Bike San Luis Obispo County underscores the local passion for cycling through a safety program geared toward parents and kids.
Since 2009, Kidical Mass—a parade of locals of all ages—has taken to the streets of SLO on bikes of all kinds. There are seasoned BMX riders able to perform tricks, younger ones on balance bikes, and even toddlers secured onto their parents’ bikes.z
“It’s a family-friendly group bike ride that teaches safe cycling skills to parents and children with the goal of empowering them to be cyclists in their communities,” Bike SLO County Education Coordinator Julia Valentine said.
The wheels for Kidical Mass first turned in Eugene, Oregon, in 2008. Families put the event together to celebrate Ted White—the creator of the 1992 bike culture documentary Return of the Scorcher—coming to town.
The documentary captured pedicab designer George Bliss calling a backlog of cyclists at traffic intersections “critical mass.” The name caught on to describe a group of cyclists pedaling together down any given route.
Riffing on that phrase, Kidical Mass has since spread across the country, often morphing into “bike buses” where people organize rides to keep kids safe while biking to and from school.
‘What’s more joyful than being a 10-year-old on your bike riding to school? Hardly anything.’—Julia Valentine, Bike SLO County education coordinator
Valentine has witnessed toddlers who participated in some of SLO’s first Kidical Mass trips grow into teenagers and young adults who ride their bikes together around the city.
“You build some confidence in young children, they’re going to take that with them into their older years and older school years,” she said. “What’s more joyful than being a 10-year-old on your bike riding to school? Hardly anything.”
SLO’s Kidical Mass usually takes place on the third Thursday of every month from April through October. Diminishing attendance made organizers wonder if the program should be retired for a while, but the May gathering in Los Osos drew 100 people. That success compelled Kidical Mass to return to Los Osos in July.
The next ride will kick off at 6 p.m. on Aug. 20 at SLO’s Mitchell Park. Sign-ups aren’t required. Interested participants can track upcoming dates on Instagram @bikeslocounty and show up for scheduled trips.
Kidical Mass bike rides are short and sweet, averaging between 15 minutes and half an hour. Valentine gives a brief safety talk to attendees explaining the route and expectations for the ride. Following helmet fittings, she sometimes gives away extra gear like lights. Then she heads to the front of the pack and leads the ride.
“We set off on our journey together, and I have a speaker and a flag,” she said. “We rock it out, and we ride through the streets having a good time representing safe cycling for families.”
Education is as important as safety. Valentine stressed that bicycling is an activity that’s accessible to most people. She believes cycling boils down to a way for people to get around their community, and not just be perceived as a hobby or a workout.
“Oftentimes, when Americans think about cycling, they think about road cyclists that are riding together in their fancy outfits on their $10,000 bikes,” she said. “Our mandate is we want to embed cycling as an alternative mode of transportation into our local community. Cyclists and drivers alike.”
Kidical Mass doesn’t have a minimum age requirement but asks parents to sign a waiver if they’re bringing kids along. All levels of bicycles are welcome too. Valentine just asks all attendees to arrive with a good attitude.
“Some Kidical Mass in other parts of the country, I’ve heard that kids with training wheels or balance bikes are discouraged from coming, but we’re kind of an equal-opportunity Kidical Mass group,” she said with a laugh. “If you got some wheels under you, we say, ‘Come on down, we’re ready to host.’”
Fast fact
• Kick off back-to-school fun at the SLO County Public Libraries Extravaganza event on Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cuesta College. Sponsored by the county Library Foundation and Friends of the Library, the celebration includes carnival games, a treasure hunt, and meet-ups with characters like the storybook dragon from Dragons Love Tacos. A scheduled music event and a magic show will also be held at the Harold J. Miossi Cultural and Performing Arts Center. Visit slolibrary.org for the complete calendar. ∆
Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.
