August 2007 Critical Mass Bike Ride in Philadelphia

Another last Friday evening of fun on the streets of Philly as an assorted crew of commuters, messengers and others take to the streets. This month's offering features a couple of tall bikes (one of which was involved in an accident) the Alpha Mercury urban fixed gear, many other track bikes and one irate police car that buzzed us. I didn't see any tandems this month! Landmarks featured this time include the mural of former Philly mayor Frank Rizzo (No, that's not Mussolini...), Drexel University campus and Philly's most character-filled bike shop, Via Bicycle.

Philly Critical Mass meets on the West side of City Hall at 6:00 sharp on the last Friday of every month.

Sorry about the low quality video--my other camera is broken.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Critical
• Mass
• Philadelphia
• Philly
• bike
• ride
• bicycle
• messenger
• fixed
• gear
• cyclist
• advocacy
• tall
• track
• Alpha
• mercury

[HowardFair]

Ahh, MikeScott32, I've been riding my bicycle around Western cities for 30 years at this point, and people regularly say things like this to me. But nobody has ever done it. What am I supposed to think? What do you think of people who continually say they're going to do something but don't do it? Your comment betrays a mindless aggression that is not a credit to our species. Fact is you're killing us all driving your car--even the people you care about in your small world.

[giantgb]

I was caught behind one of these "protests" in center city. What's the point? I thought it was some bike race or something. Bicyclists are usually moving slower than traffic, they aren't very visible especially when they are wearing yellow and red and all the colors of traffic signals and signs causing them to blend in. Most don't follow the traffic laws and cut in and out of cars and pass cars in the same lane which is illegal.

[UnderAchieversUnited]

Hmmm... I do not understand why people watch critical mass videos when they have nothing good to say.

Just saying...

[MikeScott32]

I'd run your cunt ass over.

[HowardFair]

Thanks for watching, Titletracks. Wow! You used the word "retards" as both verb and noun. Snazzy. Although I have mixed feelings, I keep showing up because 1) I'd like CM to be better and think I make a teensy difference and 2)It feels great to be in such a big mass on streets where I'm usually outnumbered.

I'm under no illusions that we need better enforcement for cyclists, but CM's getting bigger here and I won't ignore it when it could be safer, clearer and more effective.

[johnsturdy]

sweet opinion. you don't sound like an asshole at all. have fun playing with yourself mr."serious cyclist", really.

[Mjsmith403]

Fucking coward.

[UnderAchieversUnited]

A 3,000lb car does > but in my town before critical mass, cars would cut a group of cyclists off, and after St. Pete, Fla's 1st critical mass when some asshole tried that and got their door kicked in, I haven't had one single car cut off any group I ride in, or attempt to cut in front of anyone. May not work in your locale, but it does in mine.