Critical Mass 1 Killjoys 0

[skwerl]

I must admit I never got the standing round in the middle of a junction waving your bike above your head bit. And I disliked it when participants became deliberately provocative around any motor vehicle that strayed into CM. Which is why I very rarely attend these days (that and the fact that in Winter it is too cold to cycle at 3mph!)

me too. it's a bit too much of a vegetarian, "fight the machine, man", etc. type affair for me. and it always takes bleedin ages to get moving. waste of a Friday evening

 

[Twenty Inch]

I must admit I never got the standing round in the middle of a junction waving your bike above your head bit. And I disliked it when participants became deliberately provocative around any motor vehicle that strayed into CM. Which is why I very rarely attend these days (that and the fact that in Winter it is too cold to cycle at 3mph!)

I've only ever seen that bikes over the head thing at places where cyclists have been killed.

 

[CotterPin]

Yeah - I've seen it on this instances as well. But I have also witnessed it in the middle of major junctions such as Oxford Circus where to the best of my knowledge no incident had occurred recently. I think it is sometimes the sheer exuberance of being able to do something you can't normally do in that area - and I must admit I have enjoyed the occasions I have been able to meander up and down a motor-traffic-free Park Lane ahead of the mass.

I can, however, provide evidence to the fact that no-one actually leads the ride. Several years ago me and a mate were on CM but had decided to head home and so peeled off. When we looked behind we discovered we were trailing a whole wave of cyclists in our wake!!!!