Vancouver Bike Month attracts over 1200

History was made yesterday in Vancouver as cyclists took to the streets in the largest numbers yet. In celebration of Bike Month, bicycle advocates called for 2000 + 5 wheels and handily topped their target by pulling over 1200 people to the event as cyclists joined the rolling mass of bicycles, skate boarders, and in-line skaters.

Starting 6 pm at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the celebratory ride is part of a series of rides that occur the last Friday of every month, called Critical Mass, that winds through the streets of Vancouver encouraging motorists to abandon their cars for clean air. Critical Mass is a grassroots reclamation of public space which allows cyclists and other self-propelled people to move safely and comfortably through the streets of Vancouver in a car-free space. The motto: "We're Not Blocking Traffic -- We ARE Traffic!"

Critical Mass was born in San Francisco in 1992, and quickly spread to other cities worldwide. Now over 300 cities boast monthly rides. Attendance at Vancouver Critical Mass has been increasing steadily, with recent rides averaging 300 participants. The next ride is July 29.