and got the vibe that many people who want to participate in the ride haven’t because of the stories of police “harassment,” but given the mayors presence now felt comfortable.
It was an enjoyable, peaceful ride. I only heard a few directions from the police escort - all aimed at preventing cyclists from breaking the law - and only saw a few angry drivers, most of whom quickly had a bicycle police officer talking with them. It was a good ride! It will be very encouraging if we see people come back to do it again next month.