As Kidical Mass Bath organiser I have been quizzed in the past whether our rides are ‘events’ or ‘protests’.

A protest can take many different forms and isn’t confined by marching or standing in front of a (local) government building with placards. The Anti-Apartheid Movement, Suffragettes and more recently XR and Just Stop Oil have shown that protesting can take place in many different forms.

Pride is a good example of a joyous celebration of love and diversity while at the same time protesting the injustice that many within the LGBTQ+ community experience.

Kidical Mass Bath cycle rides have been taking place since May 2021, when plans for a bus gate on a road between the city centre and the southern plateau with several educational sites (Claverton Down) was deemed to not have gotten enough support in a consultation with the public. This bus gate could have created a safe walking and cycling route up to several secondary schools for hundreds of school children each year. These children weren’t consulted.

At the first Kidical Mass ride in Bath, in May 2021, to my surprise as an organiser, 150 people showed up, including people of all ages and abilities. It was a true celebration of cycling, with lots of bells ringing, and children happily riding their bikes on roads which they usually wouldn’t cycle on due to no cycling infrastructure being made available to them. There were people on tandems, trikes, children in bike seats and trailers, box bikes, folding bikes, the list goes on – some people were wearing lycra, but most were wearing their everyday clothes.

What is Kidical Mass?

Kidical Mass is a play on the term ‘Critical Mass’ which is a worldwide movement of people coming together in towns and cities on their cycles to cycle as a group to raise awareness of the lack of safe cycling infrastructure. It was started in 1992 in San Francisco. It usually takes place every month, there’s no need to sign up, and the route is not shared with people beforehand.

Kidical Mass is similar to Critical Mass but focussed on children and families, although everyone is welcome at the rides. While cycling can sometimes feel daunting for adults, for children it can be downright dangerous to mix with motorised vehicles and parents often feel they can’t let their children cycle to school because of the dangers caused by drivers and the lack of safe spaces to cycle.

The idea of Kidical Mass is that children should be able to move around safely and independently on foot and bike. If our streets are safe for children, they are safe for everyone!

A Kidical Mass is a slightly more orchestrated action than a Critical Mass because of the involvement of children. We usually have a team of around ten volunteers to help us keep the group and other road users safe. These adults make sure the group can stay together and isn’t broken up by drivers.

Keeping the group together and safe is our number one priority and this contributes to the ‘safety in numbers’ effect that people experience when they come to a Kidical Mass.

Safety in numbers

When you cycle on your own on the road without protection from fast-moving cars, buses and HGVs, you have to fend for yourself and can take certain steps to minimise the risk, such as taking ‘primary position’ as advised in the Highway Code. When you cycle alone, or with a child or two, you may find drivers trying to overtake you when there is not enough space to do so safely. Having to share the space with fast-moving motorised vehicles is the most important reason for families to not cycle for everyday journeys, including to school.

Cycling in a group offers a level of safety that is hard to mirror when on the road by yourself or with your family. With Kidical Mass we take up the entire carriageway, resulting in other traffic to stay behind us. We don’t ‘hold up’ traffic too long, since we are a fairly compact group and move at a decent pace. 

With the help of volunteers, we offer children the chance to cycle on roads that they usually wouldn’t be allowed to cycle on, and they don’t have to worry about their safety. Parents and carers can also relax more and enjoy the ride instead of constantly worrying about the safety of their children.

Visibility

When we ride through town, people see us going past at a leisurely pace of around 3 to 5 miles an hour. We wave, smile, ring our bells, and chat to people. We also have colourful flags attached to our bikes. And sometimes we chant a bit too: “What do we want; safer streets. When do we want them; Now!”

Many people in town will have arrived by car or bus and it would never occur to them that cycling is an option. Kidical Mass is a strong visual reminder that the wonderful cycle is available and that people of all ages can use them – if only we’d have safe streets.

You can spot all types of cycles on our rides including adapted cycles such as recumbents and trikes, and some people with disabilities use them as their mobility aid. Walking may be difficult or painful for them, but their cycle offers them a way to move around town that gets them where they need to be and offers them exercise at the same time.

Come along to a Kidical Mass!

The best way to experience a Kidical Mass is to join one, or if you can’t cycle, watch us set off at the start.

Our rides are usually on a Saturday or Sunday, starting from Orange Grove, next to the Abbey.

Children can get a booklet and collect a sticker at the end of each ride. They love this, but it’s not the reason they love Kidical Mass – they simply enjoy the freedom to ride through town while feeling safe.

We always make sure to end our rides in a fun and safe location for everyone, usually a park, so that you can get to meet other people (who also cycle!) and children can run around and play. Some people bring a picnic and stay on for an hour or so – it’s lovely!

Go to www.kidicalmassbath.uk to find out about upcoming rides.

Image credit: Jamie Bellinger