There was a lot of speculation that this Critical Mass ride was going to be the largest in Rockford’s history. With a group of almost 50 riders, I’d say we set a new attendance record.

As the riders gathered, it was really cool to see the diversity. All types of riders turned out. Fixies, choppers, mountain bikes… the whole smorgasbord of bikes, including a handful of Fur Bandits.

With a group so large, we received quite a bit of attention from motorists. The only negative thing I heard was from another man on a bike. A rider yelled out to him to join the ride. He shouted back “Boo!” Alright Scrooge.

We all pulled into the parking lot at Whiskey’s Roadhouse on North Main Street. We figured we’d be welcome there since it is a biker bar. They did cheer and applaud as we pulled in but we decided to skip it since there was a five dollar cover charge. We weren’t there for the band.

We cruised on to Latham Tap where those who chose and a quick drink before heading downtown.

Since the On The Waterfront festival was going on, we expected a somewhat heavy police presence downtown. As the group passed a few bike cops, we tried to get them to join the ride. The police were friendly the entire way.

After circling downtown, we made our way back to the starting point at the downtown YMCA. If you didn’t meet someone new on the ride, you were riding with your eyes closed. What a great evening.

Spread the word so next month’s ride can top this month’s attendance!