How many cyclists here have been on Critical Mass?

[Sigmund Fraud]

Fuck off youself, the local parish council are very similar to you lot. I don't get into battles of wits with unarmed people.

Do I try and tell you about Cornish shit? Do I set you straight on the best way to perform an exibition with a shetland pony? Or grow a prize marrow? Do I fuck.

WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CYCLING IN THE CAPITAL ANYWAY???

Fuck all, thats what - yet you sem to think you're entitled to voice an opinion on the matter or indeed, that you opinion counts for fuck all.

 

[Major Tom]

I was always to knackered when I was a courier. The end of a 300+ mile week and you want me to ride around with a bunch of hippies. However, I always meant to go and if this month's going to be a biggie I shall come.

Anyone who's ever been or ever meant to go but never got round to it.


THIS IS THE BIG ONE

28th of October.

 

[WasGeri]

Never been on one. I'm vaguely aware that they have them in Bristol, but I don't really like cycling with loads of other cyclists getting in my way in case I hit one and I fall off.

 

[Dubversion]

i have, but don't have a bike so haven't been for ages...

i carried a carrier bag full of lion shit round on the last one i did

 

[Maggot]

I cycle but I don't really see the point of Critical Mass.

 

[alfajobrob]

Anyone who's ever been or ever meant to go but never got round to it.


THIS IS THE BIG ONE

28th of October.

well thats a good enough excuse for me.......

I've never been, but have wanted to loadsa times, will try & rope in a couple of others as well

 

[sherriff rosco]

i carried a carrier bag full of lion shit round on the last one i did

pourquoi?

.p.

 

[citydreams]

I cycle but I don't really see the point of Critical Mass.

Critical Mass, noun
1. The minimum amount (of something) required to start or maintain a venture
2. The minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a chain reaction

 

[butchersapron]

Is it an analogy then?

 

[JWH]

Here's me with a few of Tobyjug's friends

I think black suits you.

 

[Maggot]

Critical Mass, noun
1. The minimum amount (of something) required to start or maintain a venture
2. The minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a chain reaction

So has critical mass started or sustained anything worthwhile? Or do they just ride around pissing off motorists?

 

[aurora green]

pourquoi?

.p.

I believe it's quite good for keeping police horses away...

 

[sherriff rosco]

I believe it's quite good for keeping police horses away...

Blimey do they do lion-shit on-a-rope...must buy some ..

Looks like I`m working the 28th....... but I`ll push wifey out of the door to take me place.!)

.p.

 

[citydreams]

So has critical mass started or sustained anything worthwhile? Or do they just ride around pissing off motorists?

Critical Mass was born out of the London Cycling Campaign, so to attribute the changes seen in cycling provisions in London merely to the critical mass rides would be an exageration.

Having spoken to some of the original riders it is fair to say that the environment was one of their top concerns. Additionally, the Criminal Justice Act had been in place for two years yet there were hardly any noteworthy confrontations with the authorities. Reclaim the Streets wouldn't have their 1st event for another two years.

One of LCC's early successes had been in lobbying the GLC to build a bike-friendly scheme at Albert Gate in Central London. But the GLC was disbanded in 1986 and LCC soon found that no-one was listening any more. London's transport system was over-crowded, under-invested and incredibly unsafe. The 1980's saw 300 cyclists killed every year and 5,000 seriously injured.

In the eyes of the law the motorist had right of way, with the humble pedestrian and enthusiastic cyclist left to fight over the scraps.

So, has anything changed?
The recently passed Traffic Management Act places cars, bikes and pedestrians on equal grounds and the onus is on authorities to prove that this is the case. There are ASLs on most busy junctions and (although hardcore cycle campaigner detest it) there are a network of cycle lanes.
On the environment side TfL have a £150million budget to bring in Local Emission Zones to prevent the 1000 people a year dying in London from pollution. 20mph zones are springing up across London and the plan is for plenty more.

What more needs to be done?
What I find most fascinating about the cycling debate is the huge number of people who have an inclination to cycle but won't out of fear of injury, lack of provisions, and the risk of theft. Cycling has doubled in the last five years but the budget hasn't kept up. With the rising costs faced by public transport cycling is a real alternative.

What difference does cycling around London make?
Every difference

 

[corporate whore]

I get to a few CMs a year, and always have a good time - there's even pictorial evidence of me at CM on this site!

Just to pick one last hole in tobyjug's argument - Critical Mass takes place on the last Friday of every month, starting some time in the region of 6pm from underneath Waterloo Bridge.

Armed with this detail - and the Met are always in attendance on their Smith & Wesson bikes (one free with every firearm!) - how much more co-operation do the Met want?

 

[Dubversion]

So has critical mass started or sustained anything worthwhile? Or do they just ride around pissing off motorists?

what, as opposed to motorists pissing off cyclists, driving into them, clogging up the city, polluting, etc etc.

jesus..

 

[citydreams]

 

[citydreams]

 

[Major Tom]

So has critical mass started or sustained anything worthwhile? Or do they just ride around pissing off motorists?

The only motorists that are pissed off by critical mass have this delusion that the roads are there only for motorists. Critical Mass confronts this delusion.

Speaking as a motorist, Critical Mass has never even registered on my radar as something to get pissed off about.

 

[corporate whore]

You'd have to be extremely unlucky to get delayed by Critical Mass more than once. That's the beauty of the spontaneous route, innit?

 

[rich!]

Gods, I haven't been on one of those for ages. Plus, three months ago my old "One Less Car" t-shirt finally gave up the ghost.

Guess I know what I'm doing later this month...

 

[nightowl]

been on about three or four of them. only motorists i've seen being deliberately delayed are those who get overly arsey and aggressive after having to wait for a minute or two while the mass passes by

 

[Maggot]

what, as opposed to motorists pissing off cyclists, driving into them, clogging up the city, polluting, etc etc.

jesus..

So you see at as some sort or revenge then? Jesus.

 

[gaijingirl]

Mostly I am not anti-police, but one of my most disappointing encounters with the OB was about 10 years ago on a critical mass when a policeman who was "policing" the event pushed me off my bike as he walked past me (obviously cycling very slowly!)... with absolutely no provocation on my part whatsoever, I hadn't said a word to him, looked at him or anything, it came from nowhere. It really upset and shocked me...

 

[Dubversion]

So you see at as some sort or revenge then? Jesus.

no, maggot, i don't see it as some sort of revenge, nor did i in anyway imply that.

my post was a response to your ludicrous criticism of Critical Mass, not a summary of their intentions.

 

[han]

I think Critical Mass is fab, and a really valuable thing. I've only been about 3 times, but believe that it's one of the few occasions where we have the balance right in central London. Non-pollution transport should have priority over polluting-transport if we've got any hope of reversing climate change...

Plus, when do cyclists ever get the chance to cycle freely and safely around central London without having to think about whether they're going to get run over? - Never. Except for on a Critical Mass.

So WHAT if a few motorists get delayed or pissed off once a month - the point that's being made here is far more important. And the point is that central London can be a really pleasant, safe place to cycle around if the number of cars is dramatically reduced. Oh, and of course it's the quickest way of getting from A to B in London, by far. Hopefully when people in cars are stuck in a gridlock due to Critical Mass (like any other traffic jam caused by any obstruction), they will see the happy faces of cyclists whizzing about and think 'hmm, actually I don't have to do this every day, do I....'

 

[Maggot]

my post was a response to your ludicrous criticism of Critical Mass, not a summary of their intentions.

It wasn't a criticism, it was a question. One which han and Citydreams have given very helpful answers to.

 

[Dubversion]

sorry, maggot but this..

So has critical mass started or sustained anything worthwhile? Or do they just ride around pissing off motorists?

doesn't sound much like a question, despite being phrased as one.

 

[William of Walworth]

I was always to knackered when I was a courier. The end of a 300+ mile week and you want me to ride around with a bunch of hippies. However, I always meant to go and if this month's going to be a biggie I shall come.

Well I hope you come, but I hope your delicate sensitivities aren't too hurt and offended by there being too many 'hippies' there!

Fucks sake get your priorities right!

I've been in two or three CMs (quite a while back now), two of them the regular Friday ones, one of them linked to June 18th

Stig saw this thread before I did and urged me to have alook. We are setting Friday 28th October aside for it.

Looking forward to seeing plenty of Urbanites there, including hippies.

Hello Aurora!!

 

[Onket]

I'm not a hippy but I'll be there.