X Mass? Dec29

Critical X-Mass:

picture of the pumpkin chariot/santa sled march 2001, not dressed
up. The chariot is pulled by 8 pedalling 'reindeer.'

So once again December Mass is upon us. December 29th, last friday of the month. This is the one ride of the year that is always going to be smaller, because of the time of year and people's holidays. It is important to make it fun, especially if the weather is offputting.

We've had the 'Santa Sled' in previous years [The chariot is pulled by 8 pedalling 'reindeer']. But that doesn't exist anymore [but easy to make]. The ride will be after the 25th, and Xmas is not for everybody. I don't know what constitutes a New Years theme? We've had Christmas lights rides in the past and as Cara was busy organising the BikeCraft fair this year no one else has organised one so far as I know. Hot coco and bikes? We've also had Lee lead us in carolling with cunning anti-car lyrics.

There is a lot of potential, but it takes a little imagination. I'm just putting the idea out there to get people thinking. What kind of themes? costumes? activities? ways to make it fun should we try? The political topic of opposing highway expansion is [unfortunately] always current.

Now that CM is a lot bigger phenomenon than it use to be, perhaps some activity to take advantage of the numbers would be appropriate. One year with the santa sled CM on New Years Eve, we met a formation of bicycle police that outnumbered the ride [less than a dozen] who were friendly, but it was funny to think of what 'critical' means. The past few years the December Mass is never so tiny. Always a larger group, I remember the first year we had more than 40 in December and Fred Bass was there, but now it is even bigger. The energy is always superb because people who come out to ride in December are not just half into it.

How to have yet another Holiday Party, this time in the streets?