Tell your friends!  Win $100 worth of bike stuff!

Announcing an incentive to inspire CM youth to step up and get involved in the stewardship of the Chicago Critical Mass ride.

Prize is a $100 gift certificate to your choice of Rapid Transit Cycle Shop at 1305 S. Halsted, or Blue City Cycles, 3201 S. Halsted.

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Here's how to win:

-bring a map (and copies to distribute) to the July 30 Chicago Critical Mass ride

-your map =must= clearly win the on-site voting process (audible cheer/applause.)

-at least the first 60% of your map must be followed by the mass

-you may use the various electronic fora (CCM listserv, thechainlink.org) to promote support and investment in your route, but will do so in the spirit of promoting broader stewardship, so all such communication will expressly welcome competing routes, and refrain from 'negative' campaigning, i.e. knocking down competing proposals;
all communication will refer to your map as a proposal and not "the" map for July, e.g. "Hey, check out our route proposal for the July ride, please download and help print this map" is good, "Hey, the July map is ready, please download and print" is bad. Communication which comes across as unsporting, bullying, or anti-competitive will disqualify a submission.

- collaboration is encouraged and will help you win popular support, but only one prize will be awarded for the winning map regardless of the number of collaborators

-your proposal =must= be announced to either the chainlink.org Critical Mass Discussion group or the Chicago Critical Mass listserv by Thursday night, July 29 at midnight, so it's clear who the award will go to and ability to contact the mapmaker(s) is assured.

-the face of the mass trends more and more towards teens and tweens, but "leadership" seems to be centered in the 30-40-something domain; thus in the interest of building leadership for the future, the prize will =only= be awarded to entrants 25 years of age or under.

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And here are some suggestions for a winning map:

-get copies of your route in as many hands as possible prior to the voting process (most likely around 6 PM). Summer rides have been attracting 2500 to 3000 participants.

-include the chicagocriticalmass.org website clearly on your map so that it can double as a handout to interested onlookers.

-snazzy professional looking graphics are nice, but often hand-drawn maps win the hearts of massers more completely; the most important feature is that it's easy to follow your route. "Themes" often help win support-- see http://bedno.com/ccm for examples of past route maps.

-recruit a few friends or even strangers to help you get your ride on route and keep it there, should you win.  A suggested start technique for a big summer ride would be to have your route starting southbound on Clark where traffic is light and folks on the plaza can see that it's leaving; have your partners meet you at the corner of Clark and Washington as soon as you see that the first riders have started circling; when there's a solid mass of riders circling the plaza (and not until that point!), stop the "head" (that you're creating) just before the intersection, and wait for the tail to recede a good city block if possible. Wait at least a light cycle, and then proceed with whoops and cheers across Washington. Stop the head of the mass again for a few light cycles a block or two down to give the rest of the riders a chance to get off the plaza.

-communication intended to drum up support should focus on why your audience should vote for your route, not why they shouldn't vote for another; be prepared to pitch your route compellingly via Bullhorn or PA at the plaza (typically at the south side of the Picasso).

-routes that go to a desirable end spot tend to win support; a beach, a happening, a park, a dense restaurant district e.g. Devon, Argyle, Wentworth, or something that fits your theme.

-remember that only a small percentage of participants read chainlink or the CCM listserv, and CCM has no governing or approving body except for the people who show up at Daley Plaza on the last Friday, so be sure to focus your energy on creating a route/map that wins support at the plaza.


Sponsored by Friends of Friends of Chicago Critical Mass (i.e. me).

-h'