Now In Costume: Critical Mass Thrills Cyclists, Annoys Everyone Else.

Cyclists in New York put up with a lot. Maniacal cabbies. Clueless pedestrians. Streets riddled with potholes. Expert thieves well-versed in the art of breaking through Kryptonite locks. Halloween presents the perfect opportunity for local bike enthusiasts to scare off their opponents with costumes more intimidating then their lightweight means of conveyance. So it's perfect that Critical Mass will hold a festively-attired bike tour (starting on the north side of Union Square) around the city at 7pm tonight.

The Critical Mass organization holds bicycling events on the last Friday of the month in New York and 300 other cities around the world. The group is no stranger to controversy (one dust-up included a participant and a Times Square cop), but likes to tone down its more activist elements in favor of peaceful support of sustainable transportation methods. Here's hoping the witching season doesn't lead to confrontation and that riders, like Sunday's marathoners, can enjoy a party hearty pit stop sans (non-costumey) black eyes.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkiyBVytRQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]