Advocacy & Safety - Critical Mass in Orange County, CA?

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Mehow
08-05-05, 02:02 PM
Is there a Critical Mass in Orange County, CA? I have mixed opinions on Critical Mass . . . since I've heard many pro's and con's about it, but I'd liked to experience it first hand. . . but, without driving out to L.A. ...since I'm basically car-free.

Thanks,
mehow

RocketsRedglare
08-05-05, 03:01 PM
Absolutely no need for it in OC. From Newport Beach, I can get to almost anywere in the county by riding a bike trail 65-70 percent of the time. After that, most of the surface streets have excellent bike lanes.

I can see the need for it in cities as San Francisco, DC or NYC
lilHinault
08-05-05, 04:08 PM
Newport is a great place to ride a bike, well, it's a great place anyway!

RocketsRedglare
08-05-05, 04:26 PM
When I first moved to OC from NY, back in 1991, I arrived without a car, but brought my bike with me. I lived in Fullerton, but worked in Costa Mesa. The Santa Ana River Trail got me there in about 30-40 minutes, with the last two miles on wide surface streets. I was able to arrive faster on a bike than what I could do in a car.

I can understand critical masses as a way to stir the political pot, but all you would do in OC is pissoff a lot of people for no reason other than to piss people off.

Except for a few jackholes (and most of them are riders or pedestrians) I've been riding in OC since 1991 and I have never had an accident, never been yelled at; and never had anything thrown at me by motorists) OC is a very good place to ride.
Mehow
08-05-05, 05:44 PM
When I first moved to OC from NY, back in 1991, I arrived without a car, but brought my bike with me. I lived in Fullerton, but worked in Costa Mesa. The Santa Ana River Trail got me there in about 30-40 minutes, with the last two miles on wide surface streets. I was able to arrive faster on a bike than what I could do in a car.

I can understand critical masses as a way to stir the political pot, but all you would do in OC is pissoff a lot of people for no reason other than to piss people off.

Except for a few jackholes (and most of them are riders or pedestrians) I've been riding in OC since 1991 and I have never had an accident, never been yelled at; and never had anything thrown at me by motorists) OC is a very good place to ride.

I'm happy for ya if your havin such a positive experience in Newport Beach, but in northern O.C. it's not as "Sunny". I live in LaHabra, which is close to Fullerton (as You mentioned) . . . but the atmosphere here isn't as cheery as it maybe along the coast where bikes are more common. I think northern & north-eastern Orange County has a bike atmosphere that is tainted buy L.A. I'm sure it's easier to ride here then maybe NY or SF, but if there was more awarness for cyclists here, maybe we could bring Northern OC up to coastal OC standards :rolleyes: :D

I don't know . . .
wsexson
08-05-05, 05:59 PM
Gotta agree with Mehow. I live in Anaheim, and in most of Orange County north-west of the 55 there ain't diddly for bike paths or bike lanes. I ride on the street with traffic, no bike lane, the vast majority of the time. I am not complaining, I like it just fine. But it really is different in this part of the county.