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Post by the weiner posse on Apr 3, 2006 11:14:01 GMT -5
hey did anyone go the the 'new' critical mass that has recently started up again in iowa city...?
they had their first one friday at 5:30pm at the pedmall and i guess about twenty-five people joined in...
i also heard that they were staying all in one lane & obeying traffic laws...which is a good thing...
looks like it will be continuing on throughout the year on the last friday of every month...
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Post by cootie on Apr 23, 2006 8:59:41 GMT -5
Anyone here going on the IC CM this Friday, April 28? I hate hate hate the bad reputation critical mass has gotten for so many people. I didn't go to the last one, and even though so many people like to say it's not organized by anyone, I don't know the folks that have organized this one. Anyway, I'd like to check it out.
Anyone else?
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Post by the weiner posse on Apr 24, 2006 9:04:15 GMT -5
i'd always be late to them so it'd be kind of nice to know where they plan on going so i could catch up...something that probably will never be known until the ride actually begins...
a side note...one person saw the mass fliers at the shop & complained to me about having the flyer taped to his seat last month by whoever...sticky residue left on saddles isn't the best thing...
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Post by gpickle on Apr 27, 2006 9:49:48 GMT -5
Cootie and I are planning to mass in a critical fashion this Friday! We are going to check it out and see how it goes but if the heat comes down you can be we will be huckin' it over the nearest curb and heading to church! We are going to push our own Wacky Bike to Work Week agenda, in particular the Wednesday night ride from New Pi Iowa City to New Pi Coralville. The goal for the ride is 200 people or more, International World of Bikes has donated 200 bells for the first 200 riders! Mayor Ross Wilburn will be there! Senator Joe Bolckom will be there! I will be there! You will be there! The ride will meet in Chauncy Swan Park in Iowa City and will leave at about 6:00 pm but be sure and come early to get your bell and check out the pre-ride festivities! See you there, gpickle ps: The website for Bike to Work Week is coming along, check it out at www.cicbikeweek.org |
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Post by the weiner posse on Apr 28, 2006 9:41:30 GMT -5
i'll be calling you sometime between five-thirty and a quarter 'til to ask what yer twenty is to rendezvous with the mass...
and that wednesday ride sounds like a good place for the friday night fixed gear ride to show up...
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Post by helpingfrendlybook on Apr 29, 2006 18:59:23 GMT -5
i don't know if this was critical mass, but i was at work this past friday evening and saw about 10ish bikes riding down gilbert, all spread out, taking up both lanes.
just an opinion here, but i think iowa city is a pretty bike friendly town. and riding down a major rode with a small group of riders taking up both lanes is, in my eyes, not safe, and actually will probably do more to hurt the reputation of cyclists than raise awareness among motorists.
critical mass can ride gilbert if they wish, but take up one lane, and ride safely in an organized manner guys.
but perhaps i may not have seen the crit mass group, it could have been someone else, and i could just have misinterpereted the situation. bottom line, just an opinion.
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Post by david on Apr 30, 2006 18:10:36 GMT -5
Still haven't made it . . . wanted to go both times but had other appointments. Almost made it this time, but didn't after all.
I hear it went from twenty-five of the first re-inaugural ride to fifty this week. So it probably wasn't the mass you saw, though it's highly probable they were on their way to or from the mass.
Not sure just how militant I think it should be (regarding taking both lanes and so on). I feel pretty darn strong about the ills of our autocentric culture, but . . . then again, look where we still are thirty years after we started hearing the wake-up call. More determined measures do need to be taken . . .
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Post by cootie on May 5, 2006 12:20:39 GMT -5
Right on, David!!
I did go on the mass ride last week, and I tell you what, I am excited! It's true about 50 people showed up, and we rode around for about a half hour, sometimes taking up both lanes on our side of four-laners, sometimes not. It was so great. I gotta agree with you, David, that we need more determined measures!
This is why I think Iowa City needs Critical Mass. It dawned on me as I was riding completely surrounded by a safety bubble of other cyclists down Riverside Dr. I NEVER ride in the street on Riverside. It was so amazing. As long as there are streets where cyclists fear to ride, we need Critical Mass! On top of that, when there are 50 people willing to show their solidarity for bicycle rights, we need Critical Mass to show city council and other elected officials that we are people that need to be taken seriously.
Some folks like to call it a spontaneous happening. I like to think of it as sensible people organizing to use their rights. Whatever it is, you gotta check it out. Even if you approach with distance and caution, just check it out. I'm so glad I did.
The next one is May 26. Cancel all appointments and quit yer job!!
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Post by gpickle on May 8, 2006 22:30:07 GMT -5
Critical Mass, yeah I've been thinking about it and stuff. I even started writing a post about it once, but I hated it so I stopped. Now, through the continued wonders of plagerism I can present to you all what I think of the Beast-Mass-Critical. Without further ado, then: Raise your hand if you’ve ever ridden in Critical Mass. What makes Critical Mass so much fun? Flipping off car drivers? No. Blocking traffic? Well... not really. What makes Critical Mass feel so good, even magical, is the chance it offers to ride a bike without being swamped by a sea of cars… the chance to enjoy the astonishing fact of navigating a city under your own power… the chance to transform the motorized craziness of the street into something gentler. And it’s all because of safety in numbers. I found this little gem on my new favorite website: www.cars-suck.org/Check it out and get happy! See YOU on the next critical mass! I'll be the dude stoking the tandem, I hope! gpickle |
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Post by the weiner posse on May 9, 2006 11:07:44 GMT -5
What makes Critical Mass so much fun? Flipping off car drivers? No. Blocking traffic? Well... not really. What makes Critical Mass feel so good, even magical, is the chance it offers to ride a bike without being swamped by a sea of cars… the chance to enjoy the astonishing fact of navigating a city under your own power… the chance to transform the motorized craziness of the street into something gentler. And it’s all because of safety in numbers. you know...i have mixed feelings about the mass...but you bring up a very good point pickle & cootie... just being able to ride without fear where one would not normally ride _is_ pretty nice... it reminds me of ragbrai and how for that one week in july...bikes truly own the road...you can stop at any given time and look all of the way to the horizon in either direction in front or behind you and see nothing but bikes... |
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Post by david on May 9, 2006 11:36:00 GMT -5
dåmn.
dåmn.
dåmn.
Every time I see a pedestrian hurry up while crossing a crosswalk to "get out of the way" of cars pawing the line for the light to turn green . . .
Every time I see a "jaywalker" or bicyclist get honked at -- let alone an obedient non-confrontational crosswalk user . . .
Every time I breathe a nice lungful of diesel exhaust from the urban transportation "alternative" . . .
dåmn.
dåmn.
dåmn.
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Post by the weiner posse on May 13, 2006 19:40:57 GMT -5
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Post by gpickle on May 23, 2006 9:08:46 GMT -5
This Friday, we ride!
Hope to see you all there, good times & bike bells!
gpickle
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Post by jay on Dec 29, 2006 8:41:03 GMT -5
Is the IC C-Mass still going strong? Are any of you going tonight?
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Post by the weiner posse on Jan 2, 2007 20:34:08 GMT -5
did you go jay...?
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