The Blizzard of 2005 - Critical Mass

As I sit here watching the Blizzard of 2005 in the Northeast, I wonder
if I should have purchased a snowmobile instead of a bicycle. I can
count on my fingers how many times I have been able to ride that bike
since October.

I have to go into NYC tomorrow (work related) and I can't even imagine
trying to park.

I am always reading about the NYC bicycle commuters...I know Critical
Mass started in San Francisco where people commute all year round.
They never have to give up months of riding because of weather
conditions.

Who could give up their car and commute by bicycle in NYC? I am trying
to understand Critical Mass as I am thinking of becoming a supporter. I
might try one of the Moonlight Rides in Central Park. (Next one in
February, weather permitting). I want to understand Critical Mass
before I become a supporter. It seems that there are passionate people
on both sides of the fence.

It also seems NYC has the most problems when they organize a ride. A
friend of mine was hurt on a critical mass ride in NYC. He lives and
works there. I am trying to figure out if Critical Mass is a good
thing or comprised of extremists of this sport. As we know, there are
extremists in everything and I try to support efforts that are within
the boundaries of at least "slightly realistic."

Maggie

On 23 Jan 2005 06:53:37 -0800, "Maggie"
wrote:



Who could give up their car and commute by bicycle in NYC?

So why is are these the only two choices that you have? Buses, trains,
subways, taxis... And you can split a commute. Drive or bike to one
spot, then use a bus or train, etc.

I hope that you know that you are going to get lots of opinions on CM
here. A newsgroup is probably not the best place for a 'reasoned
consideration' of something like this topic, but you sure can have fun
watching the fur fly.

If you get the chance, go on a CM ride. Or show up and decide that it
isn't for you. Or go along and then break off early. Or find one later
and ride along. There is no membership badge, no deadlines, etc. Come
and go as you please (at long as the police don't decide to hem you
in, declare you an illegal assembly, not let you leave, then arrest
you for not dispersing).

Dan Daniel wrote:
On 23 Jan 2005 06:53:37 -0800, "Maggie"
wrote:



Who could give up their car and commute by bicycle in NYC?

So why is are these the only two choices that you have? Buses,
trains,
subways, taxis... And you can split a commute. Drive or bike to one
spot, then use a bus or train, etc.

I hope that you know that you are going to get lots of opinions on CM
here. A newsgroup is probably not the best place for a 'reasoned
consideration' of something like this topic, but you sure can have
fun
watching the fur fly.

If you get the chance, go on a CM ride. Or show up and decide that it
isn't for you. Or go along and then break off early. Or find one
later
and ride along. There is no membership badge, no deadlines, etc. Come
and go as you please (at long as the police don't decide to hem you
in, declare you an illegal assembly, not let you leave, then arrest
you for not dispersing).


I thought I would do that Moonlight ride in Central Park. I like to
read opinions concerning something that seems to be controversial. I
think critical mass is one of those groups that people are very
passionate about or totally against. I don't think there is a middle
ground according to what I am reading about the rides and the people
involved. It's like gun control, PETA, Pro Choice, the NRA or any other
topic that makes people want to choke each other.

I lost some friends during the Presidential election as I think
everyone is entitled to my opinion. ;-) I am a liberal democrat and
proud of it. I worked hard for Kerry. But life goes on.

I was just trying to figure out critical mass and where I stand. So far
I have not formed an opinion.

Maybe I just enjoy a good argument or have a desire to understand how
people think. Who the hell knows. I think it stems from my creative
side. Aside from being a lunatic working in commerical construction, I
am also a writer. I've had many short stories published.

My goal is to have a book published. The book all stems from my
experiences. You have to be a lunatic to write, and I certainly fit
the bill. All creative people are nuts. Some of the people who post to
this NG are good material. ;-)

Maggie.

"Maggie" wrote

[snip]

I
think critical mass is one of those groups that people are very
passionate about or totally against. I don't think there is a
middle
ground according to what I am reading about the rides and the
people
involved.

[snip]

Well, I can't argue with that.

My slogan is, "A critical mass is one bike."

One bike, using the streets we have, is all that it takes to show
people that you can ride on today's street system efficiently and
enjoyably. If you want to get that message to as many people as
possible, logically you should have people riding in as many
different places, and at as many different times, as possible, not
all bunched up together in just one place.

Jeremy Parker

Jeremy Parker wrote:

One bike, using the streets we have, is all that it takes to show
people that you can ride on today's street system efficiently and
enjoyably. If you want to get that message to as many people as
possible, logically you should have people riding in as many
different places, and at as many different times, as possible, not
all bunched up together in just one place.

Jeremy Parker

Agreed.

There's also the issue that the IQ of a group of people tends to follow
the pattern 1/n, where n is the number of people.

There more in the bunch, the more likely they are to believe it's their
right to take up the entire road, which does not promote the activity in
a postive way.

Rich

Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:49:46 -0700, ,
scud sucker, Rich wrote:

There more in the bunch, the more likely they are to believe it's their
right to take up the entire road, which does not promote the activity in
a postive way.

Yeah, those fukenkarz and their idiotic operators really screw up a
whole city. I think driving should be banned. It's too dangerous.
--
zk

[Old subject, but I was off-Usenet for most of January.]

I thought I would do that Moonlight ride in Central Park.

=v= Well, first things first. The Moonlight Ride and Critical
Mass are very different. The Moonlight Rides are in and around
parks and are organized by a nonprofit environmental group:

http://www.times-up.org/moonlight.php

Getting back to your original query about whether to bike in a
blizzard, well, the second thumbnail photo on that page shows
three bikers totally enjoying the snow -- and I'm one of them!

=v= Executive summary: It's more fun biking than driving or
just about anything else, even in winter, but you really need
the right clothes! A balaclava is essential, for example.

=v= Riding in winter is a topic all its own. Here's an old
list/website dedicated to it:

http://icebike.org/

And a newer resource started by Chicago's CM community:

http://www.bikewinter.org/

I like to read opinions concerning something that seems to be
controversial. I think critical mass is one of those groups
that people are very passionate about or totally against. I
don't think there is a middle ground according to what I am
reading about the rides and the people involved.

=v= I've seen substantial middle ground over my last 12 years of
participation. Online forums usually bring out extremes and are
usually not the full picture. Ditto the media. The only way
to know what's really going on is to check it out in person and
have yourself an unmediated experience. (I write about this in
the Critical Mass book, but that's "media" too.)

My slogan is, "A critical mass is one bike."

=v= Good for you. Most people's version of that slogan is, "A
Critical Mass of One," which is a variant of the U.S. military
recruitment slogan. Not all of us want to be loners nor fodder
for the oil industry, though.
_Jym_