Newcastle's Critical Mass (Ms Piggy Rides)

[kwackers]

What concerns me about mass rides in city centres is the negatives that are percieved by other road users that the rest of the cycling fraternity has to bear the burden of.
My concerns may be unfounded but its still a concern.

The biggest complaint I hear about cyclists is motorists being held up, not in city centres but country roads where our motorised cousins feel they should be able to emulate the dream the manufacturer of their steel box sold them - only to discover a whole herd of lycra clad weekend warriors blocking their way several abreast for miles...

Personally I go out of my way to not hold motorists up (I even get the occasional thanks!), but I don't see how the above can be fixed.
My guess is motorists will continue to be annoyed by cyclists and there's not much we can do about it other than getting of 'their' roads...

[reohn2]

The biggest complaint I hear about cyclists is motorists being held up, not in city centres but country roads where our motorised cousins feel they should be able to emulate the dream the manufacturer of their steel box sold them - only to discover a whole herd of lycra clad weekend warriors blocking their way several abreast for miles...

Personally I go out of my way to not hold motorists up (I even get the occasional thanks!), but I don't see how the above can be fixed.
My guess is motorists will continue to be annoyed by cyclists and there's not much we can do about it other than getting of 'their' roads...

There is a difference between being held up deliberately and percieving being held up.

[George Riches]

How about a Naked Bike Ride? It worked for Bristol

More of a one-off than a ritual.

[kwackers]

There is a difference between being held up deliberately and perceiving being held up.

When you know you're being deliberately held up there might be. To a motorist 'enjoying' a drive out in the countryside I doubt he's that bothered whether it's deliberate or not, particularly if they've got the 'road tax' mentality.

People don't like being held up for any reason. I take part in a good number of races (running) and over the years I've seen people try to drive through the runners rather than wait.

Basically if you want good press with motorists stay off the road. All the rest is window dressing.

[bigphil]

The biggest complaint I hear about cyclists is motorists being held up, not in city centres but country roads where our motorised cousins feel they should be able to emulate the dream the manufacturer of their steel box sold them - only to discover a whole herd of lycra clad weekend warriors blocking their way several abreast for miles...

Personally I go out of my way to not hold motorists up (I even get the occasional thanks!), but I don't see how the above can be fixed.
My guess is motorists will continue to be annoyed by cyclists and there's not much we can do about it other than getting of 'their' roads...

There is a difference between being held up deliberately and percieving being held up.

I think most people on Critical Mass rides don't do it to deliberately hold up traffic. The ride is traffic. Any hold ups are consequential. City centre drivers can think what they like. Maybe their thinking is best guided by riders handing out flyers - after all being stuck in gridlock every other day of the month does not change their behaviour... (I do accept that this statement contradicts my last comment that CM is just a ride!)

The bottom line for me though is that I enjoy the ride. It can be a great way to start the weekend as riders have a tendency to finish in a pub! In my opinion the journey I make on a CM ride is just as valid as the journey a commuter makes. It the commuter is not prepared to be patient in traffic then they should not be driving in cities in the first place.

[AlanD]

Every time I get my bike out to go for a ride, I find that there is always a motorists critical mass drive. Each car taking up the space of 20 bikes and most of them have only one occupant. They clog up the roads and they hold me up because I have to stop while they gridlock my route. I wish they would stop doing it, then it would not take me so long to get where I am going. It's also annoying that some of them insist on announcing their presence with this deafening loud BOOM - BOOM - BOOM noise coming from within.

[reohn2]

There is a difference between being held up deliberately and perceiving being held up.

When you know you're being deliberately held up there might be. To a motorist 'enjoying' a drive out in the countryside I doubt he's that bothered whether it's deliberate or not, particularly if they've got the 'road tax' mentality.

People don't like being held up for any reason. I take part in a good number of races (running) and over the years I've seen people try to drive through the runners rather than wait.

Basically if you want good press with motorists stay off the road. All the rest is window dressing.

The point I was making was that if another road user is held up by a group of cyclists out for a ride providing the group does everything it can to help the other road user pass then it could be said that is a legitimate hold up,rather than a group of cyclists turning out to hold up traffic which could said would be an illegitimate hold up.
Whether the other road user(s) distiguish between the two is beside the point even if the outcome is the same ie them being held up.

[reohn2]

I think most people on Critical Mass rides don't do it to deliberately hold up traffic. The ride is traffic. Any hold ups are consequential. City centre drivers can think what they like. Maybe their thinking is best guided by riders handing out flyers - after all being stuck in gridlock every other day of the month does not change their behaviour... (I do accept that this statement contradicts my last comment that CM is just a ride!)

The bottom line for me though is that I enjoy the ride. It can be a great way to start the weekend as riders have a tendency to finish in a pub! In my opinion the journey I make on a CM ride is just as valid as the journey a commuter makes. It the commuter is not prepared to be patient in traffic then they should not be driving in cities in the first place.

I take your point.

[Greg]

If it were a protest(say against pollution or gridlock caused by cars etc) I could understand a little more, but celebration doesn't sit well with me.

Ah, but the point of CM rides is that they aren't protests (officially at least) and have no central organiser or leader. This makes them legally harder to regulate by the boys in blue, see for example Des Kay vs the Met

[reohn2]

If it were a protest(say against pollution or gridlock caused by cars etc) I could understand a little more, but celebration doesn't sit well with me.

Ah, but the point of CM rides is that they aren't protests (officially at least) and have no central organiser or leader. This makes them legally harder to regulate by the boys in blue, see for example Des Kay vs the Met

I am aware of the how CM works and its regulation,which I agree with,my reasons for responding to the OP was that I couldn't see the point,but obviously if its what people want to do then good luck to them.
My concern was that CM wasn't doing cycling any favours in the eyes of some already biased motorists.
If it were a protest then let it be that,if we are going to get motorists backs up lets let them know why .

[sirmy]

How about a Naked Bike Ride? It worked for Bristol

More of a one-off than a ritual.

Have you never seen a Newcastle game? If they're typical of of the toon KEEP YOUR KIT ON - PLEASE!