Critical Mass Fun Bike Ride
< Monday July 12 in : What's New
The Transition Barrie Youth Group is calling a “Critical Mass” Bike ride!
Fun Bike Ride!
July 30th, 2010
Bring your Bike!
The message is: we are traffic! Join in a Critical Mass bike ride around the streets of Barrie. Celebrate bicycling as a form of transportation and a fun and healthy way to get from A to B.
For more information, visit: www.criticalmass.wikia.com
What: Critical Mass Bike Ride
When: Friday, July 30th, 2010
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Why: Because bicycles are traffic, too!
Where: At the Spirit Catcher, Barrie Waterfront
Hey Transition Barrie,
I’m one of the founders of Firebird Community Cycle a local bicycle collective and D-I-Y repair shop.
We would love to join the ride and help-out any way we can.
This is a great idea, and long overdue if you ask me.
Grant
Hey there! I was out of town on the 30th but I was riding with you in spirit. Is there another ride coming in August and/or September?
How can you call yourself traffic when traffic rules and laws were not followed. I went of the first ride and was embarassed that I was “fighting” for respect and space on the road. This ride looked like the Black Bloc during the G20 protest. Red lights run, laws broken etc… I do not ride my bike for fun or exercise but necessity. This ride made us look like a bunch of idiots. Follow the rules and laws and we might get the respect that we deserve. The next ride should be planned on a day when it can be taken to City Hall and “protest“ for bike lanes and laws that will help us ride safe and gain the respect of motorists. I have already bin hit by a car once this summer, and have hade numerous “close calls“, only to go on a ride that angers motorists and make our cause loose it`s importance. You can`t force people to change their minds about sharing the road, but if we show them that we deserve to share the road with them and follow the laws, we might get a little more respect and be able to get where we need to go safely. I will continue to ride my bike out of necessity, but I will sit out the next couple of rides in a hope that we as “traffic“ ride as “traffic“.
Hey Couper,
I’m Cam, and I helped to organize the event. Thanks for coming on the ride, its great to have sensible cyclists along for the ride. I totally agree that we should be riding according to the law. Unfortunately, there were some cyclists along for the ride who chose to break the rules of the road, and ran red lights, turned unsafely, etc. I wouldn’t say it was as bad as the Black Bloc (trust me, I was there haha), but there should be a greater focus on safety and respect while we are riding. As with the Black Bloc, there were a lot of people there with peaceful and obedient intentions, and a few who chose to break the rules. Hopefully this is stressed and considered at the next ride.
As for going to City Hall to protest, that’s not what Critical Mas is about. It’s not a rally, it’s not a protest, it’s a bike ride, and we cannot call it Critical Mass if we ride to City Hall to protest, as it wouldn’t accurately represent the intentions of Critical Mass.
Thanks for coming on the first ride, its too bad that we’ll be losing smart riders like yourself. I encourage you to continue to come out to represent the majority of smart cyclists out there! Unfortunately I wont be in Barrie for the next ride, but I’m sure there will be people out for it. Take care,
Cam
I filmed some interviews on the Critical Mass Bike Ride, please see it on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBiLDdlJwPk
Thanks to Karen and Mike Fox for making the space for Youth to get involved….
I would have to agree with the comment from Couper. I was driving my vehicle that day and was never so amazed at the lack of disrespect for the laws of the road. I had cyclists, coming up BOTH sides of my vehicle as I was driving along. Cyclists trying to get my attention to tell me about this event – while my vehicle was in motion! Cyclists weaving in and out of moving vehicles, crossing the yellow line into opposing traffic. A father, and I will assume, his teenage daughter, then cut in front of my vehicle and slowed their bikes down to a crawl. If this is how cyclists are going to tackle the problem of getting respect on the roads, and to be recognized as traffic (which I agree they are), then it simply won’t happen. I respect all vehicles that are on the roads, no matter if it is a bike, motorcycle or car – as long as they do not endanger the lives or property of themselves or other drivers. And that is exactly what some participants of your rally were doing. Endangering themselves and other drivers in order to prove a point.