Just got back from my first Critical Mass

[thomas]

I wouldn't go on another CM ride if I was paid to. Easily the most dangerous thing I've ever done on a bike and all it achieved was to show motorists what a bloody nuisance we can be if we try. Possibly it's different in London, but I can't imagine it does anything for our image.

I'd say I experienced more positive reactions than negative. The people who got really aggravated probably shouldn't be on the road if they are willing to fight someone for holding them up. Got a lot of cheers from Peds and some friendly toots from cars. I saw plenty of people smiling as it went past.

I have mixed opinions if it does us any favours. On the one hand, it gets us all out there and shows just how many of us there are....but it does, really, annoy some people and the mass isn't always that sensible (taking up both sides of roads, ignoring most traffic signs, etc).

I found it gave me a nice output and a really fun evening. I'd quite like the presence of the mass when going to work, people give you a bit of cheek and you've got hundreds of people cheering, whistling and blowing horns. It just lightens a lot of hostility.

At no point did I feel like it was dangerous or did I feel threatened.

Here's my video from the ride


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lujAHROtspo

 

[Radius]

Ha you're right behind my mate at the start, green sling bag / white top riding next to girl...

 

[thomas]

Ha you're right behind my mate at the start, green sling bag / white top riding next to girl...

I didn't catch you doing anything naughty in it then

 

[Radius]

Nah I wasn't riding with him at that point unfortunately. You probably could have caught me jumping off backwards at low speed a couple of times owing to lack of brakes

 

[thomas]

Nah I wasn't riding with him at that point unfortunately. You probably could have caught me jumping off backwards at low speed a couple of times owing to lack of brakes

I tried to be good and law-abiding, until the first set of red lights and that all went down the drain . If the Police fined everyone £30 for every single light jumped they'd probably make millions from Critical Mass

One copper got a bit miffed when people weren't listening to his crys for people to wait at the lights.

 

[iLB]

caught me jumping off backwards at low speed a couple of times owing to lack of brakes

/
falling off and complaining that james had ridden over ur fixie...

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I have mixed opinions if it does us any favours. On the one hand, it gets us all out there and shows just how many of us there are....but it does, really, annoy some people and the mass isn't always that sensible (taking up both sides of roads, ignoring most traffic signs, etc).

This is the problem I had with the Wolverhampton one. We basically went off and wobbled round the Ring Road during the Friday afternoon rush hour, taking up one whole lane. At no point did I experience any positive responses from anyone, and even back then I knew that was a long way from the safest way to ride in traffic. It didn't strike me as a positive thing to do on any level: it didn't help people to understand how to ride in traffic and it presented practically every other road user who encountered us with an image of cyclists being slow and in the way.

 

[Radius]

Hehehe, yes indeedy, you read right

/
falling off and complaining that james had ridden over ur fixie...

Look, he did ride over it. Yes, because I fell (jumped!) off, but he had at least 2 meters in which to change direction / stop. Did he? No.

This is the problem I had with the Wolverhampton one. We basically went off and wobbled round the Ring Road during the Friday afternoon rush hour, taking up one whole lane. At no point did I experience any positive responses from anyone, and even back then I knew that was a long way from the safest way to ride in traffic. It didn't strike me as a positive thing to do on any level: it didn't help people to understand how to ride in traffic and it presented practically every other road user who encountered us with an image of cyclists being slow and in the way.

Bit more carnival atmosphere in London I think, sound systems, crazy get-ups, interesting bikes, peds interested / asking what we're doing etc. But some of what you describe happens. Fortunately someone usually goes to the front and suggests we move on / change direction, which is the main virtue of an unorganised ride like this.

 

[Crankarm]

Critical Mass is pointless and nothing but an inconvenience such a bad image for cycling generally. It aggravates everyone who is not a cyclist and also those cyclists that wish to obey the law and present a more co-operative image. It seems to be just an excuse for general anti-social behaviour and civil disobedience. Isn't it perverse that an anarchic CM gets to go ahead but an Elite Road Race for our top road cyclists is cancelled, three so far this year. Shameful state of affairs.

 

[Tharg2007]

crankarms post sounds like a motorist talking

 

[lech]

crankarm, I've been on loads of CMs an I don't recognise your description at all!

We're applauded through the West End, the police are fantastic, they ride alongside on their Smith and Wessons and we chat about numpty drivers.

me and a friend printed some leaflets, apologising for any delay (as much as a minute, maybe two for some people) and explained why we were protesting.

It's a great day out.

And, it's "EXPECT" you to die!

 

[thomas]

Critical Mass is pointless and nothing but an inconvenience such a bad image for cycling generally. It aggravates everyone who is not a cyclist and also those cyclists that wish to obey the law and present a more co-operative image. It seems to be just an excuse for general anti-social behaviour and civil disobedience. Isn't it perverse that an anarchic CM gets to go ahead but an Elite Road Race for our top road cyclists is cancelled, three so far this year. Shameful state of affairs.

Utter rubbish! It's not a 'shameful state of affairs - Critical Mass is legally the same as 1000s of cyclists, cycling at the same time, who all happen to be going to the same place - much like how many people in cars, will all be driving to the same place!

As I've said before, I got many more positive reactions than negative. Lots of smiles and cheers from peds, people asking questions, running into the mass to have their photo taken, asking what it was, etc. Many car drivers also enjoyed it, but some got a little bit too stressed out over it. Them losing their temper wasn't going to change anything. Anti-social behaviour? I saw the odd person in the Mass do something silly (one bloke slapped a taxi's bonnet), but other than that there were people from every single group of society, every age, race, gender...who were nearly all out to have a good time, riding their bike around London.

It is anything but pointless.

crankarms post sounds like a motorist talking

Nah, he sounds like some motorists talking - I spoke to a few to try and 'calm' them down and explain it, just to find out the weren't aggrevated at all and were enjoying it and there was no need.

All the aggrevated motorists I experienced, honestly, shouldn't be on the road. Just because you're annoyed at something, doesn't give you the right to use your car as a weapon!

We're applauded through the West End, the police are fantastic, they ride alongside on their Smith and Wessons and we chat about numpty drivers.

There was one copper who was laughing and seemed friendly, but a few others were quite rude and mouthy. The polite one seemed to actually be getting respected, with the others ignored and booed.

 

[Tharg2007]

The minority of motorists that get annoyed are likely the ones that block you, pull out on you, stop in the ASL etc. etc. they should realise that getting angry and trying to force your way through only slows the mass down effectively prolonging their agony but then they will never realise this.

The point about jumping red lights and that CM should stop at them is also a bad idea. Its essentially a parade and I have never seen a parade stop at traffic lights to let traffic past. The justification for a parade to go through on red is so it stays together, is not broken up leaving road users trapped between sections of parade and ultimately allowing the traffic to get back to normal quicker. CM is the same as a parade so it should try and keep together and keep moving for the same reasons.

 

[thomas]

The minority of motorists that get annoyed are likely the ones that block you, pull out on you, stop in the ASL etc. etc. they should realise that getting angry and trying to force your way through only slows the mass down effectively prolonging their agony but then they will never realise this.

+1!! Some people should learn to be annoyed, but take the higher ground.

 

[dellzeqq]

With respect to Thomas and ilovebikes, these threads are the same time and time again.

1. CCer goes to CM and has a good time. Starts thread
2. CCers who have been on CM say 'ooh, yes, it's fun'
3. Some CCers who have never ever been near a CM write and say that it's an outrage, that they're going to write to the Telegraph, that all CMers are rent boys, that CM is against the will of God, that CM annoys motorists (which is a Bad Thing), that CM is a conspiracy controlled by evil forces in Al-Quaeda, the CIA, Prince Philip, the makers of Brooks saddles and the Pope, and that CM must never happen again unless it's held under CTT rules, or all the cyclists wear helmets and promise to be nice to taxi drivers.

I wonder if the CTC could be persuaded to make it a club run?