Critical Mass - May '09

My first time on the CM, found that people at the front tended to get away from everybody else quite easily and started corking roads waaay before there was anyone at the junction.

Also thought the route went through too many choke points which just served to string out the group.

Good fun all in all though, pretty good atmosphere save one taxi driver on Strand getting out of his cab and chest bumping someone. Real tough guy....

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this but there you go. I've never been embarrassed to be a cyclist before but seeing the CM tonight at HPC really made me wish I wasn't on my bike. What a complete bunch of wankers. How the fuck does moving at a snail's pace promote cycling? All your actions achieved tonight was to make other cyclists targets for the motorists that you pathetically pissed off. Cunts.

definately sun looks like it'll be out in force today
i'll be on my white cannondale <<<< say hello

I saw you! Nice bike, I would have said hi if i'd known beforehand. I was on a white old road frame with a white 'spok and lurid green bar tape (which i might change), brakless.

Enjoyed it, lots of forum spots, but quite disrupted--it seemed to get split up unusually often, we had to wait a lot, and it thinned out much earlier than usually. But lovely evening, great company, lots of nice chats. Bring on the next one!

Hello :) Nice talking to you! And many thanks to the LFGSS-er who's name and handle i've forgotten (again!) on the purple Raleigh(?) frame with bullhorns (and FSA cranks ;)) that stayed with me while i fixed my p*ncture and chased the mass back down with me (and who i had a nice chat with before that!)

My first time on the CM, found that people at the front tended to get away from everybody else quite easily and started corking roads waaay before there was anyone at the junction.

Also thought the route went through too many choke points which just served to string out the group.

Good fun all in all though, pretty good atmosphere save one taxi driver on Strand getting out of his cab and chest bumping someone. Real tough guy....

+1
and wasnt there quite a big split at some point as well? stopped aside in HPC opened a kornenberg with my gf trying to wait for some friends but never saw them. ran into them again after we jammed the middle of oxford street

Hello :) Nice talking to you! And many thanks to the LFGSS-er who's name and handle i've forgotten (again!) on the purple Raleigh(?) frame with bullhorns (and FSA cranks ;)) that stayed with me while i fixed my p*ncture and chased the mass back down with me (and who i had a nice chat with before that!)

hoonz

+1
and wasnt there quite a big split at some point as well? stopped aside in HPC opened a kornenberg with my gf trying to wait for some friends but never saw them. ran into them again after we jammed the middle of oxford street

Hm, the bit of the mass that I was on never got to Oxford Street. We seem to have been all over the place last night.

hoonz

Gordon! Finally my memory returns. Thanks :)

Well I rather enjoyed it. But then I seldom get involved in any aggro and tend to just smile at people and thank them for letting us past. If you get a thousand cyclists together in central London, there will always be people wanting to promote their cause, make a point or be stupid. There will also always be a few who want to cause trouble.

Anyway - for those of you who weren't there, have a look at this to help you make up your minds about whether you'll come in future. I'm rather proud of my first proper helmet-cam video which I've just uploaded to YouTube. A Penny Farthing makes a fantastically good mobile filming platform...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXbMdPKKvuc

My first time and I thought it was brilliant, vast majority of people there in good spirits and just looking to have a nice (slow....) cycle round London. Made it all the way to that tunnel at the end of Clerkenwell or near there somewhere for some Madness. Great for the cyclist to be the majority in London for once, saw some noice fixed gear skills going on and a lot of bangin tuuunes.

Don't see why the cabbies were all so angry, their meters are clocking up the fee while they wait for us to pass!

It's surely counter-productive in terms of cyclist-motorist relationships - I'm not sure how you can argue it's helping in those terms?

But I had a great time and will definitely be returning whenever I can

ps The dude on the recumbent with the horn is a legend

Great video, Charlotte. One of the best CM videos I've seen. You're right, the elevated perspective just means that you have a more interesting view of the whole thing. I love the little hops you do when you get on the bike, and the moment when the other ordinary rider spots you--it looks like a 'suddenly their eyes met across a crowded room' moment ...

Didn't see you on the ride or I would have said hello--you must have been further back than we were.

I saw you! Nice bike, I would have said hi if i'd known beforehand. I was on a white old road frame with a white 'spok and lurid green bar tape (which i might change), brakless.

Hello :) Nice talking to you! And many thanks to the LFGSS-er who's name and handle i've forgotten (again!) on the purple Raleigh(?) frame with bullhorns (and FSA cranks ;)) that stayed with me while i fixed my p*ncture and chased the mass back down with me (and who i had a nice chat with before that!)

You Jack from Graveney?

good watch from the penny farthing there^^ quality value, so not one but two penny farthings! thanks for making it.
cool to meet some new faces and thought it was best for ages, bus drivers in particular seemed to be loving it, tourists just awestruck...
Magnificent Revolution amongst others providing the mobile soundtrack, plenty special bikes, and good atmosphere.
Highlights for me:- The Mall, regrouping on Regent street, Picc Circus Party.
Bring on June.

Another thing - the police were in general just letting it happen, whatever the legal laws and that are about critical mass are I don't know, but I was told to fuck off by a policeman as I rejoined 'the mass' from the back around holborn area. Seems a bit uncalled for unecessary and just naughty considering there are CHILDREN on these rides:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh2sWSVRrmo"]YouTube
- Children[/ame]

You Jack from Graveney?

Yessir, Mr Qui I imagine?

What happened with the motor bikes then? I saw everyone surround the ones who tried to break through the blocks, and saw smoke from them wheel spinning or something..
)

just some guy being a twat getting angy. ended with him doing a burn-out...quite funny really.

just some guy being a twat getting angy. ended with him doing a burn-out...quite funny really.

Oh right - all his bluster and he kept being drowned out by the sound of all the pushbikes (and bells..)

Oliver - do you have any links to the legal stuff we were chatting about? It sounded quite interesting and I'd like to have a look..

Oliver - do you have any links to the legal stuff we were chatting about? It sounded quite interesting and I'd like to have a look..

The Critical Mass judgement is here:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldjudgmt/jd081126/metro-1.htm

(several pages)

FoE press release:

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/critical_mass_26112008.html

It was nice to finally meet Oliver and Dicki, see Bart again who was kind enough to give me a beer and those I spoke to during the ride. Was a bit of a giggle.

Couldn't believe Ruth knew my best mate ... small world.

hi lucas nice to meet you south coasters again