Drivers Sidelined By Critical Mass Riders

"Some call it a bicycle insurrection against the thoughtless motorists who hog city streets. Others say it's about nothing more than fun."

"On the last Friday of each month, the cyclists of Critical Mass embark on an unrehearsed crosstown jaunt that -- for a few hours -- transforms the urban landscape."

"When Critical Mass hits the streets, bikes rule. Sometimes with sharp elbows, riders brush aside the cars, trucks and buses that stand in their way. And often, tempers flare."

"Critical Mass riders, who refer to themselves as 'massers,' insist that they're not tying up traffic -- they are the traffic, albeit a two-wheeled variety. Their aim is to force cars to share the road and leave enough room for bike lanes, so cyclists won't have to fear injury and death."

"'For 29 days a month, cars call the shots. It's Auto Mass,' said Kate McCarthy, a member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. 'But for a few hours of one day, we turn the tables. We take the streets back.'"