although i haven't been in almost a decade, i used to attend the san francisco critical masses fairly regularly. they are indeed a whole lot of fun. there's something empowering about being with that many other cyclists. the important thing to remember is that, technically, critical mass has no agenda and no leader : it's just a bunch of people showing up at the same time to go for a bike ride.

when you look at it in the light, you realize that critical mass can be what you make it.