Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Chicago Critical Mass

I've still never gotten out for a crit mass here. I rode a few in DC, but the vibe there was pretty aggressive -- lots of the anti-bathing, anti-globalization people and a lot of anger directed at cars and police. What's the vibe on the Chicago mass? I'd like to come out and ride the February mass -- I'd like to cruise and party on my bike for a bit, as long as it's not too cold, and then go out for a beer or two with some new friends. Is the mass chill enough? Where does it go? I think I read somewhere that it starts in Daley Plaza . . .

Usually pretty big, and pretty chill.

dc can be a strange place

yeah, thats where it starts. Around 6 o clock maybe. The route is almost never predetermined for most of the riders. You show up it it goes where it goes. lately it has been pretty disorganized, seemingly by people who have some sort of alternative agenda, but last months was pretty good. The ones in the summer are huge. All summed up it is a pretty good time with lots of familiar faces. the cold ones run probably about 30-50 people and the summer ones are pretty excessive. Come out, people are friendly, pm me the week of the mass and we can set up a meeting place. Also, try the tour da chicago, or one of the many other bike riding events that seem to happen in chicago each month. There are alot of familiar faces.

Thanks cardstock! Yeah -- I want to get out and meet some people. I grew up here, worked in a shop last summer, etc. etc. but I've always lived on the south side, and I'm never really around when **** goes down on the north side. I'll be in touch about the CM.

Peace.

yep daley plaza...goes somewhere new every ride. generally pretty chill.

dwj444 -- where on the southside. There are a few of us down there. I am in Pilsen (18th and western). the north side isnt that far, so dont feel excluded.

dwj444 -- where on the southside. There are a few of us down there. I am in Pilsen (18th and western). the north side isnt that far, so dont feel excluded.

University . . . Hyde Park (51st and Dorchester), near the lake. North side's not too far -- it's just too cold! And I need some people to ride with. I'm supposed to be doing the Chicago triathlon this summer (I'm really tempted to do it on my SS), but I don't want training partners -- I want some friends to ride and chill with. Not much bike culture around here . . . just a lot of students with bikes they bought from people who stole them and chains that are rusted . . . :crash:

Definitely make it out for the Tour next Sunday.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=173876&highlight=tour

Definitely make it out for the Tour next Sunday.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=173876&highlight=tour

Aaarrrrgghhh! I gotta work Sunday morning from 9 until 3. I won't be around until Sunday night. And I got more work to do for Monday morning! Grrrr.

I'm definitely coming out for the Critical Mass. Maybe some of the BF people can hook up and go for beers somewhere after the ride and then we can start plotting and planning. I'm serious -- I think the DC Pirates are a great idea. We gotta get a big gang going in Chicago. Start thinking of names and then we can get a weekly ride together . . .

PM me if you want to try and organize something for next Friday's CM.

Peace.

Aaarrrrgghhh! I gotta work Sunday morning from 9 until 3. I won't be around until Sunday night. And I got more work to do for Monday morning! Grrrr.

I'm definitely coming out for the Critical Mass. Maybe some of the BF people can hook up and go for beers somewhere after the ride and then we can start plotting and planning. I'm serious -- I think the DC Pirates are a great idea. We gotta get a big gang going in Chicago. Start thinking of names and then we can get a weekly ride together . . .

PM me if you want to try and organize something for next Friday's CM.

Peace.

How bout everyone in BF picks a place to meet and greet before the ride, like, just north of the stair railing at washington and dearborn, that's where I'll hang.

Of course, this will be a small critical mass so if anyone's there, we'll find each other

Of course, this will be a small critical mass so if anyone's there, we'll find each other[/QUOTE]

Except nobody knows what anybody looks like?! Unless y'all know each other already. I'm down to meet. I vote efarrar's suggestion -- I'll prolly bring a friend, but I'll be the tool on the busted-@$$ black Ni****ty conversion with the red and black tires. Rock on.

Peace.

Alright -- so, it's official? Just north of the stair railing and Washington and Dearborn. What time are we going to meet there? Someone said the Mass starts at 530 or 6? What if we meet at 520 and then take it from there? We can ride the mass, roll out for dinner and beer, and just kick back for a bit. PM me if you want to exchange any other info to make this happen (like what your real name is, so that I don't have to try to introduce myself to people as dwj444, or ask some random dude in a bike helmet, "are you chicagoamdream?").

Looking forward to it. Hopefully it won't be balls cold like it was today. I went ice-skating in HPK on the Midway. Wow. Cold. I'm going on Google Earth to find that stair railing Efarrar is talking about...

Peace.

Mass almost always doen not leave on time, so getting there early probably is not too urgent. 5:30 - 5:45 would probably be better, but whatever. My name - Ben on the Milwaulkee

Yeah get hundreds of people together and they are never punctual. I would go around asking random people "Do you like pie?" but that's just me. If you find one bfssfg member, he can always point you to a couple others.

You can see the stairs pretty clearly, they are just southwest of that tree: here (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=W+Washington+St+%26+N+Dearborn+St,+Chicago,+IL+60602&ll=41.883403,-87.629748&spn=0.000897,0.002704&t=k)

I'll be there my names Stephen.

I'm there (obviously). Name is Dave. Black Nishiki SS.

I probably won't make this one, but I'm Nat. Once you've met Ben (cardstock), I'm the other guy in the city on an orange track bike.

I saw a guy on an orange track bike with white keirin grips the other day, so...was that you or cardstock ;-)

I'd be up to join in on this BF group, My name's Simon, and I'll be on a black schwinn conversion, though there might be ten of those.

or at least two, you and me.

dwj, I live like 2 blocks from you. Not sure if I'm going to this mass yet (logistical issues), but I organize herds heading to mass from HP when the weather doesn't suck. I'm either on a bright yellow Felt roadie or some kind of dirt dog conversion (currently a green raleigh), I ride in HP all the time.

I saw a guy on an orange track bike with white keirin grips the other day, so...was that you or cardstock ;-)

Touche. As soon as I wrote that, I couldn't be sure if there was maybe ONE other guy.

I'm on a bright yellow Felt roadie

Were you at the Halloween CM? I distinctly remember a bright yellow Felt...

dwj, I live like 2 blocks from you. Not sure if I'm going to this mass yet (logistical issues), but I organize herds heading to mass from HP when the weather doesn't suck. I'm either on a bright yellow Felt roadie or some kind of dirt dog conversion (currently a green raleigh), I ride in HP all the time.

Wow. Sweet. I'll definitely keep an eye out for you. Let me know if you're going to be able to go out this Friday; I'm going to head up from HP sometime around five probably, maybe to meet a friend and then meet up with the BF people by the stair railing, which I incidentally can totally see with Google Earth (which is either so awesome, or totally ****ing scary -- or both, I suppose). Anyway. PM me and we can coordinate a departure Friday if you're able to go -- otherwise, we should get together for a beer in HP sometime.

Peace

AAAAAAHHHRRggggggghhh.

There will be weather, whether or not. Weather.com is predicting snow & rain mixing tomorrow afternoon. Are people still planning on coming out? I have my doubts. Get back on and confirm if you're still coming out. If we have to call off the BF/CM get together until next month, when the weather clears, then so be it.

...or just show up for the Tour on Sunday. There'll be plenty of BFers there.

yes, I agree the rain snow critical masses are kind of a drag, but I seem to go out anyway, but now that my job has implimented new mandatory hours on me I may not make it anyway. 8 to 5 with an unpaid lunch, 1 1/2 houor commute each way. eeeef.

1.5 hours?! Cripes. How long is your commute? 20-25 miles?

NOAA says no rain, and they usually have a better line on things than weather.com. We'll see. I have to be in Evanston at 8 to get drunk with theology students (true story), then I'm building wheels all day saturday. Hungover wheel building = worst idea ever.

I need to see what my crew looks like, if it's just me and some other fast people we can bomb up from hyde park in 30 or less, otherwise I might need to leave at like 4:45 to herd slow people.

1.5 hours?! Cripes. How long is your commute? 20-25 miles?

12 minutes to the metra on Western and Hubbard the 1 hour and 15 out to Elgin. Yeah, but I take pictures for a living. gotta give to get.

12 minutes to the metra on Western and Hubbard the 1 hour and 15 out to Elgin. Yeah, but I take pictures for a living. gotta give to get.

And now to totally derail this thread.....
Do you get to take your bike on the Metra with you?
Please elaborate on the taking pictures for a living thing.
I'm stuck in a job that's boring but pays like a mo'fo.

I'll trade with you, I am probably just as bored too, but get paid less than I should. 14 months of shooting product on a white background gets sort of repetative. Bike on the train, no, it is too much of a hassle. I have one of those bike locker type things at the stop that I lock my bike inside. the top locks down and I have my chain and ulock doing their work inside. My job. I am employed by RR Donnelley, we have an account with Ace HArdware and I shoot everything for them. Get the sunday paper, look at the ace ad, most of those images are mine. This derailment cant be good karma for my commuting purposes. Lets put this train back on its tracks.
So I think, regretfully, that I wont be able to attend mass on friday for the first time sinse last april.

I'll show up definitely, but I'll bail soon after the start of the ride if the weather's bad. Which doesn't sound too likely:

FRIDAY
MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SPRINKLES OR FLURRIE .
HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S. SOUTH WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT
PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 20S. SOUTHWEST
WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH IN THE EVENING SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 10 TO
20 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

is this the first time i'm gonna be at mass w/o cardstock? i'm gonna be there alone?!!awww. boohooo... i'm going to find a dark corner and weep over the fact that i'm gonna be alone for mass.

you wuss <insert a punch in the arm from useless to me here>, sound to me like there are going to be plenty of people there, you just need to stop being that creepy kid in the corner who is all twitchy and way too alert. Or dont drink lots of sparks before you go........

mmm sparks....where is a liquor store that sells that stuff in our area? taylor street liquor stopped carrying it

mmm sparks....where is a liquor store that sells that stuff in our area? taylor street liquor stopped carrying it

like every 10 feet south of 18th

I love taylor street liquor, they have Cobra for 1.60, and are within a five minute walk. I don't recall ever seeing sparks there though. However, I think the white hen a little bit further down taylor MIGHT have it.

I'll be there tomorrow rain or shine, but like efarrar I won't stick around and ride all slow if it's crappy. Just say my howdies and mosey on home. The last thing I need is another hail storm face tattoo, which has happened way way too often this winter.

no steel reserve 40oz though, the bastards.

Alright. I'm still down. See y'all at the railing by the stairs, barring rain and snow. ****it. I'll be there barring really nasting rain and really nasty snow. I'll be there, pretty much because I have to go pick up my W2 from work anyway. Yeah, so I'll be there.

I'm still there, I assume this starway is pretty obvious? cause I can't quite picture it.

I'm still there, I assume this starway is pretty obvious? cause I can't quite picture it.

Someone posted a link to it on Google earth. You can see it pretty easily there. I've never seen it in person, but my satellite surveilance service (see, the cold war wasn't a total waste) makes it appear pretty obvious. Looking forward to meeting folks!

Peace.

landgolier ... alex?

landgolier ... alex?

Que? nope, no Alex here. I don't think we've met, though you might have talked to my girlfriend when she was drooling on your bike at the Hyde Park stop on the second TdC stage.

Hyde Park people, want to meet at the 51st overpass at 5? Looks like it'll be windy, though it may actually give us a push.

Que? nope, no Alex here. I don't think we've met, though you might have talked to my girlfriend when she was drooling on your bike at the Hyde Park stop on the second TdC stage.

Hyde Park people, want to meet at the 51st overpass at 5? Looks like it'll be windy, though it may actually give us a push.

i will tentatively be there. on the path side.

Hyde Park people, want to meet at the 51st overpass at 5? Looks like it'll be windy, though it may actually give us a push.

Hyde Park folks: I can't meet y'all at the overpass because I have to jet up north early to get my W2 from work. I'll see you all at the stairs at dearborn and washington at 530 though. I usually go up king drive instead of the lakefront when it's windy -- just a suggestion!

See y'all this afternoon.

Peace.

i am tentatively not going to be there now, as i feel like moderate ass. i guess weeks on end of suboptimal sleep is finally catching up to me. ugh.

what time does the mass **** startup again? I may try to get there.