Kidical Mass

Kidical Mass, a legal, safe and fun bike ride for kids, kids at heart, and their families, comes to Grant Park on Sunday, November 20th

ATLANTA, GEORGIA — The 2nd Kidical Mass Atlanta is coming to Grant Park for the last Farmer's Market of the season on Sunday, November 20th at 10 a.m.

Kidical Mass is a family-friendly, law-abiding bike ride. The purpose is to teach kids, parents and caregivers safety skills and provide a ride in which to practice them. Organizers from the Sopo Bicycle Co-op and Atlanta Bicycle Coalition hope to build awareness of the growing presence of kids and families on bikes, as well as the need for all road users to respect others. Kidical Mass brings together families who bike to build a supportive bicycling community. Kidical Mass rides are comfortable for families just starting out and biking on city streets for the first time but don’t completely avoid traffic. There is safety in numbers, not just on a group ride like this but also in the day to day world of riding in the city. This ride helps families experience that comfort, and hopes participants will grow to incorporate biking into their transportation menus in the future.

The first ride in May was a hit, with 60+ children and family members biking about 4 miles from Oakhurst to Downtown Decatur. Neighborhood residents on their porches fired up cell phones to photograph and film the “kidical” riders, who ranged widely in age, from toddlers on their parents’ bikes to older children and teens.

The Grant Park Kidical Mass will start at 10:00 a.m. at Milledge Fountain, at the corner of Cherokee Ave and Milledge Ave. The ride will continue south on Cherokee Ave, turn right (west) on Georgia Ave, turn right (north) on Connally St, turn right (east) on Sydney St, turn right onto Cherokee Ave, and end back at Cherokee Ave and Milledge Ave. The route combines residential and connector streets to raise awareness. classic.mapmyride.com/route/us/ga/atlanta/502131964039414365

This is a very slow-paced ride (avg. 1-10 mph). Riders are encouraged to share the fun by ringing bells, bringing noise makers, and waving to all. All types of bikes, trailers, trail-a-bikes, Xtracycles, longtails, bakfiets, Long Johns, tandems, folders, trikes, and whatever rolls are welcome. Organizers will give away Kidical Mass spoke cards and stickers at the ride start location at 9:30 a.m as the group gathers.

By law in Georgia, all children 16 and under must wear a helmet. Parents and caregivers are strongly encouraged to model that behavior as well as safe riding practices. The ride will stop as many times as necessary to make sure the group stays together. Streets will not be closed. Riders can join or leave the group at any point.

Guidelines for participants include personal responsibility (obey traffic laws and no group movements through stop signs and lights), and parental responsibility for their own children by being aware of their location at all times.

Additional volunteers are welcome - to get involved, volunteer, or ask questions email corny@sopobikes.org.

Kidical Mass Atlanta information is available at atlantabike.org/kidical and sopobikes.org, or visit kidicalmass.org to learn more about this national initiative.