Critical Mass

[Greydon Clark]

If you’re ever in San Francisco on the last Friday of the month, I highly recommend you join the freaks and clog the City’s streets aka Critical Mass. I know this group bike ride pisses some people off and I’m sure some of the navel giving, obsessive compulsive members of our online community are willing to debate the righteousness of this collective act of civil disobedience endlessly, but I’m not.

If you like bikes and you like riding around town with freaks, do it. You’ll laugh your ass off and get smoked out by some dude who went to college with your father, but dropped out to build Tesla Coils—they’re the next big thing, man. If you’re a square peg dork who’s a slave to the robot system for robots, save you’re breath.

Anyone ride the Critical Mass in their town?

I’ll post pictures once I figure out how to get them digitized.

Fight the power.

[Spats]

I've ridden the SLC and SF Critical Mass.

SLC is much smaller and is more of a straight activist ride. You actually risk getting arrested, and are probably doing more good in bringing cyclists to drivers' consciousness. SF is more of a freak celebration -- and there's nothing wrong with that.

If you live in SLC, don't miss the opportunity to do the "Bike to Work with Rocky" that he does just about yearly. It's like the SF CM, except you get cops on Harleys corking intersections for you instead of bike messengers with camouflage bandanas over their faces.

[m1e448]

Planning on doing the one here in SLC sometime soon,

[biggins]

Seem to remember a letter to the editor in some publication lamenting the decline of the NYC CM. Very sad, written by a dad who used to take the kids along because it was the one time it was safe to let them ride care-free through the city. If I recall correctly, the NYPD made it known that they would arrest any and all comers if the CM went down.

Anyone know anything of this?

Finally, does anyone know of a CM in Boston? Or is that a rediculous thought- drivers actually aquiescing to a band of cyclists in Masshole central? I think CM is brilliant.

[train07]

Recent NYC CM related :
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=133764

[Darkside]

Seem to remember a letter to the editor in some publication lamenting the decline of the NYC CM. Very sad, written by a dad who used to take the kids along because it was the one time it was safe to let them ride care-free through the city. If I recall correctly, the NYPD made it known that they would arrest any and all comers if the CM went down.

Anyone know anything of this?

Finally, does anyone know of a CM in Boston? Or is that a rediculous thought- drivers actually aquiescing to a band of cyclists in Masshole central? I think CM is brilliant.

I've done CM in Boston. Depending on the current headlines, it could be small, or out of control.

Any other Boston maggots been on the JP Halloween ride? 1000+ people in costume on bikes = amazing.

[Free Range Lobster]

Critical Mass is being ruined in Boston by the retards who think this is their opportunity to throw water bottles (and recently glass bottles) at cars along with trying to smash side mirrors on cars along with being a general nuisance.

With these recent assholes garnering the wrong attention I hope it dies in Boston. Watch all the idiots cry.

[Crinkle]

initeresting http://www.critical-mass.org/

there is one in dever every month, last friday of the month

[PeachesN'Cream]

same with seattle

last friday of the month. it's pretty damn fun. i went a few months ago. there were about 200 people from the hard core couriers on fixies, to commuters, to BMX street kids and recumbents the whole gamut was covered.

another fun thing that goes down after crit mass in seattle is the midnight bike races around greenlake. one hot lap around the lake 3.5 miles of all out sprint. basically it's the whos who courier event. you've never seen so many trick fixed gear courier track bikes.

[Hugh Jass]

Enjoyed the CM in Denver in July. Got stuck waiting for things to clear out. Spent 45 minutes idling in my SUV with the AC on full blast as I tried to make my solo commute home. Thank gawd for bucket leathers - I stayed comfortable while the hippies did their thing.

[focus]

Enjoyed the CM in Denver in July. Got stuck waiting for things to clear out. Spent 45 minutes idling in my SUV with the AC on full blast as I tried to make my solo commute home. Thank gawd for bucket leathers - I stayed comfortable while the hippies did their thing.

heh.

090988

[aspenskibum]

[QUOTE=biggins]Seem to remember a letter to the editor in some publication lamenting the decline of the NYC CM. Very sad, written by a dad who used to take the kids along because it was the one time it was safe to let them ride care-free through the city. If I recall correctly, the NYPD made it known that they would arrest any and all comers if the CM went down.

I'm not positive, but i doubt they could arrest a couple thousand people

[Free Range Lobster]

In boston every sunday they block off memorial drive and allow runners/fruit booters/bicyclists go up and down it.

its pretty damn awesome

[freshies]

when i lived in SF, I did it a few times. Most memorable was 98 or 99?? maybe 2000? when the ride got outta control and pissed off motorists were brawling w/the riders, and cops were cracking heads and Willy Brown was going nuts, etc.

Best part: about 100 of us broke off from the group and proceeded to ride down Lombard Street (the famous curvy street in all the movies/pics) one at a time, doing a time trial down the street as someone was timing ea/ riders descent, was sweet.