Decked in helmets and hoodies, Santa hats and tinsel, a group of almost 20 bicyclists made the gradual climb over Scenic Drive on Wednesday night.
They parked their bikes at the main overlook point on Franklin Mountain, taking selfies with the glittering backdrop of El Paso and Juárez lights, before continuing their ride. The 15-mile trip ended with a posada and toasty fire pit at El Paso Vintage Bicycle Shop.
Jacqueline Castillo, wearing a Grinch sweatshirt, brought her 13-year-old son Angel. They started cycling as a family in San Antonio earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic before they moved to El Paso and discovered Critical Mass bike events.
Jacqueline said her 6-year-old son also joins these rides sometimes, as well her cousin with their children. They ride alongside members of Hell Paso Zombie Bicycle Club, mountain bikers and casual riders of all levels.
“Nobody gets left behind,” she said.
A member of Critical Mass takes in a view of El Paso’s city lights from Scenic Drive Overlook on Dec. 13, 2023. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Critical Mass originated in 1992 in San Francisco and has since spread to cities worldwide, with the goal of promoting cycling and sharing the streets. The network has no formal leader, organizational hierarchy or membership. For many El Paso riders, the events have become a way to not only exercise, but to meet new people and get involved with the community.
An all-levels ride takes place on the last Friday of the month, open to “all wheels” including roller blades and skates. Local chapter Critical Mass El Paso also organizes Wednesday night rides and a short-distance children’s ride every month, plus rides to events throughout the year.
This past year, Critical Mass El Paso events included the kermés at Saint Anthony’s Seminary, an exhibit at Las Cruces Museum of Art and the Centro Cultural Paso del Norte in Ciudad Juárez for World Bicycle Day.
Traveling as a group brings safety in numbers, riders said on Wednesday. The main event on the last Friday of the month can attract 100 to 200 participants, estimated Melissa Lugo, one of the ride organizers.
Members of Critical Mass, a group that promotes cycling and other forms of “self-propelled” transportation in El Paso, stop to rest and enjoy the view at Scenic Drive Overlook on Dec. 13, 2023. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
While people of all ages and abilities can join, the design of El Paso’s roads and length of the rides are not feasible for all children, she said.
In response, the group organizes a “Kidical Mass” every month – a slower-paced ride that stretches about 2 miles, usually Downtown and in neighborhood streets with less traffic. This allows parents to bring younger aged children who are riding on scooters or pedal-less balance bikes, Lugo said.
Lugo described the events as a safe way for people to exercise for both their physical and mental health. Some participants who show up say it’s the first time they’ve ever ridden a bike. Some are children who are used to having a sedentary lifestyle, like just playing video games in their free time, and they come with their parents.
Less sitting and more physical activity can lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and dementia, among other health benefits, according to the American Heart Association. Researchers estimate El Paso has one of the highest rates of Alzheimer’s disease in Texas. El Paso also has a higher rate of diabetes than the state average.
Biking can also reduce stress and anxiety. One recent study from the Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health linked middle school cycling classes to improvements in mental health. Researchers surveyed more than 800 students, ages 11 to 14, before and after a cycling education program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A cyclist bikes through a Central El Paso neighborhood with other members of Critical Mass on Dec. 13, 2023. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Rachel Guillen said mountain biking and street cycling have replaced going to the gym as her primary source of exercise. When she joined Critical Mass about a year and half ago, Guillen had not ridden a bike since she was a child. With consistent rides, Guillen has increased her endurance and speed.
But it’s the social aspect that attracts her most to Critical Mass, as well as the new way of exploring El Paso.
“When I’m riding on the streets I get to see El Paso for what it is, things not seen in the car that I see for the first time on a bike,” Guillen said. “I get to admire the city a little bit more.”
Critical Mass helped Claudia Cortez find her “right tribe.” As riders become friends, they make plans together, such as to go for a run or to join a bike racing group.
Cortez said she first started participating in Critical Mass to maintain her cardiovascular health and improve her endurance as a triathlete. She participated in her first triathlon, the all-female Mighty Mujer Triathlon in El Paso, several years ago.
Like Critical Mass, the Mighty Mujer Triathlon shows that women athletes come in all shapes and sizes – they don’t have to look like fitness models, she said. The routine rides organized by Critical Mass also make it easier for people to plan their schedule in advance.
“A lot of women after they have kids say, ‘I have no time for me, no time for wellness,’” Cortez said. “They base their schedule on children, husband, work. But on Wednesdays, or every last Friday of the month, they can say, ‘Alright, this is time I can make for me.’”
Claudia Cortez takes a group picture of herself and other members of Critical Mass, a cycling group, at Scenic Drive Overlook on Dec. 13, 2023. Cortez joins the monthly group bike rides to enjoy companionship and stay fit. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
Lugo said a group of artists launched Critical Mass in El Paso in 2010 and she was part of the first group of riders. She had previously biked to attend classes at the University of Texas at El Paso and later joined the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee. The committee helped put together the City of El Paso Bike Plan to improve bicycle-friendly infrastructure.
People perceive biking alone on El Paso streets to be dangerous or even deadly – and that can be the reality, Lugo said. In September, Horizon City police arrested two drivers who struck and ran over a cyclist in a late night hit-and-run.
Bike lanes may not be accessible, forcing riders to share the same lanes as cars. El Paso has an ordinance that drivers must give bicyclists at least 3 feet of space when passing, but that’s not always enforced, Lugo said.
While El Paso does permit cyclists to ride on sidewalks, sidewalks are also not always accessible or well maintained. Drivers can help make the streets safer by slowing down and giving cyclists space, Lugo said.
Matthew Hernandez works on his bicycle before Critical Mass’s group ride to Scenic Drive on Dec. 13, 2023. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
“People who ride bikes, we’re people too, we’re vehicles too just trying to get from place to place and just like somebody who’s in a car, we have the right to be on a lane in that space,” Lugo said.
Lugo said Critical Mass creates greater visibility of cyclists in El Paso and acts as a launch pad for beginner cyclists to become more confident riding on the streets.
To find out about upcoming Critical Mass events in El Paso, follow @criticalmass.elpaso on Instagram or join the Critical Mass El Paso group on Facebook.
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