Students, teachers, children, environmental activists and professional cyclists took to the streets Friday for Gainesville's Second Annual Community Rock 'n' Ride.
About 200 cyclists participated in the 6-mile community ride, confusing motorists on West University Avenue, Southwest 13th Street and Main Street.
The bicycling event, in conjunction with Gainesville Critical Mass, commemorated the first anniversary of the Gainesville Community Bicycle Project, Inc., known as The Kickstand.
Critical Mass is an international collective bike ride to raise awareness of cyclists' rights to the road, said Andrew Carr, a UF architecture junior.
Carr said Friday's crowd was the largest he has ever seen in Gainesville.
"A lot of cyclists feel marginalized in a sea of cars," he said. "We try to reverse the situation."
During the ride, cyclists cheered, laughed, waved to cars, rang their bells and occasionally broke out into song. When a lone cyclist would ride by, they called "come, join us" to invite him or her.
"This is way more dangerous than I thought it would be," said Matthew McCagg, a UF sophomore.
McCagg was one of the bicyclists who blocked traffic from side roads to allow the group to stay together when crossing intersections, a tactic known as corking.
Dirk Drake, a social sciences teacher for Westwood Middle School, rode alongside his son, Captain, 10, and his son's friend, Ella, 9.
Drake said he has been riding in Critical Mass since the 80s. He has ridden in cities across the country such as Savannah, Ga., and Washington, D.C.
"It's a hands-on way for them to make a connection with healthier modes of transportation," Drake said. "It's healthy for our bodies and the planet."
