CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Was anyone from here there?
Who fancies it this month?
Decent sound system on a trailer and a mad home made chopper, one guy on a unicycle in a bunny suit.
I had great fun and will be booking more time next time to spend longer out, everyone went off down to Leith but I had to head home...
I've written about critical mass, and the fact I don't think it achieves what it allegedly sets out to do, before: http://www.citycycling.co.uk/issue20/issue20page13.html
And on the back of that ended up on stage in the Filmhouse after the screening of a documentary about the history of it in the 'anti' corner. I think I had one supporter in the audience...
I remember the merits of CM being discussed two or three years ago on a different forum, and although I wrote a reply I never actually posted it, because everyone else was pro-CM! The more I thought about it the more I decided that I liked the community of lots of cyclists being in one place, but that the very nature of advertising it, insofar as suggesting a date and a time, violated the 'accident' of cyclists converging en masse.
For those who prefer to carry on commuting as usual, perhaps in blissful ignorance of CM dates, and just happen to encounter the group, what then? 'What? No, I'm not with them.' 'Out of my way, slow cyclists, I have to get somewhere!' Or do you turn around to find another route?
I may not be there with bike, or intent, but it nonetheless makes for a good photographic opportunity. :)
I thought everyone was just having a laff and stopping the traffic because we can if we are in a lump? Was there another point or even a point of being pro or anti? Isn't it just a Splash Happening (name of very good club in Glasgow in late 1980s that claimed not to be a club but a happening but was in fact a club).
Since yesterday, I've seen three critical mass sticker/posters on my normal routes that I'd never noticed before. Are they new? or is just my eyes being open?
I'm one of these people who's never seen the point of critical mass. By its very nature, it defeats the point it's trying to make (that we have a right to use the streets even if it holds up cars - but only if we organise it on the last friday of every month, or whatever).
Seems like some other two wheelers like doing CM.
Someone else may know more. I'm sure this was source of great annoyance to users of the M62 - or was it?
Shot from Daily Mail web / copyright Bruce Adams
That'll be the Bikers go slow protest against rising fuel prices on the m62.
Related article
"Mr Fuller has indicated he will go to prison if need be to highlight the plight of his village, but lawyers suggest that is unlikely to be the case.
The button-bashing protester has already been warned by police officers he could be committing an offence."
"The Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossing Regulations and General Directions of 1997 are not the most fearsome bit of legislation in the police's pocket, but regulation 19 bodes ill for Mr Fuller.
"No pedestrian shall remain on the carriageway within the limits of a crossing longer than is necessary for that pedestrian to pass over the crossing with reasonable despatch." "
That'll be the Bikers go slow protest against rising fuel prices on the m62.
It thought motorbieks were meant to be fuel efficient. Or are these bikers complaining on behalf of car users?
Talking of crossings...
Has anyone noticed that the light sequence on Duddingston Road west hardly works for bikes at all now?
Takes lots of presses and 5 mins to change. Wonder why it was changed as Innocent is a heaviy trafficed route
Comment from the Daily Mail's article covering the ped crossing protest:
"i AM NOT SURE BUT I SEEM TO RECALL THAT IF YOU WISH TO CROSS THE ROAD YOU ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME TO DO SO IF THAT IDIOT AND HIS MATES ARE HOLDING UP TRAFFIC HE SOULD BE CHARGED I USED TO WORK FOR THE ROYAL MAIL AND IF A ROYAL MAIL VAN IS STOPPED IN THIS WAY HE SHOULD BE CAHAGED WITH HOLDING UP THE QUEENS MAIL THEY ARE ALL IDIOTS WHO DO THIS SORT OF THING PUT THEM IN JAIL"
Aye, he'll think twice about holding another protest after reading that.
Any why on earth is the Queen having her mail sent via Chideock? Doesn't make sense.
"why on earth is the Queen having her mail sent via Chideock?"
Because it's near Poundbury...
LaidBack: "Has anyone noticed that the light sequence on Duddingston Road west hardly works for bikes at all now?"
Yes. I was waiting there the other day and another cyclist waiting beside me made the same point. If they have it means more people are likely to get fed up waiting and cross before the green man appears leaving the lights to stop the road traffic for no-one.
I was going to try and explain myself better, but as I thought about it it all came down to one thing. Critical Mass annoys other road users.
So what? I hear as the cry. Well if we want people to respect cyclists on the road how does getting them annoyed about cyclists do that? If we want people to use bikes instead of their cars how does annoyign them about cyclists do that? If we want them to realise that in heavy traffic a bike is a quicker means of transport how does cycling at 4mph and causing a tailback do that?
I'm not sure how else I can put it. As far as I can see CM wants to show that cyclists have a right to be on the road, a right to be respected, and to show people how much fun riding a bike can be. I don't see how officeman in his Beemer can get that message...
As I see it CM doesn't appeal to the intellect so much as the emotions. It seems to me to be a way to let off steam. I read the comments on Kim's link and there seems to be a consensus that done properly CM is a coming together of positively minded people hoping to change things for the better. The anti-CM posts were countered by someone suggesting that there was no evidence to suggest that setting a good example on a bike does any more to improve matters than CM. This seems odd to me as there's no evidence that CM helps either and a fair bit of video evidence that bad things can happen on CM rides. I must admit I've had my moments when I've felt like riding out into primary position droppping the speed to five miles an hour and letting the people behind me know that I'm not prepared to put up with the treatment being meted out to me by drivers any longer. But my better judgement prevents me from doing so and it's that same better judgement that would probably stop me from going on a CM ride.
I'm not trying to get drivers out of their cars and onto a bike, I don't think anyone has the power to do that other than the financial gain and perhaps fitness if given a scary talk by their GP
(I am also sick of people saying if you wear everyday clothes you will annoy them less too, I wear what I wear when cycling because of a. safety - vest and helmet anb b. comfort - shorts not jeans)
What I think CM is all about is making cyclists visible to drivers. Seeing a large mass of them I would hope would make them pay more attention in coming days/weeks. It's something you won't see every day and given that it is once a month and the route being different each time, the chances of them seeing you every month is slim so annoyance is not constant.
When I saw the post about the big group of racing chaps going up Gilmerton Rd I realised I had a photo on my mobile taken from the car while heading somewhere, they took up the entire lane too and rather than get annoyed I thought "cool" and "way to go"
Besides getting cycling into the forefront of other people's minds I also found it a good social event. It is a great way to meet people (something I do like to do) helped one girl with a flat tyre and another guy with a slipped and firmly stuck chain, if I had had more time I would have gone on to the end and ended up in the pub with there people and maybe made a few new friends I could nod to on my travels in future
I definitely like the idea of it as a social event. And I suppose the attempt to blend protest/awareness/fun is what marks out new social movements. But, I hadn't appreciated that going slow and blocking traffic was part of the deal (shouldn't have worried about keeping up!)
But it is amazing how even one-off events can annoy people (or how people let them annoy them). Eg after the anti-racism march a few months back, I was talking to one of my neighbours who had no problem with the basic issues, but had been very frustrated because it had blocked her bus route and made her late for a hair-dresser's appointment on a busy day. She was reasonably supportive of us having participated (or at least polite about it), but that didn't stop her having a bit of a moan -- and that was a one-off!
Social event, fine, so why deliberately hold up other road users? The twenty milers, Spokes rides, the Edinburgh Fixed Gear lot, The Bike Chain store all have social cycling events that do the same without antagonising... CM certainly doesn't have a monopoly on being able to cycle in a social environment and get to know people, and for me don't have the drawback of intentionally causing an obstruction.
they took up the entire lane too and rather than get annoyed I thought "cool" and "way to go"
I'd hazard a guess at this reaction being because you're a cyclist.
As for CM making cyclists 'visible' to drivers I guess that's a point for some research. Personally I don't think that a driver being 'held up' by cyclists in the CM way will make them notice or act any differently to cyclists in the days afterwards - but I realise I've got nothing to back that up save for gut instinct so I certainly cannot state that as fact.
It's certainly ironic that cyclists are seen (in general, as well as at CM) as causing an obstruction when the sheer weight of motorised traffic will hold them up far more regularly and for longer.
Incidentally, the film on the origins of CM (the name of which escapes me) showed very well how it started as a true celebration of cycling. There were still people who got annoyed, naturally, but they had ways to try and turn that anger into laughter in many (stopping traffic so the cyclists could cross an intersection with carboard signs saying 'Stop', which when the horns started were rotated to reveal 'Honk if you love bikes' on the other side). Some CMs now seem to revel in the mid-ride 'stop in the middle of the road and lift your bike over your head' thing, which has nothing to do with making the cyclists on the ride safe, nor endearing themselves or cycling to those around...
I have a feeling there's going to be an agreement ot disagree on this one. Basically, if I want a social ride I'll go on one that doesn't annoy other people.
"the name of which escapes me"
We had a CM event here in Galway, Ireland last weekend. Excellent turnout. We have changed the standard CM format. Different day & time. Saturday morning @ 11. This time provides the opportunity for families with kids to join. That time slot also avoids the 5-6pm rush hour which we see as a pointless time to ride as it creates an aggravated & high tensioned situation that helps no one and builds a divide between motorists and cyclists. We also do not follow the us vs them mentality that other CM events have promoted. We do not think drivers as a whole are necessarily the enemy. Our beef is with the city and their short sited, car centric city planning. Bikes & motor vehicles have to share the road. We are fostering an environment as such, through visibility and education.
I'm not going to say our way is better or more productive but it seems to make sense to all of us. So we will have to see.
Critical Mass Galway
"Different day & time. Saturday morning @ 11"
Now that sounds 'more Edinburgh'.
I suppose for me it's about not doing something in a group that I wouldn't be prepared to do as an individual. Crowd behaviour gives me the creeps. But then you can't socialise alone so maybe CM has that advantage. Though I would worry about the personal agendas of other participants. I wouldn't like to be talking to someone one minute and then trying to pull them off an errant 4x4 driver the next. I know cycling's a broad church but it appears to me to quite a bit narrower among CMers than eg on this forum.
" Saturday morning @ 11"
Start at the farmer's market?
No we started at the University entrance did a loop around the city centre and ended up down at the Spanish Arch. Avoided the Farmer's market, we would be riding over pedestrians!
No, I meant we could!
There is actually a debate going on about a different starting point. I think the Farmers Market on Saturday is a mad house already, adding about 100 bikes to the mix isn't the best idea in my mind. Starting options as of now are the University entrance or the Spanish arch. Next event is June 5th you coming out for it?
Sorry. Am in Edinburgh!
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