Critical Mass in Birmingham

Bet this won't happen because of a little rain

How was Midnight Mass?

How was Midnight Mass?

Oh, I thought it was this coming Friday ... go me.

Friday 1st July
CRITICAL MASS AS USUAL
6pm meet for a 6.30pm start
Please invite your friends!
The July Mass Group Event

Going to make my first one this time then! Forecast looks decent for it.

Might go to this one, always assumed it was just a bunch of sweaty vegetarians and pill-heads antagonizing drivers for the lulz of it but the photo's above make it look quite appealing

Oh brilliant Tom...am I one of those?! haha. Most people from this forum go. No antagonising, no red light jumping, no lane hogging, HAVE FUN!! Thems the notreallyrules-rules.

You know I only jest...

CM does have somewhat of a crusty reputation though

Be part of changing it then!

I jump red lights cause I'm a gnarly mother fucker

http://www.davelodwig.co.uk/2011/06/critical-mass-or-mob-rule/

Stop upsetting people barry!

http://www.davelodwig.co.uk/2011/06/critical-mass-or-mob-rule/

That's a real shame. I joined that mass quite late I think so I didn't witness any of this. What was the shopping centre thing about? Also, five times round the roundabout IS excessive but there may have been a reason like people not getting across so going round a few times to let them catch the end of the mass? Also, at last mass we really tried to enforce the stopping at red lights thing on purpose so I'm not sure where/when the red light jumping happened? It is the more experienced riders like the majority of people on here who try and ride the outside and take turns leading...the only person who ever acts like an idiot is Barry as we all know!

There is no organiser of mass though so no-ones going round teling people off, you listen to or follow your peers so if this guy was really that annoyed instead of going home he should have asked people what was going on imo. It's quite easy to spark a discussion and there were visible riders like myself trying to chat to everyone. It's all too easy to criticise and then just give up.

I know the pedestrian he was talking about, it was a woman wanting to cross the road with a push chair, and about 10 of us stopped at the lights, but then 10 others sped through after spinning down the hill (lee bank middleway)

It's surely up to the individual to do what they like, peoples views will conflict, but I don't think going home is the right way to stop it.

some people ride Critical Mass to 'raise awareness of cyclists as traffic' others go because it's 'just a bit of fun'

Lots of people don't go to Critical Mass because they don't enjoy the big group/slow pace and aren't too fussed about raising awareness...So if you aren't there to do either then maybe going home is the best option?

Lots of people don't go to Critical Mass because they don't enjoy the big group/slow pace

This is me, but I may bring the wife along on the back of Winnie this time, just doing my bit to make the 100. Also, we are slow on the tandem, so it won't bug me so much.

Poor Pooh bear =/

Gutted I can't make this or August!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday is daughter's first birthday and August im in london for a weeks holiday.

September should, hopefully, be ok.

Yeah I might not be at this mass, I can't deal with riding around roundabouts 5 times in a row.
Bores the shit out of me

Yeah I might not be at this mass, I can't deal with riding around roundabouts 5 times in a row.
Bores the shit out of me

never have a go on a velodrome then!

but seriously, as mothergirl says, going round a roundabout multiple times is the best way to bunch the mass together, so that it can carry on in a tight group. This causes less disruption as the mass moves on; blocking less road.

Looking forward to my first birmingham mass on friday.

waheyyy looking forward to seeing you Michael, glad you can make it!

But doing it at every round about we come to?

a) I can only think of one roundabout we ever go round and do that at and that's Broad Street because everyone gets stuck trying to cross 3 lanes of very fast traffic and b) if you took a turn leading mass at a good pace with no rlj'ing you could ensure we don't do that...
There's no mandatory route and no mandatory way of doing things so quit moaning and get on with it - this attitude is rife in Birmingham and is why I'm honestly sick of it!

I do lead sometimes, the time it came to the roundabout I tried to go off in another direction but people went round 5 times!

you gonna be at critical mass fin? be good to see you