HBxRider

I can understand how Critical Mass can be seen as good or bad.

The idea of riding in a huge group of cyclist through the city sounds fun. The comradery, chance to socialize with many other cyclists.

But I also know there's a good percentage of cyclists who are agressive and unsafe, and they do things at Critical Mass that endanger themselves and drivers, and give all cyclists a bad rap.

I havent seen any threads about it. One if the events main purposes is to advocate cycling. Others see it as an intimidation.

Whats the general consensus of it on here?

unterhausen

I think most people on here are not happy about CM. There are definitely people who post here that participate. Not all Critical Mass rides are the same, in a lot of places they are small enough to not be such a big deal. In Happy Valley, they have "happy tuesday," rides which consist of 20-30 riders riding through town wishing everyone a happy Tuesday. I have never seen any motorists panic over it, but I have only seen it in passing.

Six jours

I think it may depend partly upon location. I've hear people from some areas say that CM has been a polite gathering of cyclists making an important point. But in my neighborhood (Los Angeles) CM seems to be made up primarily of A-Holes interested only in drunken (or drug-fueled) mayhem, with "activism" as the thinnest possible cover.

FrenchFit 

I participated in what might be considered a militant, aggressive CM event. All in, I think it has done more good than bad, but it depends on who you ask.

Bottom line; at a proper scale it's performance art - don't over think it.

Franky

It just pisses motorists and police off and does not promote positive cycling, at least the films I have seen of the critical mass demonstrations. Go on UTUBE and check it out. Lots of good and bad. Our community does not need bad promoting.

Chris516

CM can be overzealous, when they don't obey, existing traffic laws.

fuji86

I avoid traffic congestion, this is what I perceive critical mass whether it's cyclists or work commutes. Read the road ahead and respond well in advance for motorists would eliminate critical masses for cyclists.

iforgotmename

I ride Critical Mass almost every month in Cleveland Ohio and we rarely have issues. Most people are actually supportive because it looks like a big bike parade, we get a lot of positive honks and cheers. The more economically depressed areas tend to be the friendliest...go figure. I would wager that the driver that gets angry at CM also gets angry at cyclists and or any other vehicle slowing them down.

We had 435 riders in Aug 2011 (someone does actually count) and there was only one driver who started yelling. It ends up he was running late for work, leave early enough so 5 min doesn't matter imho.

Here is a video of the Aug ride as a reference. The second half of the video shows vehicle and community reaction.

FBinNY 

IMO the occasional critical mass ride to generate awareness and press is probably a good thing, almost regardless of the conduct of some of the participants. However there can be too much of a good thing. In many cities these have become a weekly or monthly event, to the annoyance of other legitimate users of the streets, raising police and permit conflicts, and a backlash against cyclists.

Organizers should be mindful of their goals of increasing awareness the benefits bicycle transport in metropolitan areas, both the the cyclists themselves, in saved time and money, and also to the community in terms of reduced congestion and pollution. The rides must be run in ways consistent with the goal, rather than as an attempt to demonstrate power or cyclist disregard for the others who share the streets.

FrenchFit 

It is not intended to promote "postive cycling". At least not here. Your statement is a lot like saying OCCUPY fails to promote 'positive camping'.

Franky

some think the "occupy" thing sucks., and I tend to agree. My point is, if motorists see the need to be aggressive toward cyclists in general since their last experience is the CM thing holding traffic up, running lights, etc. , they are likely to take it out on those who are just out for a ride. In other words, you have the right to a different opinion but mine won't change regardless of your "occupy" frame of thought.

DX-MAN

The atmosphere between cyclists and motorists is already confrontational; too many CM rides do little other than inflate that. KUDOS to the few out there that ARE civil.

Ever since I found there was a local CM ride, the thought has been in the back of my mind about at least checking it out. But when I heard about some of the shenanigans during the rides, I decided against it. There's enough hostility here locally, and too big a cross-section of drivers who'd willingly bump a bike off the road.

Someone else started up with the Critical Manners Ride; my work schedule keeps me from joining that.

JanekTheFizyk

In my city (Wrocław, Poland) there is a CM every month. I participated 2 times, each one being a cheerful ride with no incidents.
We even have an official, introduced by some people with collaboration of city government, annual ride that takes place in July (afair) with contest for best outfit, prizes and stuff. This one is guarded by local police who stop traffic at every crossing (usually two guys at motorbikes).

MMACH 5

As mentioned above, it depends on your locale. I attended one, here in Dallas and it was nothing but a pub crawl (I got bored and left after 20 minutes waiting to get started, 12 minutes of riding and 35 minutes sitting at a bar).

B. Carfree

It seems to me that CM was important as a way to help jumpstart this third bicycling boom in America. It helped cyclists see that they weren't just lone warriors out there and it definitely got motorists' attention. I'm pleased that we are starting to outgrow that phase and it is morphing into more of a parade/pub crawl/performance art event. That means we are starting to see enough cyclists on a daily basis that we are on the cusp of creating a true critical mass.

detroitjim

I still believe it is a net positive. So, motor vehicles get inconvenienced one time a month by cyclists. The other 29 or 30 days its the other way around. Up here its only 7 or 8 times per year......that's 357 in the autos column.
At any of the downtown Detroit events I've only seen two minor confrontations . The streets here are mostly wide open when it starts ,at 7pm.

Seattle Forrest

RaleighSport

I like the concept of CM... sort of.. the reality though makes me pray the already psychotic drivers don't equate me with the real world CM participants...

bhop

curbtender

Like anything, it's a good idea if it works.

RaleighSport

Does it work though? All I hear are horror stories, or the fanboys perspective.

Chris516

I was thinking of doing a CM ride tonight. To see what it was really like.

Two problems

Mother Nature had other ideas',with rain, and when I looked up the starting location for the local CM ride, it was ambiguous and non-specific. So even if it hadn't rained, I wasn't going to look all over the city block for them.

fuji86

I avoid the CM's, like motorists, there are good and bad cyclists in the group that jeopardize others safety. That big of a group and you're going to get riders of every level too, some slower, others faster. Both mostly slower than the motorists they may block. Reminds me of the thread not too long ago of the group that stopped to rest on the roadway at night and a (bad) motorist wasn't expecting a crowd around a blind corner. The motorist got a few of the CM cyclists that night, so the timing of some of these CM's isn't the best planned events either. Just because everyone bought a Wal-Mart bike light set doesn't make it safe ?

Captain Blight

I think Critical Mass was great when it first started out 10-12 years ago: "We're not impeding traffic, we are traffic!" But I think that in most locales, there's an equilibrium point that either has been reached or is close to being reached. I think, from a strictly advocacy standpoint, that greater effect is reached by cyclists just doing their thing legally and sanely.

Franky

+1