Pensacola Critical Mass started in September '08 after a ten year hiatus. We are doing very well for the size of our fair city. We have a couple tallbikes and a few people always dress up in costume. We ride from one small cafe to another restaurant/bar. Fortunately the owners of the bar we end up at, Sluggo's, give every rider of age two free draft beers. The free beer is definately an attractant, and also having a semi-definate ending point and subsequent party for everyone is a great plus, even for the non-drinkers. It seems most mass rides end up petering out as riders drop off. Having a destination helps to keep everyone focused, I believe the 'goal' really helps. Maybe change it up everytime, try a different bar/restaurant, bbq/potluck at someone's house or in a city park?
goodluck and pedal hard, elrite Pensacola, FL, home of the BeachCat AlleyCat and SouthEastSide Polo Invitational. February 14 and 15, 2009. http://www.myspace.com/pensacolaalleycatz
-When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments. Here was a machine of precision and balance for the convenience of man. And (unlike subsequent inventions for man's convenience) the more he used it, the fitter his body became. Here, for once, was a product of man's brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, and of no harm or irritation to others. Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle.
~Elizabeth West, Hovel in the Hills
--- On Fri, 1/23/09, 1304bikes 1304bikes@gmail.com wrote:
From: 1304bikes 1304bikes@gmail.com Subject: [TheThinkTank] Smaller Critical Masses To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@bikecollectives.org Date: Friday, January 23, 2009, 4:30 AM Doug here from 1304bikes in Raleigh, NC. I was wondering what some of you folks from smaller towns who host critical mass rides do to make them more fun and to attract poeple to come ride in them. We usually only have anywhere from 10-30 poeple in our rides, which i feel is small for a city with a population of 300k. We have a small handful of regulars who always show, but then we get a lot of folks who will come once or twice, but then we'll never see them again. I think maybe a lot people are turned off by the slow pace and lack of excitement at the rides. Maybe we just don't advertise well enough. Either way, hoping for some suggesting as to what other cities without the excitement of a super large mass do to draw people out to their rides. I feel if we can grow the ride large enough, it will become fun in itself, but our mass isn't large enough yet for that appeal. Thanks for all the input! -- 1304bikes 2419 Mayview Rd. Raleigh, NC 1304bikes.org _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...