The Chainlink

October is fire prevention month all across the country.  October was chosen because of the psychological impact of the Great Chicago Fire.  In memory to the lives lost in that horrific disaster, and to promote fire safety awareness, I propose we use the burn perimeter of the Great Chicago Fire as our route for the September, 2014 Critical Mass Ride.

Please make suggestions.  I don't think I made any wrong-way mistakes. 

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WHERE:  Daly Plaza at the Chicago Picasso

WHEN:  6pm, September 26, 2014

WHAT:  CRITICAL MASS Great Chicago Fire burn perimeter ride

Route: 

West on Washington

R on Wabash

L on Jackson

R on Columbus

E on Balbo

L on Michigan

R on Roosevelt

R on Jefferson

R on Taylor

R on Clinton

R on DeKoven (origin of the fire)

R on Jefferson

R on Taylor

L on Canal

R on Jackson

L on Wacker

L on Franklin

R on Orleans

L on Hubbard

R on Kingsbury (becomes Cambridge)

R on hobbie

L on Cleveland

R on Division

L on Wells

L on Goethe

R on Sedgewick

R on Schiller

L on N Park Ave

L on Concord

R on Sedgewick

L on Eugenie

R on Willow

L on Fern Ct.

R on Menomonee

L on Orleans

R on Wisconsin

L on Clark

bear R onto N. Lincoln Park West

R on Fullerton

End at Nature Museum (Fullerton and N Cannon Drive)

(May continue ride farther, but this is the end of the perimeter).

Jeff

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I like the route and hope it works out well. My only critique is that there seems to be some long straight runs. I have found that this can sometimes stretch out the mass especially if the cowboys show up. (i haven't seen them lately but also have missed a few masses) Sometimes this can become dangerous as cars will try to cut through the not so massy parts. Otherwise great route.

Thanks Davo.  By hopefully holding the speed to about 12 mph and stopping to mass at some red lights, I am hopeful to avoid those problems.  Last time we actually had CTA busses on the #9 line breaking through our riders on S Ashland Avenue and that was quite exciting to watch!  Last September we rode from Near Cicero to Clark on North Avenue and we stretched out far too thin and long.  I'm hopeful we can mass up better with a little cooperation.  I hope the cowboys either show and zoom ahead or have gotten bored of the friendly pace that keeps the CCM ride more fun and safe.

Weather should be perfect and I hope that brings out a crowd.

Jeff

Weather this Friday night will be perfect, and this should be a huge Critical Mass turnout ! 4000 ?!
Friday's weather:6-9pm,65' clear, light n.e. wind, 0% chance of rain!

4,000 would be like Woodstock. They'd have to airlift in supplies, call out the national guard and the Hell's Angels to keep the peace...

Tom A.K. said:

Weather this Friday night will be perfect, and this should be a huge Critical Mass turnout ! 4000 ?!
Friday's weather:6-9pm,65' clear, light n.e. wind, 0% chance of rain!
"The Great Chicago Woodstock Fire, Critical Mass", Far Out Man ! ! Peace ! Let's do this! No Hell's Angels man ! Not cool!
I think one time we went north in 2013, to Clark, and across Belmont, we must have had 4000+ riders. Maybe even 5000. It took well over ten minutes for them to pass an intersection when riding 8-10 abreast. I corked an intersection and people in cars and on the sidewalk openly expressed amazement at the number. I'd like to see 10,000 some month!

Makes a good story, but no, we've never been larger than barely breaking 3,000.  3300 maybe. And we're in a long gradual waning phase that I don't see turning around....

~3300-4300+ massers has happened in the past. Estimating crowds is a tricky science. When you eyeball and guess, you
can skew it in your favor depending on how you do it and who is doing it. Many people decide whether to attend an event
based on their interests and whether there is a expected large turnout. People want to be at a popular event and be a part
of it.
The Great Chicago Fire Perimeter Critical Mass Ride should be huge. Hopefully, by the time the mass reaches Hubbard st., and latecomers joining in by using massusup.org, we should have our biggest turnout of the year. Let's do it for Mrs. O'Leary & her cow & in memory of Chicagoans lost in this tragedy of our great city!

Not sure why this is degenerating into an argument about whether the September mass will be huge.  It's always the biggest mass of the year with July a close second, and as long as the weather doesn't work against us I'm sure it will be this year too. Most likely mid to upper 2000s.

Anything above about 700 looks unfathomably huge when you're on the ride.
 
Tom A.K. said:

~3300-4300+ massers has happened in the past. Estimating crowds is a tricky science. When you eyeball and guess, you
can skew it in your favor depending on how you do it and who is doing it. Many people decide whether to attend an event
based on their interests and whether there is a expected large turnout. People want to be at a popular event and be a part
of it.
The Great Chicago Fire Perimeter Critical Mass Ride should be huge. Hopefully, by the time the mass reaches Hubbard st., and latecomers joining in by using massusup.org, we should have our biggest turnout of the year. Let's do it for Mrs. O'Leary & her cow & in memory of Chicagoans lost in this tragedy of our great city!No


It seems every year I am sharing the road with many more bicyclists, as I have been coming across more that a few at intersections lately. The weather looks good for Friday...


h' 1.0 said:

Not sure why this is degenerating into an argument about whether the September mass will be huge.  It's always the biggest mass of the year with July a close second, and as long as the weather doesn't work against us I'm sure it will be this year too. Most likely mid to upper 2000s.

Anything above about 700 looks unfathomably huge when you're on the ride.
 
Tom A.K. said:

~3300-4300+ massers has happened in the past. Estimating crowds is a tricky science. When you eyeball and guess, you
can skew it in your favor depending on how you do it and who is doing it. Many people decide whether to attend an event
based on their interests and whether there is a expected large turnout. People want to be at a popular event and be a part
of it.
The Great Chicago Fire Perimeter Critical Mass Ride should be huge. Hopefully, by the time the mass reaches Hubbard st., and latecomers joining in by using massusup.org, we should have our biggest turnout of the year. Let's do it for Mrs. O'Leary & her cow & in memory of Chicagoans lost in this tragedy of our great city!No

Jeff Hazzard said:

SO.....I am not going to change the route and I am going to get this one printed up.  Thanks for your help.  See you Friday.

Post a printable image here, so we can capture it and make sizable printed copies for ourselves.

Thanks.

Why is that?

h' 1.0 said:

 we're in a long gradual waning phase that I don't see turning around....

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