First CRITICAL MASS CHENNAI (Pics/Report)

It happened! It really did! Albeit humble but a beginning it is...

Kicking off from the IIT campus, a bunch of about 25 riders rode from
IIT Main gate - SP Road 2wards Besant Nagar - around the Besant Nagar beach road - back to Insti.

After much debating we decided to shorten the route as the riders were unfamiliar to the mass, some of the bikes were rented and experienced riders were absent. Before the ride started we spoke to one of the local English news channels and explained to them the idea behind Critical Mass. So enthused were they that they decided to follow us all the way to the beach acting as a pseudo safety car.

The ride was, to say the least very very smooth. None of the riders seemed to be amateurs as they rode in a disciplined single file. This goes a long way in showing that anyone, just anyone can comfortably ride even on the busy roads of Chennai.

Our stop at the Besant Nagar beach was very productive as complete strangers came up to us and asked us why we were doing what we were doing. This can easily be termed the high point of the critical mass as we managed to get across our messages to a lot of people.

The bike salute and 350 formation on the sand increased the fun element of the ride.

Here are a few links to the media coverage we got.

deccanchronicle
sify.com

I (Supreeth) take this opportunity to clarify a few things again.

Critical mass is not an organization's initiative. It is a people's movement. We have only taken the initiative to start the Chennai chapter.It belongs to nobody.

I hope more and more cyclists from all walks of life join into Chennai Critical Mass and make it a grand success.

For those of you who missed it, don't worry the critical mass is going to happen sooner than you think! Stay tuned!

Signing off

Supreeth for Critical Mass Chennai