Critical Mass :: 11th Birthday Ride (Nov 24)

Post by **lucas** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:41 pm

On the last Friday of every month, in hundreds of cities worldwide, cyclists, bladers and boarders meet for a rolling celebration of non-motorised transport. It's a welcoming space where people feel safe.

Some of the reasons you may like to join the ride are:

* You are concerned about our addiction to cars and our car culture.
* You are concerned about the lack of funding and attention given to alternate means of transport.
* You are concerned about our growing traffic congestion.
* You are concerned about the environment.
* You would like to make car drivers more aware of cyclists.
* You would like to our city's cycling facilities to be improved.
* You would like to ride home in the safety of a large group.

Here's the semi-official schpeel:

Critical Mass transforms a dreary commute into a radiant celebration of a vibrant urban life and reclaiming of public space.

Bikes are fun and every bicyclist is one less car.

Critical Mass is proof that we are each makers of history and shapers of our own social life.

Bike love creates a people powered community that enhances urban experience, the city is alive!

We meet at the State Library in Swanston Street at 5:30pm. Last Friday of each month.

ukime · Post by **ukime** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:14 pm

cool idea - think it's time to save up for a bike again. not sure if i'm game enough to ride all the way into the city and out again though.

Keir · Post by **Keir** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:42 pm

haha i can't believe this is still going... me and a few mates used to go for a cruise on our mountain bikes all the time.. this is going bk 6 or so yrs ago tho. pretty funny, do they still get a police esscort? cause the car drivers never used to be too impressed.

Post by **lucas** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:55 am

aspekt · Post by **aspekt** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:33 pm

there seems to be an awful lot of cyclists who have a blatant disregard for the road rules. As a cyclist i realise the inconvenience of having to stop at a red light and as a motorist i get quite angry when people ride straight through them. i have trouble taking many cyclists seriously and consider them a danger to themselves and others, especially when you see (only just) cyclists at night with no lights, dark clothing and no helmet. you may FEEL incredibly obvious when you're riding home, but you certainly don't look it.

i really wish more cyclists would get a clue and ride responsibly. i'm sure my car would do more damage to them than the other way around but i'd really like to never find out.

i'll try and make it on friday.

gnat · Post by **gnat** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:38 pm

must buy a bike soon.

will call on you for advice lc..

Post by **lucas** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:17 am

Yes, Nat. Join the bike-brigade.

Me vs Channel7. Part 1 & 2.

I love it that they'll film a story (sorry, I mean, beat-up) about Critical Mass by over-taking me at speed on the wrong side of a yellow tram line.

My mum is going to freak when she sees me on Today Tonight.

Sustain · Post by **Sustain** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:13 pm

aspekt wrote:As a cyclist i realise the inconvenience of having to stop at a red light and as a motorist i get quite angry when people ride straight through them..

If you realise the inconvenience (and most often un-nesecaryness ~is that a word?~) of stopping at reds, then why does it piss you off when you're driving?
Surely it's because you're thinking "Shit, if i was riding a bike i wouldn't be sitting at this red... or polluting the atmospherse... or spending a shitload on maintenance, rego, insurance and petrol. etc. ????

I only drive at work, which is around the Melb Uni precinct, and I am always respectful and careful of cyclists (especially around that area)
I fucking hate my mates who whinge about cyclists: the element of danger and abuse we as riders have to put up with on the roads is ridiculous and fucked up.

car drivers get on a power trip cos they're driving a deadly lump of metal and it drives me insane. Like the ppl you get angry at for almost KILLING me when i have right of way, yet they think it's legit to chase you in their car so they can bash you. bitches!!!!

this ain't a rant at you aspekt... i just got off my bike and i'm angry at arsehole drivers n shit

oh well end of rant just ride a fuckin bike

Sustain · Post by **Sustain** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:17 pm

... oh well i'm off to mix some angry dark dnb

yenks · Post by **yenks** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:27 pm

lucas i would love to come for a ride home with the Critical Mass one time soon.

just im not sure how its going to get me home ? i live in hawthorn, and just wondering what direction the mass goes...
cos one of the main ways i get to uni is on victoria/barker and its not the best road for bikes to ride down, as its a 2 lane road and when there is a cyclist on it, they turn it into a 1 lane road, and it pisses all the drivers off immensly as they are forced to merge lanes..
i dont wanna be the 1 that pisses all these drivers off and possibly risk the chance of getting hit/hurt.

Post by **lucas** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 3:50 pm

yenks wrote:lucas i would love to come for a ride home with the Critical Mass one time soon.

just im not sure how its going to get me home ? i live in hawthorn, and just wondering what direction the mass goes...

No one knows where the mass will go. If someone turns up with a map we -might- follow it. Otherwise whoever wants to ride at the front can determine which route we'll follow.

Wherever we finish... there is usally a small group of people riding in the direction that you need to go.

aspekt · Post by **aspekt** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:26 pm

Sustain wrote: If you realise the inconvenience (and most often un-nesecaryness ~is that a word?~) of stopping at reds, then why does it piss you off when you're driving?
Surely it's because you're thinking "Shit, if i was riding a bike i wouldn't be sitting at this red... or polluting the atmospherse... or spending a shitload on maintenance, rego, insurance and petrol. etc. ????

I only drive at work, which is around the Melb Uni precinct, and I am always respectful and careful of cyclists (especially around that area)
I fucking hate my mates who whinge about cyclists: the element of danger and abuse we as riders have to put up with on the roads is ridiculous and fucked up.

car drivers get on a power trip cos they're driving a deadly lump of metal and it drives me insane. Like the ppl you get angry at for almost KILLING me when i have right of way, yet they think it's legit to chase you in their car so they can bash you. bitches!!!!

this ain't a rant at you aspekt... i just got off my bike and i'm angry at arsehole drivers n shit

oh well end of rant just ride a fuckin bike

i totally agree with you buddy but the problem is that if bikes want to be respected more and have road rules to protect them then they need to obey the most basic of rules - stopping at red lights. I guess my point is that you have to play by the rules if you want to be included in the game. I've had my fair share of runins with cars and my dad got cleaned up by a taxi(again) a month or so again.

Rob M · Post by **Rob M** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:34 pm

aspekt, not to be rude, but don't judge the many by the few.

i stop at red lights, and have always obeyed the road rules, especially when i was riding in high school.

things go wrong when time critical stuff gets involved when travelling.

Do other drivers judge others for riding an amber just to beat the lights? Double standards...

spacey · Post by **spacey** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:37 pm

Im after a cheap nasty bike to get around the place on. Does anyone know of anywhere i could find a second hand one. Any good stores or summin?

Post by **lucas** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:19 pm

Rob M wrote:aspekt, not to be rude, but don't judge the many by the few.

i stop at red lights, and have always obeyed the road rules, especially when i was riding in high school.

things go wrong when time critical stuff gets involved when travelling.

Do other drivers judge others for riding an amber just to beat the lights? Double standards...

Post by **lucas** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:21 pm

spacey wrote:Im after a cheap nasty bike to get around the place on. Does anyone know of anywhere i could find a second hand one. Any good stores or summin?

You can always try the Melbourne Trading Post, or I hear there's a good bicycle recycle place in Moorabin.

aspekt · Post by **aspekt** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:08 am

barely visable riders are pretty common, although i guess you'd be lucky if you saw one.
*shrugs* obviously i'm the only one concerned by it.

in other news is anyone else doing the paris-brest-paris in 07?

downtime · Post by **downtime** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 10:09 am

Sustain wrote: ...car drivers get on a power trip cos they're driving a deadly lump of metal and it drives me insane.

... just ride a fuckin bike...

Agreed.
Fuck cars. Go bikes.

Post by **lucas** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:12 am

aspekt wrote:barely visable riders are pretty common, although i guess you'd be lucky if you saw one.
*shrugs* obviously i'm the only one concerned by it.

Hrm. No, I think I just disagree.

I'd contend that there's a much higher percentage of drivers disregarding road rules than cyclists. Similarly I see a higher percentage of cars driving at night without lights on compared to bikes.

At least once a day I see someone in a car do something really dangerous.

This morning on my way to work, for example. A car pulled out of a parking space right in front of me, forcing me to swerve right and nearly collide with a van that was stopped in the middle of the road; trying to turning right - with no indicator on. Yay.

Last night I was hanging out with urbanbicyclist. He recieved a phone call from a woman that had just been doored on Princes Bridge. She had a child on the back of her bike. Child is OK, woman has broken ribs though. But seriously, what good reason would you have for opening your door on Princes Bridge, unless maybe your car was on fire or something?

Yeah, I'm concerned. I just don't buy the idea that cyclists need to somehow shape-up to earn the respect of drivers; or to earn their spot on the road.

I think what really needs to happen is that drivers need to learn that bicycles are traffic too.

Post by **lucas** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:47 pm

Post by **lynt** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 6:00 pm

Should hit him up for gig.

marcus · Post by **marcus** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:49 pm

lucas wrote:
aspekt wrote:barely visable riders are pretty common, although i guess you'd be lucky if you saw one.
*shrugs* obviously i'm the only one concerned by it.
Hrm. No, I think I just disagree.

I'd contend that there's a much higher percentage of drivers disregarding road rules than cyclists. Similarly I see a higher percentage of cars driving at night without lights on compared to bikes.

At least once a day I see someone in a car do something really dangerous.

This morning on my way to work, for example. A car pulled out of a parking space right in front of me, forcing me to swerve right and nearly collide with a van that was stopped in the middle of the road; trying to turning right - with no indicator on. Yay.

Last night I was hanging out with urbanbicyclist. He recieved a phone call from a woman that had just been doored on Princes Bridge. She had a child on the back of her bike. Child is OK, woman has broken ribs though. But seriously, what good reason would you have for opening your door on Princes Bridge, unless maybe your car was on fire or something?

Yeah, I'm concerned. I just don't buy the idea that cyclists need to somehow shape-up to earn the respect of drivers; or to earn their spot on the road.

I think what really needs to happen is that drivers need to learn that bicycles are traffic too.

I think in both cases you only notice it if you are doing the other. Drivers and cyclists are probably just as bad as each other when it comes to driving safely, obeying road rules etc. otherwise it begins to become quite a subjective argument as to who is worse. Obviously if you both drive and ride then you are probably much more aware of your actions on the road. I've been door swiped (outside a hospital funnily enough), almost hit off my bike, and also had bicyclists to some pretty crazy shit around me when I'm driving. My 2 cents.

Post by **fooishbar** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:56 pm

lynt wrote:Should hit him up for gig.

i can't look at the speakers for more than half a second without getting distracted by the full-body suit on the person driving the bike. what on earth is that?

mrj · Post by **mrj** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:08 am

fooishbar wrote:
lynt wrote:Should hit him up for gig.
i can't look at the speakers for more than half a second without getting distracted by the full-body suit on the person driving the bike. what on earth is that?

I knew a guy who was this full hippy and had a lot ot do with building the MTB scene in Australia. Particularly DH.

Annnnyway, he used to race DH in this bodysuit (over his armour) that was a bunch of different coloured thick stripes. We used to call him "the flying lifesaver"

Post by **system** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:36 am

:bikesforlife:

aspekt · Post by **aspekt** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:21 pm

system wrote::bikesforlife:

werd. i'm getting an awesome road bike next week.
:superpsyched:

cj the taniwha · Post by **cj the taniwha** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:12 pm

wicked, have a bike now and so does the missus, will try to make this for sure, where to go lycra shopping...?

Polecat · Post by **Polecat** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:35 pm

Ministry of Style on Brunswick St have plenty of lycra

aspekt · Post by **aspekt** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:51 pm

Polecat wrote:Ministry of Style on Brunswick St have plenty of lycra

legwarmers might get caught in the chain though

netti make really good "shy-shorts" which are like normal shorts with padded lycra shorts inside them. leaves a lot more to the imaginiation and you could wear them around the place without getting odd looks. they'll prolly set you back around $80-100 although i dare say there's no shortage of other brands that make them

mrj · Post by **mrj** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:59 pm

aspekt wrote:
Polecat wrote:Ministry of Style on Brunswick St have plenty of lycra
legwarmers might get caught in the chain though

netti make really good "shy-shorts" which are like normal shorts with padded lycra shorts inside them. leaves a lot more to the imaginiation and you could wear them around the place without getting odd looks. they'll prolly set you back around $80-100 although i dare say there's no shortage of other brands that make them

Cannondale used to have a clothing line that made a similar product. For anyone considering buying a pair of these bike short/regular short combos be wary that the regular short set up can often snag on a seat quick release and pull it open (more likely for a seat quick release on MTB's). You dont realise how much you use a seat for steering and stability (ie pressed against leg), until its suddenly loose.

Post by **lucas** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 11:36 am

resist · Post by **resist** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:08 pm

lucas wrote:

Thats awesome (the deck setup, not the body suit). Where is the photo taken? I'd be at every Mass if somebody did that in Melbourne and played DnB!

I'm all for the Critical Mass philosophy. I love riding to work, I really look forward to it! Its only a 10 minute ride each way, but I arrive at work pumped and ready for action. And its stunned me what 20 mins riding a day can do for your fitness level.

I don't own a car, and don't plan on getting one until I really need it.

Post by **lucas** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 2:03 pm

resist wrote:
lucas wrote:
Thats awesome (the deck setup, not the body suit). Where is the photo taken? I'd be at every Mass if somebody did that in Melbourne and played DnB!

That photo was taken at the Melbourne Critical Mass, November last year.

Feel free to rock up with your own mobile sound system if you want to hear some dnb (body suit optional). There's always at least 1 or 2 people at each ride with speakers attached to their bike.

Sustain · Post by **Sustain** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:42 pm

i think the thing that has to be noted in the whole saftey/road rules debate is that cyclists are extremely vulnerable.
it's alot easier to be taken out when you're on a bike than it is when you're behind the car steering wheel. and the likelihood of personal injury is a lot higher

Post by **lucas** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:40 pm

Rob M · Post by **Rob M** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:14 pm

flat tyres are a bitch.

shepherd · Post by **shepherd** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:19 pm

it's about to piss down with rain so i can see numbers being way down for this one.

Sustain · Post by **Sustain** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 8:56 pm

Rob M wrote:flat tyres are a bitch.

riding from brunswick to dmc in the rain is a bitch
will def try to make the next one (if it's not pouring)

Post by **lucas** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:51 pm

Ag3nT[]0raNg3 · Post by **Ag3nT[]0raNg3** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:55 pm

so you guys basically stir shit on your bikes?

Post by **lucas** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:08 pm

Ag3nT[]0raNg3 wrote:so you guys basically stir shit on your bikes?

What gives you that idea?

stovequeen · Post by **stovequeen** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:09 pm

Lucas .. do you know about Cyclovia this weekend?

Post by **lucas** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:12 pm

Yeah, heard about it.

Cyclovia Sydney Road - Moreland, the first of its kind in Australia, will be held on Sunday 28 May 2006.

4 km of Sydney Road, between Bell Street and Brunswick Road, will be open to people and closed to cars and trucks for 6 hours. Cars can still cross Sydney Road at main intersections - trams will operate as normal.

Stroll the footpaths, shops, stop for a cake and coffee, go for a walk, or cycle, up to Coburg and back. Your friends, family, even young children will be protected from car traffic between 8am and 2pm.

ADD_Boy · Post by **ADD_Boy** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:15 pm

We're getting bikes Saturday ..

Might be away from Melbs for this one but gonna try and get to the next one after that ..

stovequeen · Post by **stovequeen** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:16 pm

lucas wrote:Yeah, heard about it.

Cyclovia Sydney Road - Moreland, the first of its kind in Australia, will be held on Sunday 28 May 2006.

4 km of Sydney Road, between Bell Street and Brunswick Road, will be open to people and closed to cars and trucks for 6 hours. Cars can still cross Sydney Road at main intersections - trams will operate as normal.

Stroll the footpaths, shops, stop for a cake and coffee, go for a walk, or cycle, up to Coburg and back. Your friends, family, even young children will be protected from car traffic between 8am and 2pm.

So good

Sydney Road traffic shits me

Lucky im not heading into the office that day. Lygon St will be killer.

shepherd · Post by **shepherd** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:20 pm

What does critical mass actually achieve and who does it represent?

As a bike rider I can't really see what it achieves aside really pissing off those in cars who are inconvenienced as a result. Maybe it's me, but I don't see how that makes the roads any safer or furthers a cause.

Post by **lynt** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:20 pm

Chan loves it.

Post by **lucas** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:48 pm

Rightio then...

shepherd wrote:What does critical mass actually achieve

It's a monthly bicycle ride to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists' right to the road.

shepherd wrote:and who does it represent?

It's an idea and an event, not an organization. You can't write to "Critical Mass". Feel free to claim that Critical Mass doesn't represent you, because the people at Critical Mass doesn't claim to represent all cyclists.

shepherd wrote:As a bike rider I can't really see what it achieves aside really pissing off those in cars who are inconvenienced as a result.

The percieved (yes, percieved) inconvenience to cars is minor. Riding bicycles in a large group is actually an extremely effective & efficient way of moving people around the city. The inconvenience to cars would be much greater if Critical Mass participants drove their cars to work instead.

shepherd wrote:Maybe it's me, but I don't see how that makes the roads any safer or furthers a cause.

Cycling in a large group is much safer and it also makes people take notice. Many improvements have been made to roads and cycling facilities as a result of the work of bicycle activists.

aspekt · Post by **aspekt** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:57 pm

shepherd wrote:What does critical mass actually achieve and who does it represent?

As a bike rider I can't really see what it achieves aside really pissing off those in cars who are inconvenienced as a result. Maybe it's me, but I don't see how that makes the roads any safer or furthers a cause.

it's a great way to alienate the people you're trying to bring awareness to.

Post by **lucas** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:04 pm

aspekt wrote:
shepherd wrote:What does critical mass actually achieve and who does it represent?

As a bike rider I can't really see what it achieves aside really pissing off those in cars who are inconvenienced as a result. Maybe it's me, but I don't see how that makes the roads any safer or furthers a cause.
it's a great way to alienate the people you're trying to bring awareness to.

If anyone seriously feels "alienated" by Critical Mass they probably need a bit of a reality-check.