General[]
Critical Mass bike rides in Graz started in March 2007. The monthly rides takes place each last friday and start at Südtirolerplatz (right behind the Kunsthaus). Participants usually meet there around 16:30 and start at 17:00. The routes of the rides are decided spontaneously by people who happen to be at the front of the ride.
The idea behind Critical Mass is to promote cycling as a safe, clean, fast and sustainable means of transportation, especially in an urban environment. During the collective rides, communal space in the city is reclaimed temporarily by cyclists in order to reflect on and question the dominance of cars in the cityscape.
Participation[]
As everywhere, Critical Mass rides in Graz are open to everyone. Critical Mass is a loose group of people from different backgrounds, with different beliefs and attitudes. All sorts of bicycles or other human-powered vehicles are welcome.
There is no organisation behind Critical Mass and everyone is responsible for themselves. The direction in which Critical Mass will develop and how it is perceived by the public depends on the way each individual participates. Various forms of creative expression, such as disguises, banners and music are welcome, as long as non-discriminatory.
The fact that there is neither an organisation nor a clear set of rules behind Critical Mass means that participants should see themselves as autonomous and responsible individuals. However, everyone should keep in mind that every single action taken by an individual during a Critical Mass event, might be projected onto Critical Mass as a whole by the public.