By Michael Mahowish
Get the party started
Bicyclists gather at the Essex Street Pub in Buffalo’s West Side every Sunday night for a mass bike ride.
When I arrived at the Essex Street Pub I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It was a late Sunday night and the pub was fairly quiet. As I waited outside, other bicyclists slowly began to arrive. This was the start of Midnight Mass.
Midnight Mass is a completely spontaneous happening. There is no organizer. The ride is known only through word of mouth.
A festive atmosphere fell over the scene as our numbers grew. That particular night there were about 60 riders. We mingled and patronized the pub while the latecomers arrived.
A few riders
“The ride is cool even if it’s your first time,” said rider Nick Rodriguez, 24. “Everyone watches out for each other.”
I asked Nick if there was someone in charge. He said no, but pointed out one of the veteran riders. The rider would only identify himself as “Cat Fish.”
Cat Fish said Midnight Mass is an offshoot of Critical Mass, which was started by a group called Crime ThInc.
“I like the community of the ride,” said Cat Fish, 25. “It’s not even about activism anymore, it’s turned into a rolling party.”
“It’s a good occasion to get people together,” said rider Patrick Lake, 24. “Like a parade.”
I want to ride my bicycle
Around 1 a.m. Cat Fish began screaming at the crowd that it was time to leave. As he peddled away from the pub he did a massive wheelie. It went awry and he crashed to the pavement. The ride had begun.
The group followed no set route. We followed the rider in the front. Our first stop was at a convenience store on Allen Street. Most of us went in and bought beer and snacks. After some more mingling we took to thestreets again.
Goin’ South
We kept heading South right into the heart of downtown. The group was big enough to fill two entire lanes. This was no problem considering there were no cars out that late.
As we passed by an empty parking ramp the rider in he front of the group decided to ride to the top. Everyone followed. After observing the city for a few minutes, we began to ride again. Riding down four floors of an empty parking ramp at night with 60 other riders is pretty fun.
The group stopped and waited for the stragglers, as Nick had explained earlier. When one rider’s tire wentlat, the whole group waited for him to put on his spare. A rider on a tricycle even produced a full sized air pump for the deflated tire. If you had a bike, you were part of the mini community.
Fun and free
By the time we reached the HSBC Arena it was almost 3 a.m. By this time the group had dwindled to about 30 riders. I decided it was time to start heading back.
Midnight Mass is a community experience. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with your neighbor. It’s the type of thing that makes a city great. Come to the Essex Street Pub at midnight on Sunday. Bring a bicycle and some friends. ¡
For more information contact Michael Mahowish at S67kurt94S@hotmail.com
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