I went on a bike ride last Saturday with 120 friends. We met at Depot Park then toured Gainesville's Bed & Breakfast District, Duck Pond, and the UF campus.
It was Gainesville's version of a critical mass bike ride. That's where many people come together to happily zoom through city centers and adjacent neighborhoods for a hour or two. Having a big group makes it safer to ride as "there's safety in numbers".
My son and I felt safe enough pedaling along at 8 m.p.h. on our eight-mile journey. At one point hungry cyclist veered off in front of us to pick loquats. Free fruit can do that.
It was organized by friends,"Armando", "Lilly", & "Sophia". The three kept us safe and organized. They began their monthly event last fall calling it, "Tour De Gainesville".
Critical mass rides occur all over the planet. My wife and I went on Miami's first one twelve years ago. The heat was on and it nearly did the twenty of us in. Now, The monthly Miami critical mass ride is, like the city itself, larger and more dangerous. As many as 2000 mass together on their night rides. Hot doggers dangerously weave through the rolling crowd. Cut-off motorists often get angry.
But is wasn't that way on our late afternoon ride last week. Many motorists honked, smiled, and waved at our audacious group as headed west on University Avenue.
By 6:30 we were pulling into the Fourth
