Advocacy & Safety - Critical Mass this Friday

This has been a long month, 5 months since the last Critical Mass and I'm missin all my friends.
In the meantime I was at a critical mass in the Sierra Mountains (Death Ride), but it wasn't a real critical mass because you had to pay, but there was a large number of bikes, 2,700.
Any of you Bay area riders, see you at Justin Herman Plaza 6pm friday.
:beer:
Still we ride......

San Francisco http://www.talkfastrideslow.org/
Portland OR http://www.subluna.com/CriticalMass/
Chicago http://www.chicagocriticalmass.org/
Los Angeles (Bike Summer) http://www.bikesummer.org/2005/calendar/calendar.php?From=2005-05-28&To=2005-08-04&OrganizerID=0&Submit=Remove+All+Limits
http://www.cicle.org/cm/criticalmass.html
NYC http://www.times-up.org/cm.php
London http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/


http://critical-mass.info/index.html

New Orleans: http://www.nolacriticalmass.org/

Pittsburgh--
Last month critical mass was really fun there was nearly 300 people and ended at a huge party/fund raiser at the bike-pgh/free ride warehouse in the East End.

http://www.pghcriticalmass.org/

...5 months since the last Critical Mass...]
I think you meant to say 5 weeks... ;)



Portland OR http://www.subluna.com/CriticalMass/

New Portland web site:
http://www.rosecitycriticalmass.org/
Listserve:
http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/pdxcriticalmass

I think you meant to say 5 weeks... ;)


Opps, 5 weeks is indeed what I meant.
Thanks randya.
I missed the Berkeley mass which is on the 2nd Friday of the month because I was up in the Sierra for the Death Ride. The Berkeley mass is lots of fun. Such a variety of drivers responses in Berkeley, with lots of motorists shouting and honking in solid support, college students not really knowing what's going on, but cheering anyway, and of course, the one in one/thousand who are hostile. What's funny about the hostile ones is that the Berkeley mass is so small that no one is delayed by more than an extra light cycle, and their rage is so out of proportion to the delay. Especially compared to the delays encountered on the nearby freeway on a daily basis. Motorists wait over 20 min just to pay the toll for the Bay Bridge.
But we all know why that is, right? //roads are for cars//, right. :rolleyes:
Still we ride.
http://www.berkeleycriticalmass.org/

Question for you CM people. But first the back story. I was at a rally last week (I will not go into what the rally was because this is not the P & R board) but being at the rally it was very (very) obvious that I was a Republican. Also there was a counter-protest against us. Well I reconized one of the counter-protests from a few weeks before from Bike fest. Well just for the fun of it I said hi to him, and that I reconize him from Bike Fest. At which point he said that it (bike fest) was for anarchests (inplying that Repubilcans, and I am guessing Democrates were not welcome at it) These are the same people that do the critical mass also. So my question(s) is(are) why say Critical Mass (and other biking events) are open to every one, if you don't belive it in your hearts (if the anser to the next question is yes then this question is moot)? Was this guy just being an a**hole? If people from the 2 major political parties (the bulck of the US) are not welcome how do you hope to win them over to your side on the bike belong on the road and deserves respect debate?

Question for you CM people. But first the back story. I was at a rally last week (I will not go into what the rally was because this is not the P & R board) but being at the rally it was very (very) obvious that I was a Republican. Also there was a counter-protest against us. Well I reconized one of the counter-protests from a few weeks before from Bike fest. Well just for the fun of it I said hi to him, and that I reconize him from Bike Fest. At which point he said that it (bike fest) was for anarchests (inplying that Repubilcans, and I am guessing Democrates were not welcome at it) These are the same people that do the critical mass also. So my question(s) is(are) why say Critical Mass (and other biking events) are open to every one, if you don't belive it in your hearts (if the anser to the next question is yes then this question is moot)? Was this guy just being an a**hole? If people from the 2 major political parties (the bulck of the US) are not welcome how do you hope to win them over to your side on the bike belong on the road and deserves respect debate?

I'd say he was being confrontational, small minded, as you said an a$$. Who does he think he is to be gatekeeping? Critical Mass is open to all who show up, every city is different. I'm sure the enviromental crowd is heavy at CM, but it is not a political event. Sometimes it gets hijacked by some group or another. Some criticize it because it does not display some message. But message is just this, bikes are traffic. Get enough bikes together and the tables are turned.

It's not political, it's supposed to be fun. Everyone is different. But we are all on bikes, that connects us.
For me it's just a chance to go up to the city, take an friday afternoon off, drink some beer, eat a burrito or a crab sandwich, meet folks on bikes. I'm doing a lot of serious endurance events, so this ride is more relaxed.

Do you have a link for Bike Fest, I'm curious.

The link for Bike Fest is http://www.bike-pgh.org/bikefest.html

Thanks I checked it out, lot's of great events, the ballpark ride sounds good, the beer ride...UMMMM.

I would have loved to attended this one.
Paul Simpson-"You're Either With Us, or You're a Bicyclist: Use of the 'War on Terror' since 9-11 to discriminate against bicyclists, pedestrians, and mass transit riders."
Paul Simpson, president of the Centre Region Bike Coalition (State College area), physician, and bicyclist, will present a lecture with graphic visual documentation of how the 9-11 attacks are now being used by authorities to mount an assault on people attempting to use non-automotive means of transportation.


But the guy telling you that Bike Fest or Critical mass was for anarchists is blowing hot air.
I didn't see anything blantently political at all.
The thing is, if the population of Critical Mass in your area is predomintly youths in black with too many tattoos and piercings, then bring enough of your friends to have your own tribe represented.
There are no gatekeepers.


The link for Bike Fest is http://www.bike-pgh.org/bikefest.html

any of y'all have up to date info for San Diego CM?

The only site I could find was last updated feb 2004 and says Reuben H Fleet at 7. Is this correct?

Union Square South, 7pm.

Rock A Bike.

Boston. 5:30 PM. Copley Square. Be there.

The thing is, if the population of Critical Mass in your area is predomintly youths in black with too many tattoos and piercings, then bring enough of your friends to have your own tribe represented. There are no gatekeepers.
Word! These folks tried to take over Portland CM for a while and brought a world of police hurt down on the ride.

Now, we've got a new admin. in City Hall, the new mayor came out to ride with CM in Jan 05, and things have improved markedly since then - open discussions w/ police, no more motorcycle and riot police tagging along, just regular folks on bikes, children too, and cool bike cops.

5:30 PM by the elephant in the North Park blocks across from Powell's Technical Book Store. Tell your friends. See you there!

Word! These folks tried to take over Portland CM for a while and brought a world of police hurt down on the ride.

Now, we've got a new admin. in City Hall, the new mayor came out to ride with CM in Jan 05, and things have improved markedly since then - open discussions w/ police, no more motorcycle and riot police tagging along, just regular folks on bikes, children too, and cool bike cops.


Common ground Randy, never thought it would happen. I stumbled on this a couple of days ago (http://www.onesolidgear.com/), and I think it's a perfect example of why there is as much negative attention as there is for toward CM:

"Traffic was dense due to Taste of Chicago , but we were still able to dominate every intersection in our path, rendering traffic cops helpless as we steadily swarmed ..............an unstoppable parade of freaks."

It's an unfortunate reality that this type of attitude gets a lot of the attention and seems to be attracted to CM. As someone pointed out in another thread, they seem to think that "Critical Mass is for Anarchists."

Common ground Randy, never thought it would happen. I stumbled on this a couple of days ago (http://www.onesolidgear.com/), and I think it's a perfect example of why there is as much negative attention as there is for toward CM:

"Traffic was dense due to Taste of Chicago , but we were still able to dominate every intersection in our path, rendering traffic cops helpless as we steadily swarmed ..............an unstoppable parade of freaks."

It's an unfortunate reality that this type of attitude gets a lot of the attention and seems to be attracted to CM. As someone pointed out in another thread, they seem to think that "Critical Mass is for Anarchists."
Nah, that's just wierd fixie folk having fun, not real anarchists... ;)

I notice the bike in the first pix has gears, though... :D

I've ridden with a couple of fixie guys around here, wrenches at my LBS. They scare me.

Paul Simpson, president of the Centre Region Bike Coalition (State College area), physician, and bicyclist, will present a lecture with graphic visual documentation of how the 9-11 attacks are now being used by authorities to mount an assault on people attempting to use non-automotive means of transportation.



Holy Fsck, somebodys got the tinfoil hat on a little to tight.

Holy Fsck, somebodys got the tinfoil hat on a little to tight.
That might be so, but that is what I think is great about the US, he is alowed to wear that tinfoil hat all he wants, as long as he does not harm any one or break the law. But lets help him out and send him this page http://zapatopi.net/afdb.html ;-)

Holy Fsck, somebodys got the tinfoil hat on a little to tight.
The question is, is it Dr. Simpson or the boys down at the HSA? ;)

Thanks I checked it out, lot's of great events, the ballpark ride sounds good, the beer ride...UMMMM.
Very similar to Pedalpalooza in Portland. http://shift2bikes.org/pedalpalooza/index.shtml

Isn't there one in Chicago?

The question is, is it Dr. Simpson or the boys down at the HSA? ;)

Dr. Simpson has a point.
After 9/11, the Golden Gate Bridge bike path was closed. But absolutly no security restrictions on motor traffic, which includes U-Haul truck capable of carrying a ton of explosive.
With a lot of pressure from SFBC and the MCBC it is open again.
And now we hear of the bike path on the Pittsburg bridge being closed.

And now the searching of transit patrons, but still no restrictions or searches of motor traffic which includes lots of huge trucks.

Isn't there one in Chicago?

One of the best.
http://www.chicagocriticalmass.org/

One of the best.
http://www.chicagocriticalmass.org/


Nice. I'm gonna go.

nyc, rumored 40 arrests.

Still We Rode and Ride. Killer after party.

nyc, rumored 40 arrests.

Still We Rode and Ride. Killer after party.
Rumored or actual? Sounds like you were there and all...

Newsday is reporting 34, so you can go with that if you want.

edit: sorry, I was there. Big group 500 or so. split, regrouped, split, regrouped and so on. I asked if there were Anarchists on the ride, but there was no response. ;)

Dr. Simpson has a point.
After 9/11, the Golden Gate Bridge bike path was closed. But absolutly no security restrictions on motor traffic, which includes U-Haul truck capable of carrying a ton of explosive.
With a lot of pressure from SFBC and the MCBC it is open again.
And now we hear of the bike path on the Pittsburg bridge being closed.

And now the searching of transit patrons, but still no restrictions or searches of motor traffic which includes lots of huge trucks.


Don't know about Pittsburg, but Philadelphia does have a bridge walkway closed (since the London bombings). There's a post in the thread that has links to complain:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=120381

SF was wonderfull. Lot's of pamphlets given out urging peace in the streets.
Good route, Embarcadero, Fishermans wharf, North Beach, Chinatown, Downtown, Lower Van Ness, under the central freeway (that made the cops nervous, but we didn't attempt to mount the freeway) Mission district. Kash and the valet bike parking near some cafe for folks to congragate. Didn't see any mayhem. Saw one cop in an SUV futaily trying to gain control, but that was laughable, he musta been new.
Had a few cocktails, but got home without a hangover.

San Francisco is such a walkable, bikable city, I don't know why all those people are driving around in the first place. Find a place to park that car, and get out and walk, that's the way to enjoy SF. There are several bike rental places in the tourist zone.

I was in one bar before the ride, getting fueled up so to speak, and got in a conversation with this one old gentlman who was telling me how he was such a big rider 10 years ago, did the Death Ride and rode pro and so on.
When he found out I was attending Critical Mass, he wanted to give me a lecture from the angle that he was a "professianal cyclist". Sheesh, the guy hadn't been on a bike in 5 years, give me a break. His wife just rolled her eyes.

Don't know about Pittsburg, but Philadelphia does have a bridge walkway closed (since the London bombings). There's a post in the thread that has links to complain:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=120381


That's what I meant, sorry.

Rumored or actual? Sounds like you were there and all...

Hey randya, how was Portland?

I read that there was a "big incident" during the Philadelphia CM. Read here: http://www.philamass.org/ridecomments.php?ridenum=20#comments

I wasn't there.

Hey randya, how was Portland?
I see you already found the other thread, I was bummed that I missed it!