ROJA

Pete or anyone else riding? I am thinking about checking it out. What time does the ride usually depart Justin Herman Plaza? Am I safe if I get there at 6 or do I need to be there by 5:30?

HIPCHIP

I did a search once on Critical Mass, and it sounded like it causes more harm than good to bicyclists. Just a thought.

taxi777

I was thinking about bringing my camera, so that would be 5:30 Embarcadero Hyatt (fountain/Plaza)

jinws

hey guys, if you happen to run red lights and hit a pedestrian, make sure to hit that person in the back of the head with your front wheel.

j/k. but yea, thanks for the heads up, I'm staying out of the downtown area today.

RapidRobert

I'll be there on a green '69 Raleigh Superbe. Probably get there about 5:45 from the train station. The mass usually goes critical about 6:30 and starts moving then.

RapidRobert

I'd also like to mention that there's nothing wrong with a regularly scheduled parade of bicycles in a city. We have police escort for the intersections, and the only confrontations are caused by ignorant drivers pushing into the mass. The atmosphere is generally happy, helmets are NOT required, but you really need to watch out for the cable car slot of death and stupidly aggressive riders who think it's a race.

bigbossman 

Yeah - the only problem........ the rest CM is all cotton candy and unicorns.

jinws

Well I see plenty wrong with it. If I'm trying to get home to the wife and kids on a friday afternoon and some thousands of bikes are blocking traffic, it's a problem for me. The whole purpose is to gain respect for cyclists and bring attention to the problems between drivers and riders. What CM has become now does neither of those things. I drive and ride in SF, I can tell you right now, there are a lot of idiots that deserve to be crushed by a car.

0_o

Amen ...
If CM really wants to get respect by non-cyclist the people running the show , SFBC or who ever, needs to make sure the riders /participants show some respect for those who are being adversely effected by the event... SFBC should fork over some cash for the CM event and have it made into a real sanctioned protest \ cycling event...

jinws

I could be wrong but I don't think SFBC sponsors or organizes CM.

pelikan

SFBC has no affiliation with CM. No organization would want that liability. I've never done CM and don't really feel the need, but I also don't feel too bad for people in cars being stuck in traffic of some sort. Tons of normal reasons that can happen. Remember a few years ago when CM was a hot issue and somehow somebody got the medias attention because they were on their way to get medicine and CM slowed them down? Hello....Friday evening going across the city and you got delayed....go figure????

0_o

SFBC is affiliated with cm , they have promoted the SF CM on their site ,their head person promotes it when ever she can. If you are company or Org. and you promote something then that action of promoting that event squarley places you in affiliation with that event.

pelikan

From their website:

Dchiefransom

If you guys want to ride in Critical Mass, ride in Critical Mass. It might be a good idea to avoid the nutcases that think they are taking over the city and can do anything they want, and hang with the people that just want to ride.
If you want to ride with people that follow all the rules, look for a Critical Manners ride.

FogVilleLad

Getting up in people's faces when it's not necessary is just a sign of being naughty children. Not exactly good publicity for cyclists. I've been riding lightweight bikes for more than forty years and been involved in various causes fover nearly as long a time. Have yet to see anything productive result from getting up in people's faces.

ahpook

Dude, think about what you are saying. Nobody deserves to be crushed by a car, ever. I get that you are exaggerating or something but that just ain't right.

RapidRobert

It's unfortunate that the bike community at large has such an intollerant, xenophobic attitude toward those who choose to ride together in a parade. Tonight CM had a huge police escort, stopped at many red lights (keeping the mass together) and was free of anything noteworthy. I didn't hear an angry word or see a single altercation along the route. It immediately opened a path for a fire truck.

Please get over your hatred. You have plenty of your own costumed, helmeted "parades" within the arrogantly exclusive bike club rides all over the Bay Area. Nobody riding in CM wishes YOU were dead! THEY just want to ride together in the city, despite the wide range of attitudes present in ANY crowd that size, and despite the finger-waving admonitions from myopic drivers and meme infected bike club "aristocrats". Just my opinion.

alicestrong

That post is one of the ugliest I've ever seen on Bike Forums.

Troll much you think?

Ygduf

The posts that are negative about CM mention almost exclusively the incidents where the ride has gotten rowdy, caused unnecessary delays, disregarded laws, etc... in such a way as to raise ire towards ALL cyclists.

If everyone got together 1 Friday a month, followed the rules and increased awareness of cyclists on the streets without incident, everyone would support it. If that's what you did last night, great, good on you.

Not really bridging the gap with "meme infected bike club aristocrats" though, are we? Take note that the person who said there are some cyclists that deserve to be hit by a car has been shouted down by all sides...

RapidRobert

Good point, but that gap is huge, real, and created by the bike clubs. Perhaps if it didn't exist, more of the foolish riding by "civilians" seen on the street and in CM would be corrected by their acceptance by, and inclusion with those groups.

ricebowl

Why would people dislike CM, it's not like they're doing anything to intentionally inconvenience others. If you guys stopped at red lights, what's the police escort for? An excellent use of police resources by the way.

Nope not a bike club aristocrat. But I'd rather ride with some aristocrats than CM anyday.

powpow

Interesting, and wrong, I think. I don't belong to a club or team, but nearly every club ride in the Bay Area welcomes new riders on their group rides (go check some websites, or better yet, go join a ride). I've ridden with several clubs and they are all quite welcoming. Even many racing teams allow experienced riders to latch on to their rides. I have to wonder how you came to this conclusion. Maybe you're bitter about some other aspect of road cycling..??

RapidRobert

It's foolish for a crowd of 1000 cyclists to stop at EVERY red light. The escort was to keep them safe from foolish drivers pushing through the parade, and to facilitate it's expeditious passage along the route for those wanting to use the street it's on. An excellent use of police resources indeed! That's what makes it a "critical" mass. If they stopped at every light, it would be a bike walk, not a bike ride.

botto 

thanks for illustrating why CM riders are tools.

RapidRobert

Lidless riders are shunned by bike clubs, despite the signing of a liability waiver. Do you know of one that doesn't?