You are hereInteresting Critical Mass Conversation
Interesting Critical Mass Conversation
If any of you are on Michael Bluejay's bicycleaustin.info mailing list you've seen all the Critical Mass discussion flying back and forth over the past few days. Basically I went in there with a link to the new flyer I put together and mentioned that many of us are trying to figure out a way to make Critical Mass less anti-car demonstration and more pro-bike celebration, which is the direction I think it's been going in as of late. I asked the list for feedback on if they rode Critical Mass in the past or present, and if not what's been keeping them away? The answers have been diverse but a common thread is the aggression and anti-car attitudes shown by some people on the rides.
Lately the influx of costumes, bike stereos, tall bikes, trailers with kids and pets, and the overall friendly parade/party attitude of the mass has been incredible. It seems like a lot of the reasons people have had for not riding Critical Mass such as aggressive, violent cyclists, needless blocking of lanes (or taking the entire street and slowing everything down) and intentionally aggravating the car traffic has been dying down. I'm hoping to see things continue in this positive direction, and maybe some of the people who haven't been riding with us due to their perception of the event start showing up and being a part of it.
Of course there's no real leaders or organizers for this ride, so really how it goes is solely based on the people who attend. If people decide to be car-hating assholes, so be it. The ride will never be law abiding and proper, and it will never make everyone happy, but I think we can ride in a way that lessens the chance for altercations or cop intervention. Of course I've only been riding for a year and a half now so my views and experiences with Critical Mass are tempered by my limited participation to date, but what I have seen and experienced has been nothing short of life-changing.
What do y'all think about how Critical Mass is viewed by people at large and other cyclists specifically? Do you think we can and/or should change things to make it "friendlier" or do you like things just how they are? Are you that guy who rides the ride simply to block cars and aggravate traffic? Give me your thoughts on the matter, I'd love to hear them!
I just found CM and all I know was I enjoyed it more than almost anything I've done lately so I'm gonna go again and again...The 'I'm not gonna ride until' comments are punk-ass we can do without though...just ride...have fun yo...life really is too short...late! willo4
the cool thing about critical mass is the fact that there is no organizer or leader. having no leader means each ride is different, and thats what makes critical mass fun for me.
I originally started riding critical mass becuase my freinds did and because I wanted to ride in protest of the bike lane problems austin has. now I just go to ride my bike with other bikers
critical mass will always be hated by some riders and loved by others and theres no way/need to change that.
critical mass takes place on a friday and at the worst possible time for traffic and not everyone wants to be a part of that. the only way to change the negative view of critical mass would be to change when and where the ride takes place and then it wouldnt be critical mass, it would just be another ride. Just to put my asshole point of view (since I admit to being one) out there, those riders that hate on critical mass are the ones that arent much fun to ride with any ways so hopefully critical mass will never change to please them.
fixed gears are like butt holes, every one has one.
I agree, more or less. The schedule of Critical Mass is not all that compatible with normal roadway traffick for a reason. It's sort of a fundamental part of the ride. You could change it to a lesser or greater degree, and then it might not be CM anymore.
I love Critical Mass for exactly what it is. A ride through downtown gridlock during friday rush hour at a slow pace with a few hundred of my favorite freaky bikers. Changing the time, date or location would destroy this. I just want to encourage a little more responsibility from some of the participants. I've seen people slamming their hands on cars as they passed, throwing cans inside vehicles, littering (really guys? really?), and intentionally blocking every lane of traffic when 1 or 2 would do us just fine. While there's definitely a power trip aspect to riding around with a few hundred other bikers en mass, I don't think that's license to behave like an ass because you've got 200 other bikers behind you. I know I'm not the only one who feels like this as I've heard many others voice the same sentiments when observing jackass behavior.
Don't get me wrong, I love critical mass just like it is. It's just a few of the riders who aren't quite as endearing. ;)
I'm just sayin' that as long as we pull out onto the Drag at 5:30 pm at a pedestrian green lite into the middle of rushour traffick and continue to stay on the road en masse, it's going to be a little confrontational (which, I think, isn't a bad thing.)
Is kinda early for working folk, especially those of us > 5 miles from the rollout point. I used to live in a place where rollout was typically 6:30, and I was there just about every month. Oh, well.
I used to take off work early so that I could ride critical mass. ya gotta commit.
fixed gears are like butt holes, every one has one.