Tbilisi cyclists reclaim the streets in night ride

The streets of Georgia’s capital will be filled with cyclists tonight as Tbilisi and the world celebrate an international cyclist awareness campaign called Critical Mass.

Cyclists will stage a collective ride through capital Tbilisi to mark the international rally, celebrated around the world one day per month to raise awareness of the rights of bike users.

The Tbilisi ride will begin at 8pm at Rose Revolution Square and navigate its way through central city streets along a 14km route.

Aptly, tonight’s ride will begin near the large bicycle monument at the top of Rustaveli Ave. With it being peak traffic time, cyclists and motorists will have to be aware of each other and share the road.

The 14km route will loop along the major streets of the city before ending back at Rose Revolution Square.

The ride aimed to raise awareness among vehicle drivers about the rights of cyclists and the necessity of road safety while supporting the motto of the monthly global demonstration: "We’re not blocking traffic – we are traffic!”

Last year’s street ride attracted hundreds of participants eager to raise awareness about cyclists’ rights. Photo from Critical Mass Tbilisi/Facebook.

Roughly 140 participants went online and pledged to join tonight’s event, with dozens of bicycle riders seen joining previous Critical Mass demonstrations, held in Tbilisi in recent years.

Participants were asked to fit their bikes with lights and wear reflective clothing to highlight their presence and ensure safety while riding along the busy streets of Tbilisi.

Critical Mass was established as a monthly event in San Francisco, United States in the 1990s before spreading to more than 300 cities around the world by 2003, with locations including New York, London, Calgary and Hamburg.

In Tbilisi, the Critical Mass rides typically take place on the last Friday of each month.