A river of blinking lights drifted down Mendocino Avenue. Accompanying it was a cloud of chatter. The street lights lit up faces until they passed, leaving the cyclists once more dark in the greatening shadows of Friday night. This was the latest incarnation of Santa Rosa’s critical mass bike ride, which one participant deemed “a f—king great way to spend Friday night.”

Thirty people, from teenagers to seniors, showed up on Jan. 25 to ride from Community Market to Howarth Park, a 4.5 mile ride each way. The crowd left Community Market at 5:30 p.m. at a sauntering pace and headed south down Mendocino then turned left on Sonoma Avenue to the park.

Julie Nacouzi found a flier for the ride on a bike rack at SRJC and decided to check out the ride, which was easy because it started right after he class got out. “It is safer at night with more people,” she said. Nacouzi likes the adrenaline rush of riding a bike around and also came for the free food, Food Not Bombs, served after the ride.

At Howarth Park everyone sat in a large circle and said hello and something they wanted to share. Many people suggested ways of getting more people to ride and somebody asked for gum. A number of people liked the ride because of its statement for bicycle awareness and one woman proclaimed she often rides her bike in 5-inch heels with no hands while dancing. Many people were also excited to get back to Food Not Bombs’ hot food.

People came to ride for a variety of reasons. Justin Walters was at his friends’ drinking beer and they told him to come so he did. “Plus,” he said, “I like using my body and biking is nice, not like lifting weights.”

Annie Cilley, who rode for her first time, said, “It feels good to be with a bunch of like-minded people who like to do what I do.” She finished a transfer degree at SRJC but isn’t transferring anytime soon. Instead she is improving her saxophone skills through some music classes for her marching band “Church,” and acts at the Imaginists’ Theater. In the circle at Howarth Park Cilley brought up the Imaginists’ bicycle theater in the summer: a free, bilingual, puppet show at different parks around Santa Rosa.

Tasha Todt has been organizing the critical mass bike rides in Santa Rosa since September 2011 and wants to bring everyone into planning the trips. “‘We’ should be all of us,” she said. On the first Friday of every month Todt and other organizers meet at Community Market at 5 p.m. She encouraged people to come to the meetings so the ride can be more everyone’s ride. Todt is also thinking about other times to ride like Monday nights or morning rides.

Todt was inspired by critical mass bike rides while she was living in Portland and felt frustrated to be uncomfortable on her bike back in Santa Rosa, so close to Petaluma where she grew up. “I trust my bike every day to get me from point A to point B,” she said. “I’d love for people to be more comfortable on their bikes.”

Todt also wants to do some bike workshops in Santa Rosa. “The other day I fixed mine and its riding better than ever,” she said. “I want people to have the knowledge to fix their bike.”

Azalia Mazur said the turnout was so high for a variety of reasons. She and her friend put up and handed out a lot of fliers around SRJC. “The fact it was the first day of school really helped,” she said. Also, it wasn’t raining this month unlike last month when only seven people showed up.

Santa Rosa’s critical mass bike ride is the last Friday of every month, 5:30 p.m. at Community Market. Food Not Bombs has served food at three rides so far and may cook for future ones. Todt, Mazur and any one else who is interested in planning rides meets on the first Friday of the month at 5 p.m. at Community Market.