The Cyclists Who Bring Capital To Standstill

[Jake]

Sky News joined hundreds of bike riders from the Critical Mass movement as they reclaimed the roads in an attempt to promote safe cycling.

LINK

 

[Will1985]

CC member alert - Radius spotted at 1:53 in the Des Kay video (near bottom of article).

 

[Jake]

rebel!

which video the one on sky news site, or their site?

 

[beanzontoast]

Really interesting - hadn't seen video of a critical mass before. Is that level of interaction between cyclists and drivers common on such rides?

 

[hackbike 666]

Never been on one.Always manage to miss them.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Fair go if that's your bag, but crawling along at less than 3mph for 4 hours packed in like sardines isn't my idea of a ride. Suppose it's a city dweller's thing really.

 

[Gromit]

Went on one in York a few years ago, was fun for a while, until a cyclist got punch by a motorist.

Some guys I know got hit by a car this year on a ride, police didn't do anything about it because no independent witness were around.

Its no way to make a point, p**sing car drivers off is not the way to go about it. Commuting on your bike is, the ammount of people I see cycling seems to have doubled.

 

[661-Pete]

Ho hum.... another press article about a cycling occasion .... another crop of 'the usual' comments underneath: "they don't pay road tax", "they ride through red lights", etc. etc. etc. So there we are.

 

[Banjo]

The only thing they achieve is to alienate everyone against cyclists.

How would cyclists react to car drivers completely blocking the road at 3mph?

The car drivers would have to recruit pedestrians to block the pavements as well

 

[Origamist]

The only thing they achieve is to alienate everyone against cyclists.

How would cyclists react to car drivers completely blocking the road at 3mph?

The car drivers would have to recruit pedestrians to block the pavements as well

Come to the centre of London in the rush hour and see how cyclists negotiate the gridlock...

 

[Graham O]

The first time I've seen any video of Critical Mass and it seems like a really good way of annoying people. Even if the world banned cars and everyone cycled, there would still be a need for traffic lights, junctions and the highway code, so to ignore them is to be naive. I can now see why anti cycling sentiments come from London so frequently.
But the real hypocrisy was in another video with a pedestrian crossing on red, a pedestrian trying to cross and the cyclists just ignored the lights and him and carried on regardless. How to loose friends and alienate people.

 

[PaulSB]

These people clearly have no understanding of the alienation they create. Interesting to see many incidents of breaking the highway code and possibly the law? This does nothing to promote safe cycling or to improve the general perception of cyclists.

Critical Mass does nothing to promote cycling

 

[Origamist]

These people clearly have no understanding of the alienation they create. Interesting to see many incidents of breaking the highway code and possibly the law? This does nothing to promote safe cycling or to improve the general perception of cyclists.

Critical Mass does nothing to promote cycling

You might as well be talking about motorists who bring the centre of London to a standstill everyday, not a once a month...

The Sky report is partial, sensationalist shite.

 

[PaulSB]

You might as well be talking about motorists who bring the centre of London to a standstill everyday, not a once a month...

The Sky report is partial, sensationalist shite.

Yes I agree but we are talking about cyclists not motorists. We are a minority viewed as a damned nuisance to be ignored, on the road, by large numbers of drivers. When on my bike I always acknowledge courteous behaviour by a driver in an attempt to reinforce the point cyclists appreciate and are due equal consideration to other road users. I'd suggest positive reactions to motorists is far more effective than sticking two fingers up to a driver.

A bunch of people on bikes riding and meandering wherever they wish in the centre of London has a complete opposite effect and is counterproductive.

 

[Origamist]

Yes I agree but we are talking about cyclists not motorists. We are a minority viewed as a damned nuisance to be ignored, on the road, by large numbers of drivers. When on my bike I always acknowledge courteous behaviour by a driver in an attempt to reinforce the point cyclists appreciate and are due equal consideration to other road users. I'd suggest positive reactions to motorists is far more effective than sticking two fingers up to a driver.

A bunch of people on bikes riding and meandering wherever they wish in the centre of London has a complete opposite effect and is counterproductive.

Paul, it might surprise you, but cyclists on CM get support too - it's not all angry cabbies...

The issue of how cyclists are treated on the roads has less to do with courtesy and insults, and more to so with the treatment of out-groups. This is the fundamental problem and cannot be assuaged by a friendly wave (as much as I would like it to).