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Aloha.
I had my first CM ride last Friday to satisfy my curiosity and get a feel for the group. My impression was that there are a growing number of cyclists who ride for utility and fun and don't need, to or care, to pull on jerseys or click into Speedplays.
Street bikers, not road bikers.
I drive more than I ride, but I can understand the traffic rider's frustration with cars and their need to express it. When I ride, I have the luxury of planning my route to avoid traffic, or not, sometimes depending on my mood. Traffic offers a different mindset to engage the public outside of the metal box and demonstrate how a bicycle can share the road. (I tend to be overly attentive to the difficulty many drivers in dealing with a bicycle in their lane.) Alternatively, a quiet ride around Tantalus is meditative as a solo, and social when shared. Those who ride daily in town have little choice but to put up with driver who seem, and may be, inconsiderate, but are more likely to be lacking skills to deal with a bike because they never ride one. (I suspect many of them should have left earlier to get where they are going and are looking for someone to blame for being late. And there you are.)
Yet the intention of Critical Mass seems inappropriate in Hawaii. I can't shake the feeling that the negative impact of forcing car traffic to yield to a loosely gathered group of bikes on a Friday rush hour is counter productive. As a driver at those times, I would be more moved and impressed to see a solo rider making me feel stupid and wasteful as he or she slips easily past the gridlock. (I feel great when I meet them at the next light and smile while taking in the sights and enjoying being outside in Hawaii.)
Simple, noninvasive, alternative transportation with minimal infrastructure expenditure.
If that rider were in comfortable attire and not breaking a sweat it might even look like a viable alternative to sitting in a car, staring at the taillights in front of me, and possibly eating something I shouldn't. I believe that if the public sees more of what they perceive as the ideal cycling commuter, the more support the traffic cyclist will generate.
Critical Mass may satisfy some riders desire for automotive backlash but some effort in alternative demonstrations may help the cause rather than suppress it.
I welcome your input, Nick. nblank@... ----- Original Message -----
From: Edward HulsTo: hebshi@... ; alexnberra@... ; andywins@... ; Brian Hann ; Bruce Miller ; bunjamin@... ; cwade@... ; Chris(Qigong) ; csayers@... ; running_n_being@... ; Chuck Priest ; charles_rc@... ; C_tyrrell@... ; cheeverhawaii@... ; risingsonn@... ; devinoishi@... ; dmaupinsrf@... ; dougthacker@... ; Dwayne ; ecocomm@... ; Eve DeCoursey ; edecoursey@... ; Thundrclub@... ; Glenn Ohigashi ; graygrisham@... ; dangdang_69@... ; mguardino@... ; hawaiibicyclists@yahoogroups.com ; James-velo Carlson ; massagehi@... ; karkosza@... ; mikulina@... ; Jeff McNeill ; email@... ; gemface@... ; harwood@... ; jlinz@... ; John P. Wendell ; jgoody@... ; jkelley@...Sent: Friday, June 25, 2004 1:46 PMSubject: [hawaiibicyclists] CM Today!...Fellow velocipedists~
Because myself and Aaron Hebshi have been, all this week, fighting the good fight to preserve the Young St. Bikeway & Beautification Project, we've let slip the fact that today is the last Friday of the month! ~ this translates to a Critical Mass (CM) bike ride today with all of us gathering with our bikes on the steps of the State Capitol Bldg. @ around 5:00ish...
Please ride down and join us and show suppot for bicycling in Honolulu ~ now more than ever, as opposition factors are attempting to sabotage our efforts to create more and safer bikeways in our fair State, we want to show Unity and the force of numbers thru peaceful, calming, and environmentally-friendly bicycling...
April saw 30+ riders show up for CM ~ last month May, we had 15 ~ let's jack it back up for this month of June, by all of you showing today!...
Peace ~ Edward/Mo'PoB(More People on Bikes) ~ One Less Car ~
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