Critical Mass



I know I'm ignorant, but....


Does CM still do rides in Brisbane? I'd never heard of CM until recently. I used to drive to/from work every day as I had to use my car for work. Never saw one of these rides, ever. So they certainly don't disrupt traffic up here...
 
nitrous said:
Don't argue with morons, they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
CMassers can not be reasoned with, regardless of what legitimate argument you make, they will ignore your valid points and pick on a single, questionable point, which they then turn into a mountain.
Funny, I was just thinking similar thoughts about you...

Hmm ,... one or two ride to work days a year. At whose feet should I throw myself in gratitude?

Plenty of bike buses are attempting to start up here. BNSW barely gives them a mention... Now, if only they wore lycra or paid to get a bib number...
 
Peka said:
I know I'm ignorant, but....


Does CM still do rides in Brisbane? I'd never heard of CM until recently. I used to drive to/from work every day as I had to use my car for work. Never saw one of these rides, ever. So they certainly don't disrupt traffic up here...

Now there you go...

Letting the truth of it get in the way of other people's rantings...
 
Bleve said:
I can't agree with that statement. I ride a bike for transport and fun, and I choose which roads I use based on not just their altitude profiles, but also what I percieve as their relative risks.

It's all in perception isn't it? My perception of risk is based on primarily the number of parked cars I'll have to pass and the number of uncontrolled intersections. Blackburn Road wins hands down over Beach Road on those criteria. What criteria do you use?

and besides, isn't riding a bike fun even if you're using it for transport? :)

You're right there :)
 
nitrous said:
Too funny!

My main questions for those who are Pro CM are:

I'm not pro CM but I can give answer to some of your questions.


Why do you do your rides on Friday evening peak hour?

This may surprise you, a lot of people who choose to participate on CM have jobs in the city. Some are students. Some are unemployed. Most (not all) use bikes at that time of day on a Friday, it's just that on one Friday a month they choose to ride together.

I'm in a better position than most to judge the real effects that CM have on traffic as I work in the Police 000 call taking and dispatch centre. The real effect on traffic flow is zero, bubkiss, nada. The PERCEPTION is that cyclists participating in CM are holding up the traffic, the reality is they have no effect.


You can try justify yourselves as much as you like, but the simple fact is I find more agression towards me from drivers in the days immediately following a CM that it would seem to me that CM makes drivers angry, not what road using cyclists should be trying to achieve.
I wonder what it is that you do that makes drivers angry? I'm not being a smart ****, it's a serious question.

I ride 300kms a week, all commuting. I ride in the city, Nepean Highway, Centre Dandenong Road, Blackburn Road Burwood Highway, Toorak Road. In three years of this I've had less than ten incidents. Maybe you should look at your cycling skills before hanging blame on a convenient scape goat?


Grow up, take your political statements to parliament and stop antagonising drivers (who in their mind are the only ones entitled to use the road) and join in a well organised activity such as Ride to Work Day if you want to show that cyclists and motorists can live in harmony!
What, I can only ride to work one day a year? Preposterous.

I ride to work every day, I share the road with other road users and it's a rare occurence for there to be any antagonism between me and another road user. If you're sufferring antagonisim from other road users I'd look to your own actions first.


Now, I'll sit back and allow you all to flame me for the next 6 pages.
Why would I want to flame you? I've challenged your statements, let's see if you can rebut them without resorting to insults.

I'd rather you vent some of your anger towards me on this forum, than towards the drivers that use the roads that I cycle on.
It's very rare I need to vent anger at any road user.