Critical Mass discussion

Comment

Comment by David of the North (David606xx) on February 24, 2011 at 1:24pm

I really should go home and get some sleep for the Frozen Snot on Saturday, but I'm sooooooooo tempted by the Empty Bottle show.  I'm pretty sure I'll ride at least the first bit of the Mass tomorrow, will look for you on the Plaza.

Comment by Bikefreeek on February 24, 2011 at 12:26pm

Heya Folks,

 

I'll be proposing a route for tomorrow's ride to lead it over to the Empty Bottle for WTB's Winter Meltdown fundraiser. I'll have a sound system and a small posse to help me lead but I could always use more. Any volunteers?

Comment by Andrew Bedno on January 5, 2011 at 7:00pm

Wanted to echo David on how wonderful it was to host a gaggle of CCM finishers for NYE.  We heard bunches of stories about the ride first hand, among them that police presence was disproportionately heavy (like November), and about losing some packs.  Worth noting massup.us could've helped, but needs more users.  Small winter masses certainly behave differently, faster and more demanding of alertness.  I also heard y'all went well south first.  Those who made it to the Lunts late must've had a long ride.

Comment by David of the North (David606xx) on January 3, 2011 at 12:53pm

Thanks to those that made it all the way to our NYE party in Rogers Park--some of whom stayed the weekend!  Would love to try again to host an end-party for a mass, maybe in warmer weather with a larger ride!

Comment by h' Zerocats on January 3, 2011 at 12:46pm

The problem was a lack of experienced leaders at the front of the mass.

How do we produce new experienced leaders?

I often think doing nothing and letting new folks see that there's a need may be the most effective way. Or am I dreaming . . .

Comment by Todd Allen on January 2, 2011 at 4:11am

The problem was a lack of experienced leaders at the front of the mass.

The bike cops were surprisingly hands off. They weren't actively corking and rushing us through intersections as they sometimes do when large masses become disruptive to traffic. If they kept an aggressive driver or two from cutting through the mass it didn't cause or contribute to our failures to mass up.

We rode perhaps 2 mph too fast, without much turning and without stopping to mass up caused by inexperienced leaders. I made half hearted attempts to guide the mass and succeeded a couple times.

Comment by h' Zerocats on January 2, 2011 at 1:23am

I didn't suggest that the cops made any attempt to manipulate the ride or control where it went.

Police corking for a small, fast, too thin mass that's been described is exactly the opposite of what's needed in that situation.

 

Comment by Todd Allen on January 1, 2011 at 8:36pm

No, I don't think the cops had anything to do with it. I didn't see them do anything to manipulate the ride or control where it went. Any corking they might have done was likely helpful as we were too thin a group on our own.

Comment by h' Zerocats on January 1, 2011 at 12:26pm

Couldn't go last night.

George C. wrote me that there were about 100 riders and 8 cops who "did the corking".

It sounds to me like another ride where the cops prevented the ride from massing up by pushing the front through red lights.

I'm not sure why, but small masses often tend to be faster and seem more prone to stringing out and dropping folks

Lack of internal leadership/counterproductive police "assistance."

The vets need to get themselves to the front and give some direction.

Comment by Todd Allen on January 1, 2011 at 12:58am

I agree, we should have massed up more. I'm not sure why, but small masses often tend to be faster and seem more prone to stringing out and dropping folks. The mass eventually stopped at a couple of traffic lights on Roosevelt, at Halsted or maybe Racine and I had hoped that everyone had caught back up, but apparently we were strung out too bad for that.

I was torn between wanting to lead and wanting to hang back and slow down the pace. Mostly though I chose to hang back because when I approached the front "the leaders" would speed up even more. Approaching Roosevelt, I almost made it to the front but the ride took off again.

But all considered I enjoyed the evening. It will surely be months before we have another mass with such pleasant weather.

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