The main things that I noticed about the 'bike to work' thing was that:

1) I have never seen such a high proportion of ANCIENT lycra at any event...
there was an incredible textural juxtaposition of smooth,
expensive-when-new-30-years-ago sun-faded grey lycra and shriveled, leathery
folds of sun-browned and age spotted skin... I mean, not to be disgusting or
anything, it was actually quite inspiring to think that people that old can
still ride a bike, much less pack their junk into lycra... and for Ancients
they were Pretty Hot I guess... At least as long as they keep the lycra
on...

2) The ASS guys were out in force, they are always the 'bridge the gap' guys
you are talking about, and they are good guys who run good-looking steel. I
think one of the bike shops supports them to turn out for these things...
Their tatoos look generally more expensive than their bikes, and they always
add a good fun positivity...

3) I don't think I saw anybody that looked like they don't already bike to
work every day anyway, like myself and presumably Harvard Jess and some of
the others that were out... EXCEPT for the Ancient Lycra group...

4) The MAIN thing that is apparent about this bike to work event was that it
was just a political photo op for the established establishment bike people
to shake hands in front of a bunch of bicycles, and congratulate themselves
on a job well done... How many people actually biked to work just for this?
20? it was just smoke and mirrors!

5) And how many fucking cops do you need for a thing like this? They had one
cop for every three bike to work bikes, and those RIDICULOUS SEGWAY THINGS
(o my god I am DYING to race one of those things, they are SO HORRIFICALLY
LAME!!!) and I was suprised they did not have riot batons and fairings made
to look like those plastic riot shields... they looked like they were Ready
for Action (as long as that action did not involve going more than 18
MPH)...

I went out for a few HBL things, but I am not welcome on any of their events
because I do not wear a helmet. Everything they do is politicised and
exclusionary by nature, and I have started to find them irritating,
politically. I like your idea of competing events, and I have already
implimented a program of free rides to coincide with Official HBL Events...
I will keep you posted of course...

As far as 'cartown' bicycling improvements, you Townies have already paved
most of that side of the island, give it a rest. What the ISLAND (not the
City) could use is some safe routes that are NOT in town, out in the
country, through Kipapa Gulch, and from Kapolei, and out past the North
Shore... Whining about the sewage construction at the Ala Wai seems like a
sort of tunnel-vision-townie talk, considering the conditions that many of
the rest of us have to ride under... Show your displeasure every time you
ride by! TAKE THE FUCKING LANE for christs sake, and throw fingers at the
horns... or weave in and out of the traffic cones and tag the trucks, thats
what I do... wrap some of that caution tape around your handlebars and have
some fucking fun with it! Why do you even HAVE a bike if you don't know how
to have fun with one? Are you in that much of a hurry?

Last but not least, did anyone turn out for Critical Mass yesterday? My
daughter was having her tonsils out and I was her ride, so I could not come
although I was there in spirit... unless nobody showed up, in which case my
spirit went out and got drunk.

Please report if you attended.

-Matt


>From: bonisvi@...
>Reply-To: criticalmasshonolulu@...
>To: criticalmasshonolulu@...
>Subject: RE: Bike to Work Day - OR: Critical Fucking Mufi
>Date: Sat, 26 May 2007 14:59:31 +0000
>
>bonisvi@... wrote:
>Speaking as one of among the many who worked with HBL's Director Kristy
>(and, new HBL Event Coordinator Mitchell) & C&C's Bike Coordinator Chris
>to help plan/organize/implement the Bike to Work; I was very skeptical
>that HBL, C&C, or any such "status quo" interests could or would really
>do a full-on Bike to Work thang as it should be done. My skeptism was
>not entirely warranted and it was an ernest, if a bit half-assed,
>effort; and all acknowledged that we would use the experience to make
>next year's Bike to Work bigger, better and sexier. Perhaps some of you
>might hopefully be interested in having a parallel, if somewhat
>contrasting, Bike to Work on the same day & time with the "critical mass
>mind-action set". That could be make things really interesting.
>(Note that at the initial meeting on Bike to Work, I mentioned the
>Critical Mass "movement/group", such as it is, as a possible way to get
>more bicyclists involved in the event. I got the general subtle
>impression that it was like I'd mentioned something really stupid.
>Maybe it was.)
>
>Mufi had told us earlier he could not bike there but that he would make
>a token appearance. And, speaking of the Mayor & "his" Ala Wai
>bikepath, see the bikepath fuck-up at the other Makai end of it. It
>sorta fizzles out into the twilight zone at McCully before continuing as
>a one block "homeless lane", then it literally hits Kalakaua where there
>is all indication of continuing across the busy (deadly busy)street but
>with no corresponding light or even a marked crosswalk(!) across, and,
>finally, it just ends at Ala Moana Blvd with no clear connection toward
>Ala Moana Park (Ewa) or Waikiki (Diamond Head). Guess that's where a
>bicyclist just turns back around towards the sewer project barriers to
>toss them into the Ala Wai.> >
> > >
>Therein lies the divide. The "Lycra Folks" make up much of the "status
>quo" bicycle interests in power in this Car-town. They tend to put on
>their lycra to take recreational rides on expensive super-bikes while
>using their SUV's and luxury cars to commute. They belong to the HBL
>and support C&C's bike shaped "sculptures" to lock bikes to as C&C's
>major contribution to bicycling.
>Across the divide are bikers of the "disenfranchised rabble" who tend to
>be hard-core bicyclists who have learned to ride while surviving on
>Car-town mean streets.
>With all things being as they are, most of the "non-bike public"
>vaguelly supports bicycling as a politically cool/correct mode of
>transportation, but feel bicycle commuting too remotely
>uncomfortable/inconvenient or dangerously "out there" for serious
>personal consideration. Their attitude tends to be "yea, bicycling is
>great; let them bicycle as second-class carfodder and get their cars off
>the road and out of the way of mine."
>If that divide between status quo & hard-core bikers could somehow be
>bridged, it could be a powerful force. With Cartown's relatively short
>commutes, generally flat terrain, and especially great biking weather;
>it could be powerful enough to even tug at many of the non-bike public
>to try a bike...
>Big if.

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