Critical Mass Taipei, a large-scale group bicycle ride that has seen up to 300 participants, has gone monthly after being held twice a year since its inception in 2012.
Founder Chan Kai-sheng (詹凱盛) says it has rained at every event since the scheduling change, so he has not been able to gauge the interest level — about 50 cyclists showed up in February and only four last month.
Originating in San Francisco in 1992, Critical Mass has spread to more than 300 cities across the globe, typically on the last Friday of the month, and the Taipei event is no different. No registration is needed — just show up at Taipei City Hall Plaza at 6pm.
Photo courtesy of Critical Mass Taipei
The event is often described as a form of protest where cyclists use sheer numbers to “reclaim the streets,” or a social movement to celebrate environmental-friendly modes of transportation and other biking benefits.
Chan says that riding in a large group is an experience itself, as cyclists are almost always the minority on the streets.
“When you bike alone at rush hour, you often feel pressured by all the cars and motorcycles,” Chan says. “But when you have a lot of people with you, you feel a bit safer.”
Staying true to the event’s original concept, Taipei’s ride has no leaders — the starting and ending points are planned but everything else happens spontaneously.
“We are all participants,” Chan says.
Chan says there is no agenda and people can participate for whatever reason they choose, but personally, he started the ride in response to unfair treatment against cyclists.
A common perception in Taipei, and around the world, is that they are unruly, blocking the road, running red lights and riding on sidewalks. Chan acknowledges that it does happen — but notes that people are unreasonably mean to cyclists and less so when, say, cars make illegal turns or pedestrians jaywalk.
He has even heard people say that cyclists should go “siyisi (死一死),” to go die, a catchphrase recently made popular by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
“Why am I discriminated against just because of my choice of transportation?” he asks. “It is environmentally friendly. It is actually beneficial to everyone.”
In addition to Critical Mass, Chan is organizing a nonprofit organization for cyclist rights, which should bring more attention to the issue.
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