Originally posted by khuon
There's a big difference between those rides and most CM rides. Those rides have rules which stipulate that you must follow the rules of the road as it pertains to cycling. In some rides such as the STP, full participation and cooperation is given by the law enforcement officials by several municipalities. Because of these subtle but important differences, I would not equate organised and sanctioned cycling events with CM rides.
I beg to differ--to most drivers, as opposed to people, a bunch of bikes on the road is a bunch of bikes on the road. This difference may matter within the community of cyclists, but I really think the subtlety is lost on drivers.