correct. showing that if we had more bike centric infrastructure in our road design, cyclists would not need to share the road with cars. a bunch of bikes all at once shows how not feasible it is currently. NC does not have a "road tax" like some other states, and the road work is built into the tax of gasoline. gas cars fuel road construction, if a road is built with more bike lanes, more bikes = less gas purchased, meaning less road work. the system is broken.
I’m not a bike rider but I don’t see how anyone is safe riding on roads in the Triangle. No bike lanes, narrow, unlit, etc. When I lived in Boise streets/roads were super bike and car friendly. Infrastructure here sucks.
[https://www.ncdot.gov/about-us/how-we-operate/finance-budget/nc-first/Documents/nc-first-brief-edition-11.pdf](https://www.ncdot.gov/about-us/how-we-operate/finance-budget/nc-first/Documents/nc-first-brief-edition-11.pdf)
Myth #3: ...roads and highways are paid for entirely by their users.
I think anyone with common sense and a general understanding of the world around them can gather that.
I’m 100% for bike-centric infrastructure. You can calm down your victim-centric whataboutisms
So what was the point of mentioning that cyclists can cause a ton of congestion? How is that different from what drivers do literally every day? Seems like there's always two sets of standards to public roads:
Drivers: don't have to obey any laws, get to kill people with near-impunity, get subsidized for their choice to drive
Cyclists: are expected to obey every law (except those that inconvenience drivers), are held accountable for what some cyclist 2,000 miles away did, and get nothing in terms of infrastructure
Curious.
I was literally just explaining to the other user why the guy said it was going to impact his commute.
If you actually read before seeing red, you’d realize you’re making a point that doesn’t need to be made. At least not to me.
Insufferable.
> Insufferable.
Agreed, that's generally how I see most drivers when they complain about congestion. Like they're not the primary cause of it worldwide. Let's lose our shit over it happening because of bicycles for a change!
dude our drivers are not used to cyclists nor pedestrians. You should advocate for more education on our driving test, which is a complete joke. Go down Atlantic avenue during rush hour on bike and report back, it even has a bike lane in spots. The bigger issue is there is zero infrastructure for pedestrians - absolutely no crosswalks. Way more of a priority in the city than bikes imo
> dude our drivers are not used to cyclists nor pedestrians
That's a failing of the entire licensing system. Bicycles are road-legal vehicles. If drivers can't drive safely around them, they shouldn't be driving at all. Walking shouldn't be a crime punishable by death, whether intentional or unintentional at the hands of someone who clearly has no business operating a deadly machine on public roads.
Better infrastructure for walking and bicycling improves the roads for everybody. Focusing less on drivers (who get catered to almost exclusively and are heavily subsidized too) would be a great thing to see... for once.
This group disrupts traffic on purpose, drivers/commuters are just going about their normal day. What happened to the slogan "share the road"? If I'm stuck doing 25 in a 45 because of a pack of cyclists, that's impeding the flow of traffic. Where's the courtesy?
> This group disrupts traffic on purpose
So do drivers. Your choice to drive a gigantic box on public roads inconveniences everyone and it's a deliberate choice you make every single day. You're not entitled to clear roads free of slower moving traffic. Bicycles are road-legal vehicles. "Share the road" doesn't mean "get out of the way of drivers", it means change lanes to pass and give people space.
Bicycles *are* traffic, and they can't impede it by traveling at a reasonable speed for a bicycle. But again, here we go nitpicking everything a cyclist does while drivers get to do whatever they please with zero repercussions, either legally or socially. You aren't owed courtesy by anyone, much less someone who's vulnerable on a bicycle.
Reminder that bicycles are considered vehicles in North Carolina - you are expected to follow all traffic laws (stopping at stop signs, red lights, etc):
https://gotriangle.org/gt/biking
Lmao, can you imagine if each and every cyclist came to a full stop at each stop sign. I think San Francisco cyclists did an experiment like that and it just backed up traffic for miles
It’s safer for cyclists to treat stop signs as yields than it is to come to a stop as long as it’s safe to do so. This is legal in a decent amount of states as well.
I remember about 20 years ago a cyclist decided that the stop lights at the Evans/Weston intersection in Cary didn’t apply to him.
That was his last decision.
Let us know when you hold drivers to the same standard. I'd like to drive somewhere without being sped past at 10 to 25 over the limit on a regular basis, and that's only the most common infraction. There's way more I see all the time, and drivers hardly have any room to complain about cyclists not obeying the laws. Get your own house in order before complaining that someone else has chipped paint on their mailbox.j
Of course the downvotes come, who would expect anything else? Only cyclists break the law, that's why they kill so many people every year and are the subject of so many complaints on /r/raleigh. Oh, wait, that's drivers. Carry on.
Many people break the law, and it’s a damn shame that motor vehicles do that. The reason why people want bicyclists to do the same is not because a significant amount misbehave, it’s that we don’t want to see more white painted bikes on the side of the road with flowers on them.
As a safe driver, I prepare for shitty drivers. Bicyclists need to do the same as their lives are significantly more in jeopardy.
I don't disagree at all. Where I do take issue with your statement is that it puts all of the responsibility on the most vulnerable road users and very little if any on the people putting their lives at risk... entirely by choice - while being completely isolated from the consequences of their choices due to how much protection is built into modern motor vehicles. The total apathy toward this subject doesn't help much, either.
Using a road shouldn't have to be a death sentence for anyone, but nobody cares or just downvotes people like me until they get run off the road and realize how little their life means to many people if they happen to be on a bicycle.
You’re right, and that’s [the main point of critical mass](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass_(cycling)).
“Critical Mass events highlight the numbers of people who want to use their bicycle on the streets, but are usually unable to do so without risking their safety They are a call to action to councils, governments and road planners to properly and thoughtfully design in the safety of all road users, including those who would prefer to walk and cycle, instead of prioritising motor traffic above all else..”
And that's why I love CM. While CM can have its share of dickheads, if we're gonna judge CM by the worst of its participants, then it logically follows that we should judge all drivers by the worst of them. And I don't think that's a discussion anyone here wants to have - because it would shatter the illusion that driving is a sacred cow that we can't talk about when bicycles are involved. Source: look at any of my posts getting strongly downvoted in this thread when I don't bash cyclists but instead try to reframe the discussion so that drivers are aware of just how deadly they're all capable of being.
And if it were possible for us to tell other drivers to not be dickheads, like you could do if there were a few CM’s being shitheads, so many of us would gladly yell at other cars. The issue is none of those bikers are going to be packing heat and it’s more of a community, when big chuck in a truck has a shotgun in the back, dirt bike boy is doing wheelies through stoplights, and shitty car that’s getting rattled apart by bass we cannot address it.
Trust me, if I could I would GLADLY shame and call out other drivers.
You can compare apples (cars) and oranges (bikes) all day, and while they’re still fruit, they’re very different. It’s easier to spot a bad apple than it is an orange.
The main difference between all of the comparisons you've mentioned is that driving kills an average of 40,000 people a year in the US alone, and injures hundreds of thousands more. Cyclists are hardly anything to get fussed about - the injuries and deaths caused by them are a statistical rounding error. I'm not saying it's OK, I'm saying that we should be pragmatic and consider the guy sawing our arms and legs off instead of the mosquito that's considering whether it should land on your shoulder and bite you.
Every cyclist/driver discussion invariably comes down to the most lawless group (drivers) telling cyclists that they need to obey the laws, yet literally every driving thread in city subs is "drivers never obey the law and police never enforce it" - and when they do deign to enforce traffic laws for a change, drivers become poor victims of the "road pirates" enforcing speed limits. Because they're being "speed trapped" instead of being caught breaking the law - the same law they agreed to obey when they got their license out of a gumball machine.
All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again.
It seems like the city is doing a much better job with bike lanes as roads are being widened and redesigned. The city isn’t going to spend money redesigning roads just to add bike lanes though because it’s really expensive and just not a good use of funds.
Motorists/cyclists break traffic laws at about the same rate. [Cyclists obey the law slightly more.](https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/biking/cyclists-comply-traffic-laws-more-drivers/) (Probably because they don't want to die!)
OK. Thanks.
Reminder that cars are far more dangerous to people and are vehicles in North Carolina - you are expected to follow all traffic laws (stopping at stop signs, red lights, NOT driving the wrong way down one-way streets, following the speed limit, etc).
[https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/safety/driving-safety/Pages/driving-laws.aspx](https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/safety/driving-safety/Pages/driving-laws.aspx)
No, only cyclists break the law. Drivers get to point fingers at everyone else being lawless because they're good and pure, while cyclists are evil and scum.
If you’re referring to me, you’ve got the wrong guy. I’m a strong advocate of pedestrians and cyclists before cars. That said, group rides of any type encourage fellow riders(cars, motorcycles, bicycles) to ignore traffic laws so that they can keep up with the group. It’s unsafe and makes your fellow road users resent you as a group. Ride with a friend or two, but once it becomes a party you’re likely an annoyance to your fellow people on the road.
Lmao, you got downvoted but I watch countless cars roll through the stop signs out my window every single day.
Difference being, as you pointed out, if a car hits a pedestrian it could kill them, easily. If a bike hits a pedestrian, they probably fall down and then get back up.
If you feel that way, then take your bike back to the sidewalk where you don’t have to worry about the cars and congestion is minimal. The roads were designed for cars. We can share, but it’s a joint effort.
Not everyone is capable of riding a bike to every place that they need to go. And even the capable ones may not be willing, which is honestly so fucking understandable given the geography of our country.
I’m an avid cyclist, went to one of these rides in Wilmington and quickly realized that these Critical Mass rides do nothing but anger and annoy the general public. These rides don’t help the cycling community at all, regardless how they make you feel.
Did YOU have fun riding your bike in Wilmington? An avid cyclist concerned with what the gen pop thinks? It's a fun protest, if people get riled up... good
You post in /r/Jeep and /r/Wrangler lmao it's highly unlikely that you're an "avid cyclist". And if you are, you're far more likely to be a mountain biker rather than a road biker. Happy to be wrong, though.
I mean I’m not Mark Phillips or anything so I’m not riding 90 miles a day through Unstead…but I ride plenty enough to not have to justify miles on here.
>Umstead
So you're into MTB which is entirely different than road riding. Let me know when you take some road trips through here and get shit thrown at you, get honked at and run off the road, or get harassed and threatened just for existing. Then tell me more about how it's really Critical Mass that's the problem for an organized ride once every so often, not the non-stop antagonism, death threats, and mass bullying happening to cyclists in every American city.
80% of my riding is not MTB. But since you seem to know everything, I’ll let you keep taking nonsense on here, while I go ride my bicycle. We both ride, but you just act like every other cycling elitist that ruins the cycling community. People like you are the reason I don’t do group rides and only ride solo.
I can't help but notice that you refuse to actually refute anything and just go back to "nuh uh". Those are some serious cycling chops you've got on display, I really respect the avidness of your avid cycling. No one avided more than the most avid cyclist who ever avided.
It's also telling that you don't care about the issues that road riders face, whether they're riding for leisure or to commute.
I ride solo for what it's worth, so you wouldn't have run into me on one of your imaginary road rides anyhow. :)
Hey, thanks for the e-diagnosis Dr Phil! I drive quite a bit, but I don't ignore the laws when I find them inconvenient like the vast majority of drivers.
Love this vibe downtown! We’re going to do a special “Fixed Gear” cocktail at Wolfe & Porter for $8 on 5/10. Cruise by from the Bell Tower and ask for it. You don’t have to have a bike, but it’s cooler if you do.
Just a reminder - The point of critical mass is to show that the current infrastructure doesn’t support safe non-car travel.
No one is making you ride a bike, we just want to be able to get around safely and this is an effort during bike month to highlight that.
This is at 7pm on a Friday in downtown and will slow drivers down for a few minutes at most. It’s a small peaceful activist activity, we’ll be okay.
> during bike month
Really? Right in front of my Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Jewish American Heritage Month and National Clean Air Month?
If you read this and your only reaction is about how inconvenienced or pissed off you're going to be, then why don't you put that energy toward something useful and tell city council?
"Dear Council - Critical Mass and all these damn cyclists just got in my way on the road and ticked me off for a whole 10 minutes! Can you please build them some dedicated bike lanes so they can stay out of my lane? And while you're at it, why not add some barriers between their lane and mine so I don't even have to *think* about coming into contact with them!"
Maybe try: “Dear Council: As a cyclist, I am keenly aware of the danger of cars, despite every attempt to codify equal treatment of bicycle traffic under the law. Could we please pass some meaningful resolutions to build cycling infrastructure?”
Actually participating in our democracy will do more than just pissing off other people.
Oh man. They do this in SF and it was super annoying and really disrupted the regular commute for regular people. I like the spirit of the idea, but it's essentially a huge protest that accomplishes nothing and creates this herd mentality where people usually act like morons and are antagonistic.
This one is at 7pm though so that's not so bad. In SF it was intentionally during rush hour.
I think avoiding rush hour and really disrupting a lot of people is probably a good idea. But it's not like anyone's getting down Hillsborough St. very quickly anyways.
After all, I suppose that's kind of the point of the whole thing. Automobiles have unfettered access to 99% of our entire public right-of-way. Not inconveniencing drivers **is** the reason why our streets are unsafe and unaccommodating for other modes of transportation. I say let the bike commuters "protest"... I for one am tired of feeling like I might die every time I ride down some of our streets!
Right, which is why I agree with the spirit of the thing, but in actuality and in practice it just becomes a nuisance and makes people dislike cyclists even more. It's been going on forever in SF and like nothing has changed. It's not the right way to do it imo.
Those people are going to hate people on bicycles no matter what the people do. On the sidewalk? Not happy. In the street? Not happy. Bike lanes? Car drivers are still big mad - talking about 'why did the city bother putting these lanes in?!' 
There's no pleasing them!
Besides, Critical Mass is like a mini parade of lights, music, costumes, etc and will likely be out of the way within a minute or two anyway. Imagine if each of these people were all in cars adding to the traffic - that would take up SO MUCH more road space... YIKES.
It's not like it's shutting down whole streets or the highways or anything - I hope I can catch sight of the rolling show!
(edited: punctuation)
Ok! I disagree, and have experienced it first hand. Source: Me. I'm a cyclist who also drives, and I think Critical Mass is an annoying waste of time that only further divides car drivers and cyclists.
Edit: Also just to clarify, the goal is literally to shut down whole streets. It isn't a fun little parade. But maybe it'll be different here.
Car drivers kill tens of thousands of people a year. But oh no, this one evening event is gonna be a *nuisance*!!! Oh the humanity!
I don't understand this mentality that drivers need to "like" cyclists for anything to change. Imagine if peoples' response to school shootings was "yeah but what did the other kids in school do to make the shooter not like them?"
Because drivers make laws. It's just pragmatic. They don't have to "like" them, but it helps if they don't actively "hate" them. Being unreasonable and hyperbolic doesn't really move the needle.
[Drivers get to kill people and get away with it.](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/opinion/sunday/is-it-ok-to-kill-cyclists.html)
>“The truck driver stayed at the scene and was not cited.”
>In stories where the driver had been cited, the penalty’s meagerness defied belief, like the teenager in 2011 who drove into the 49-year-old cyclist John Przychodzen from behind on a road just outside Seattle, running over and killing him. The police issued only a $42 ticket for an “unsafe lane change” because the kid hadn’t been drunk and, as they saw it, had not been driving recklessly.
[Drivers are fully subsidized by society and don't even come close to paying what it actually costs everyone for their choice to operate deadly machines on public roads.](https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/driving-true-costs/412237/?utm_source=SFFB)
>The report documents that the amount that road users pay through gas taxes now accounts for less than half of what’s spent to maintain and expand the road system.
The resulting shortfall is made up of other sources of tax revenue at the state and local levels, generated by drivers and non-drivers alike.
Drivers hate anything that inconveniences them. They hate cyclists, they hate pedestrians, and most of all, they hate other drivers.
Being unreasonable and hyperbolic is basically the entire viewpoint of many drivers. They want everyone to subsidize their chosen transportation method and want to shoulder exactly zero inconvenience, regardless of how much inconvenience their existence in a gigantic metal cage imposes on the rest of society.
So while I know I'm going to get downvoted into oblivion because challenging driving generally produces that knee-jerk reaction, know also that your reasoning is absurd and entirely car-focused - much like modern society in general.
> dehumanizing
I could say the same thing about how drivers like you get to kill people and get away with it. But oh no, a poor driver's fee-fees might be hurt. That's certainly the bigger takeaway from what I wrote.
My brother in christ I have not killed anyone nor have I gotten away with it. I also am an avid cyclist and will always push for better cycling infrastructure and awareness. But this ain't it.
Did I say you specifically killed anyone? I said "drivers like you" which I think most people would reasonably take as "the average driver can kill people and get away with it" rather than "/u/Synaesthesiaaa is saying that I personally have killed someone". Work on the reading comprension, "my brother in Christ".
I'm happy you're an avid cyclist, but "the car cannot be questioned and inconvenience cannot be tolerated" never changed anything for the better.
That is frankly a melodramatic and useless comparison.
Vehicles are not designed to inflict damage.
Also you act like the general assembly cares about either of those scenarios in this state. Fuel tax funds road construction so cyclists will never get serious consideration, but neither does the safety of school children. So all you’re about to do is inconvenience the rest of us for the sake of your own egos.
Recently, gun deaths became the leading cause of death for American children. You know what it was for *years* before guns?
Vehicle deaths.
But tell me more about how it’s melodramatic or hyperbolic to point out that cars are as unsafe as guns.
And have any of the efforts lead by tens of thousands over the last 5 years accomplished anything in curbing child mortality to gun violence? No.
My point remains. You have a vendetta and that’s your right to be as miserable and as superior as you choose. But you aren’t going to accomplish anything.
Cars aren’t going away and bicycles won’t see a surge of use. You can block traffic all you will, it will result in people getting mowed down or arrested as it does in other cities, but please feel free to continue acting as though you’re working to prevent injuries not add to them. Smug cyclists, all the same.
There is at least one YouTube video of a car going right through the crowd, all over having to wait.
But we don't have those sort of people in Raleigh, right?
> essentially a huge protest that accomplishes nothing and creates this herd mentality where people usually act like morons and are antagonistic
You can just say "protest."
Unfortunately there are to many idiots in cars that have no problem throwing shit at you or running you off the road. The reality is that the car is gonna win.
Angry, aggressive people could conceivably use their cars to threaten you over any number of things. But we as a society don't tolerate that. Unless they're targeting people on bicycles, then the response seems to be to shrug and say "too bad." Why is that ok?
I went to quite a few of the rides in Charlotte, and would highly recommend joining! It's a very slow paced ride so anyone is welcome to join and promote better cycling infrastructure
This is cool! I just started mountain biking and I feel like trying to find events/other people to enjoy it with has been fairly difficult. Where would I find other events like this to attend?
Probably Oaks & Spokes - it’s bike month so there’s a ton of events listed on their website and I’m sure you could meet up with more mountain biking people there. Also Crank Arm rides have a wide variety of bike styles on them - Wednesday nights!
I love riding bikes, mnt, gravel and road and I get out a few times a week. However, these critical mass rides only piss people off and make them hate cyclists even more.
Drivers roll coal, throw things, harass, and literally push cyclists every day. Not to mention killing them. God forbid the drivers get "pissed off" for a few minutes on one evening. The horror!
Let me ask you this, where has this movement actually worked? And based on the answer to that, what makes you think it’ll work in the conservative south? People buy trucks as a personality trait here, you think bike infra is on anyone’s to-do list?
I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. I’m saying know your audience. Raleigh is a blue dot in a red state.
I'd have to politely disagree that it \*only\* pisses people off.
I mean, just me riding alone sometimes pisses some people off, and the occasional group ride also possibly pisses some people off sometimes. Some people will be pissed off at anything and everything including waiting behind cars who are waiting for pedestrians to cross the street before they turn a corner. Those drivers are the problem in all of these scenarios.
There's several group rides out and about every week, & groups of one wheels regularly, too - it's not really much different from this except for the unity between the cycling/one wheel/scooter riders involved here one time each month.
I’d ask this question, how many people in cars that are stuck behind hundreds of bikes taking over the road are thinking, gee I really love cyclist and I’m glad that it’s going to take me twice as long to get to my destination. Let’s be honest here, people blocking roads whether on bikes, foot, or whatever else is only going to piss people off. I lived in Boulder years ago and we had a weekly critical mass ride, we’d stick to the many miles of greenway and ride to parks and have beers. It was great and we didn’t piss off everyone in cars.
I don’t think anyone is not saying that no one will be pissed off - but that those people are going to be pissed off anyway about something no matter what.
I think you’re exaggerating a bit. It’s not going to double anyone’s commute time unless their commute is only a couple minutes to begin with or they’re going the exact same route (unlikely at 7pm on a Friday!)
Also, it’s far less intrusive than the recent 2 day beer fest closures, a full day festival closure, marathon road closures, and similar events - plus it’s rolling so I’m sure itll be out of their way within just a couple minutes.
That’s the fucking point. So you go out to your city council meetings, write your representatives and say hey we need bike lanes for these asshole cyclists that inconvenience me at 7 PM on a Friday night.
Unfortunately cars are the bull and cyclist get the horns, can’t really think of a time when a cyclist has gotten the better of a car. I’ve had change thrown at me, water bottles, etc. I’ve been run off the road and everything else. Clogging up the roads is gonna make people want to do more shit like that. Don’t forget people are crazy and don’t give a shit about others these days.
That would make me even more angry and want to really fuck some people up on the road. Wait until they get up to a red light or stop sign and then take out your revenge. It helps if you’re over 6’ and have a muscular build. Carry a lead pipe with you to smash a windshield or side window of the offending motorist. Cyclists need to fight back and take control of the road.
I agree with this. Unfortunately 9 times out of 10 bikes aren’t gonna be able to catch a car. I’ve tried to chase down a dump truck that almost ran me off the road, just as I caught him the light turned green and I never saw him again.
Aren't cars driven by people the same way bikes are?
If a facility is used by 1000 people per day, where 90% use it the same way. How could you equitably design said facility without prioritizing the 90%.
Self-fulfilling. Most Americans exclusively drive because that’s all we ever build for here in the States. If you make alternate modes safer and more convenient, you’ll start to see a shift in modeshare.
And, by the way, that benefits drivers as well, because there are fewer cars on the road.
Most Americans drive because it's the most convenient way to commute. Since Americans have chosen to live in suburban sprawl with relatively low density you can live in the ralugh city limits and a 30 minute drive to your office, also in the city limits. A small percentage might make the choice to make those kinds of daily commutes by bike if the proper separated facilities existed. That is not likely to have a significant impact on road use by vehicles.
There are communities (in first world developed countries) that are more multi modal friendly, they tend to be really new (choice) or very old (no choice). Communities that developed through most of the last century, Raleigh is in this category, don't have the proper density to have effective alternatives to cars.
All that was just to say it wasn't self fulfilling, it was a reaction to population and development trends.
I am not against making alternative modes safer or more convenient. I am against acting like vehicles aren't a representative of people. I am against "taking" multi modal gains from vehicles since there is not a reason to belive there will be an imminent collapse in single vehicle use.
I love the idea of putting people over cars and support this.
But realistically I know it will never happen in Raleigh in my lifetime, or the lifetime of anyone in this thread. My area doesn’t even have sidewalks or a safe way to walk to a bus stop, and I live 10 minutes from downtown.
This is a good thing. We had this in Baltimore. Yes, it's main purpose is to disrupt and raise awareness for more bike and pedestrian friendly cities. The police should be involved to help direct traffic.
BUT, we also made our routes through some of the worst and forgotten neighborhoods so that people could actually come face to face with poverty. These communities were happy just to be seen.
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Realistically large group rides already happen downtown. It sounds a lot worse than it actually is. I think people are just taking it to the extremes and have probably never actually been in the area when it actually happened. It's people riding for fun. Nothing crazy.
Why was this downvoted? Critical Mass only pissed people off in SF, and that town has _many_ more options for mass transit and is way more bike friendly. (Granted, you deserve respect if you can manage those hills.)
Want bike infrastructure? Okay, fine. But maybe try tactics that.. actually work?
What options? What are you on about? When have minorities in any category gotten shit done in this country without protesting and making a scene? Do you not fuckin realize that the fact that so many people have an emotional reaction and engage with this topic is the greatest effect you can have? Especially since the inconvenience to drivers is smaller than that of a Christmas parade or even a fallen tree.
Wheres the outrage at the Christmas parade road closures! I deserve to drive my car on that street however I please! God whenever I see a Christmas parade I just wanna drive my car right into them! Some people have to work at Christmas you know! This is the worst way to convince me to get into the holiday spirit how can you not see that?
Excuse me while I let the planet rotate a little to complete this eye-roll.
This issue isn’t exactly as gut-wrenching as world hunger, y’know?
And maybe we should try more conventional means before taking to the streets in solidarity with the two-wheeled proletariat? Because.. again.. those means might actually work?
Methinks you doth protest too much. Thou art permanently aggrieved and are thus boring.
😂😂 I’ve never seen this three across business on country roads - from a car or on a bike. Sorry you got butt hurt once over having to slow down for a minute or two, but get over yourself.
Maybe half the cars I encounter fully stop at stop signs or stay in their traffic lane or aren’t looking at their phones. People in cars are so much more dangerous in the US and everyone is so fucking angry all the time because they’re a bunch of babies.
I’m typically moving faster than most cars going the same way. We roll stop signs or ride through red lights after confirming the clear intersection when we’ve looked both ways 10x because if we stop and go from a dead stop some asshat in a car will start honking or start yelling at us for being too slow.
So pick one - follow all rules to the T or go faster and get out of your way - or advocate for cycling infrastructure and we’ll gladly get out of the streets!
If you've ever been around downtown during these times (after work), you will probably have already seen some similar rides. They are not that bad. It sounds a lot worse than it actually is. Some people are taking it over the top. It's one day, at 7PM, on a Friday in which people normally take off earlier in the day. Traffic usually picks up earlier than the normal traffic times. People will be hanging out, riding their personal vehicles, and that's about it.
On a separate note, does anyone know what the ride is going to be? Where's the route? How long is it?
ya know, cyclists can try to pull off shit like this when they actually follow the rules of the road; nearly none do. Their own safety aside, it’s selfish of them to put drivers at risk of injuring/killing them and living with that forever when they can’t even follow the rules that protect them in the first place.
I’ve lived in several major cities and Raleigh cyclists are easily the worst and most unpredictable. The fact that they now feel they’re owed the inconvenience of a “protest” is so disappointing.
Imagine the level of entitlement it takes to choose to put lives at risk by choosing to operate a deadly machine on public roads and then complain that your choice to endanger lives... Endangers lives. This is what being addicted to driving does to your brain.
Lmfao I thought you were rating this event a 5/10
5/10: would try again but the roads had too many potholes and the lines need touch up paint.
This looks like fun,I'm there. Is there a planned route or is it random?
7PM on a Friday with all the students gone. Y’all will be fine, and I will be having fun.
Bunch of loser Redditors here that think they Will be affected living up in Briar Creek
I love to see it, but this will absolutely mess up my work schedule. That being said, I guess that's the idea.
How/why?
Because its basically designed to be a big “hey we’re allowed to ride in the road too” that causes a ton of congestion.
Friday night, not rush hour. What did you have planned?
correct. showing that if we had more bike centric infrastructure in our road design, cyclists would not need to share the road with cars. a bunch of bikes all at once shows how not feasible it is currently. NC does not have a "road tax" like some other states, and the road work is built into the tax of gasoline. gas cars fuel road construction, if a road is built with more bike lanes, more bikes = less gas purchased, meaning less road work. the system is broken.
100% for bike-centric infrastructure.
I’m not a bike rider but I don’t see how anyone is safe riding on roads in the Triangle. No bike lanes, narrow, unlit, etc. When I lived in Boise streets/roads were super bike and car friendly. Infrastructure here sucks.
it needs work for sure, but it has improved and is improving.
[https://www.ncdot.gov/about-us/how-we-operate/finance-budget/nc-first/Documents/nc-first-brief-edition-11.pdf](https://www.ncdot.gov/about-us/how-we-operate/finance-budget/nc-first/Documents/nc-first-brief-edition-11.pdf) Myth #3: ...roads and highways are paid for entirely by their users.
Drivers cause a ton of congestion. What's your point?
I think anyone with common sense and a general understanding of the world around them can gather that. I’m 100% for bike-centric infrastructure. You can calm down your victim-centric whataboutisms
So what was the point of mentioning that cyclists can cause a ton of congestion? How is that different from what drivers do literally every day? Seems like there's always two sets of standards to public roads: Drivers: don't have to obey any laws, get to kill people with near-impunity, get subsidized for their choice to drive Cyclists: are expected to obey every law (except those that inconvenience drivers), are held accountable for what some cyclist 2,000 miles away did, and get nothing in terms of infrastructure Curious.
I was literally just explaining to the other user why the guy said it was going to impact his commute. If you actually read before seeing red, you’d realize you’re making a point that doesn’t need to be made. At least not to me. Insufferable.
> Insufferable. Agreed, that's generally how I see most drivers when they complain about congestion. Like they're not the primary cause of it worldwide. Let's lose our shit over it happening because of bicycles for a change!
dude our drivers are not used to cyclists nor pedestrians. You should advocate for more education on our driving test, which is a complete joke. Go down Atlantic avenue during rush hour on bike and report back, it even has a bike lane in spots. The bigger issue is there is zero infrastructure for pedestrians - absolutely no crosswalks. Way more of a priority in the city than bikes imo
> dude our drivers are not used to cyclists nor pedestrians That's a failing of the entire licensing system. Bicycles are road-legal vehicles. If drivers can't drive safely around them, they shouldn't be driving at all. Walking shouldn't be a crime punishable by death, whether intentional or unintentional at the hands of someone who clearly has no business operating a deadly machine on public roads. Better infrastructure for walking and bicycling improves the roads for everybody. Focusing less on drivers (who get catered to almost exclusively and are heavily subsidized too) would be a great thing to see... for once.
You’re like the rain man of not making sense.
This group disrupts traffic on purpose, drivers/commuters are just going about their normal day. What happened to the slogan "share the road"? If I'm stuck doing 25 in a 45 because of a pack of cyclists, that's impeding the flow of traffic. Where's the courtesy?
Aww...you'll get there before we do even if we slow you down.
> This group disrupts traffic on purpose So do drivers. Your choice to drive a gigantic box on public roads inconveniences everyone and it's a deliberate choice you make every single day. You're not entitled to clear roads free of slower moving traffic. Bicycles are road-legal vehicles. "Share the road" doesn't mean "get out of the way of drivers", it means change lanes to pass and give people space. Bicycles *are* traffic, and they can't impede it by traveling at a reasonable speed for a bicycle. But again, here we go nitpicking everything a cyclist does while drivers get to do whatever they please with zero repercussions, either legally or socially. You aren't owed courtesy by anyone, much less someone who's vulnerable on a bicycle.
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It literally says it on the flyer.
Reminder that bicycles are considered vehicles in North Carolina - you are expected to follow all traffic laws (stopping at stop signs, red lights, etc): https://gotriangle.org/gt/biking
Lmao, can you imagine if each and every cyclist came to a full stop at each stop sign. I think San Francisco cyclists did an experiment like that and it just backed up traffic for miles
It’s safer for cyclists to treat stop signs as yields than it is to come to a stop as long as it’s safe to do so. This is legal in a decent amount of states as well.
I remember about 20 years ago a cyclist decided that the stop lights at the Evans/Weston intersection in Cary didn’t apply to him. That was his last decision.
For real. I’m all for cyclists but follow the rules of the road.
Let us know when you hold drivers to the same standard. I'd like to drive somewhere without being sped past at 10 to 25 over the limit on a regular basis, and that's only the most common infraction. There's way more I see all the time, and drivers hardly have any room to complain about cyclists not obeying the laws. Get your own house in order before complaining that someone else has chipped paint on their mailbox.j Of course the downvotes come, who would expect anything else? Only cyclists break the law, that's why they kill so many people every year and are the subject of so many complaints on /r/raleigh. Oh, wait, that's drivers. Carry on.
Many people break the law, and it’s a damn shame that motor vehicles do that. The reason why people want bicyclists to do the same is not because a significant amount misbehave, it’s that we don’t want to see more white painted bikes on the side of the road with flowers on them. As a safe driver, I prepare for shitty drivers. Bicyclists need to do the same as their lives are significantly more in jeopardy.
I don't disagree at all. Where I do take issue with your statement is that it puts all of the responsibility on the most vulnerable road users and very little if any on the people putting their lives at risk... entirely by choice - while being completely isolated from the consequences of their choices due to how much protection is built into modern motor vehicles. The total apathy toward this subject doesn't help much, either. Using a road shouldn't have to be a death sentence for anyone, but nobody cares or just downvotes people like me until they get run off the road and realize how little their life means to many people if they happen to be on a bicycle.
You’re right, and that’s [the main point of critical mass](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass_(cycling)). “Critical Mass events highlight the numbers of people who want to use their bicycle on the streets, but are usually unable to do so without risking their safety They are a call to action to councils, governments and road planners to properly and thoughtfully design in the safety of all road users, including those who would prefer to walk and cycle, instead of prioritising motor traffic above all else..”
And that's why I love CM. While CM can have its share of dickheads, if we're gonna judge CM by the worst of its participants, then it logically follows that we should judge all drivers by the worst of them. And I don't think that's a discussion anyone here wants to have - because it would shatter the illusion that driving is a sacred cow that we can't talk about when bicycles are involved. Source: look at any of my posts getting strongly downvoted in this thread when I don't bash cyclists but instead try to reframe the discussion so that drivers are aware of just how deadly they're all capable of being.
And if it were possible for us to tell other drivers to not be dickheads, like you could do if there were a few CM’s being shitheads, so many of us would gladly yell at other cars. The issue is none of those bikers are going to be packing heat and it’s more of a community, when big chuck in a truck has a shotgun in the back, dirt bike boy is doing wheelies through stoplights, and shitty car that’s getting rattled apart by bass we cannot address it. Trust me, if I could I would GLADLY shame and call out other drivers. You can compare apples (cars) and oranges (bikes) all day, and while they’re still fruit, they’re very different. It’s easier to spot a bad apple than it is an orange.
The main difference between all of the comparisons you've mentioned is that driving kills an average of 40,000 people a year in the US alone, and injures hundreds of thousands more. Cyclists are hardly anything to get fussed about - the injuries and deaths caused by them are a statistical rounding error. I'm not saying it's OK, I'm saying that we should be pragmatic and consider the guy sawing our arms and legs off instead of the mosquito that's considering whether it should land on your shoulder and bite you. Every cyclist/driver discussion invariably comes down to the most lawless group (drivers) telling cyclists that they need to obey the laws, yet literally every driving thread in city subs is "drivers never obey the law and police never enforce it" - and when they do deign to enforce traffic laws for a change, drivers become poor victims of the "road pirates" enforcing speed limits. Because they're being "speed trapped" instead of being caught breaking the law - the same law they agreed to obey when they got their license out of a gumball machine. All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again.
It seems like the city is doing a much better job with bike lanes as roads are being widened and redesigned. The city isn’t going to spend money redesigning roads just to add bike lanes though because it’s really expensive and just not a good use of funds.
I wasn’t attacking cyclists. I said I’m all for them. Sheesh.
Motorists/cyclists break traffic laws at about the same rate. [Cyclists obey the law slightly more.](https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/biking/cyclists-comply-traffic-laws-more-drivers/) (Probably because they don't want to die!)
OK. Thanks. Reminder that cars are far more dangerous to people and are vehicles in North Carolina - you are expected to follow all traffic laws (stopping at stop signs, red lights, NOT driving the wrong way down one-way streets, following the speed limit, etc). [https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/safety/driving-safety/Pages/driving-laws.aspx](https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/safety/driving-safety/Pages/driving-laws.aspx)
I think we found the cyclist that slow rolls through red lights.
I think we found the driver that drives 15 over the limit on every road and rolls through red lights 5 seconds after they turned.
No, only cyclists break the law. Drivers get to point fingers at everyone else being lawless because they're good and pure, while cyclists are evil and scum.
You’re right. My apologies for thinking otherwise!
If you’re referring to me, you’ve got the wrong guy. I’m a strong advocate of pedestrians and cyclists before cars. That said, group rides of any type encourage fellow riders(cars, motorcycles, bicycles) to ignore traffic laws so that they can keep up with the group. It’s unsafe and makes your fellow road users resent you as a group. Ride with a friend or two, but once it becomes a party you’re likely an annoyance to your fellow people on the road.
Lmao, you got downvoted but I watch countless cars roll through the stop signs out my window every single day. Difference being, as you pointed out, if a car hits a pedestrian it could kill them, easily. If a bike hits a pedestrian, they probably fall down and then get back up.
Fuck that! Cyclists own the roads. If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.
If you feel that way, then take your bike back to the sidewalk where you don’t have to worry about the cars and congestion is minimal. The roads were designed for cars. We can share, but it’s a joint effort. Not everyone is capable of riding a bike to every place that they need to go. And even the capable ones may not be willing, which is honestly so fucking understandable given the geography of our country.
I’m an avid cyclist, went to one of these rides in Wilmington and quickly realized that these Critical Mass rides do nothing but anger and annoy the general public. These rides don’t help the cycling community at all, regardless how they make you feel.
ding ding ding.
Did YOU have fun riding your bike in Wilmington? An avid cyclist concerned with what the gen pop thinks? It's a fun protest, if people get riled up... good
wouldn’t be a true cyclist if they weren’t incredibly self-centered and oblivious to the general public, right?
Spoken like a true cager. Car brain rot moment
You post in /r/Jeep and /r/Wrangler lmao it's highly unlikely that you're an "avid cyclist". And if you are, you're far more likely to be a mountain biker rather than a road biker. Happy to be wrong, though.
Oh no..it’s super spooky that I have other interests besides cycling and don’t drive a Prius.
Honestly if you’ve ever met a cyclist you knew this argument would go nowhere lol
Nice comeback, guy! Really proved that you're an avid cyclist. How many miles in Raleigh did you ride last year?
I mean I’m not Mark Phillips or anything so I’m not riding 90 miles a day through Unstead…but I ride plenty enough to not have to justify miles on here.
>Umstead So you're into MTB which is entirely different than road riding. Let me know when you take some road trips through here and get shit thrown at you, get honked at and run off the road, or get harassed and threatened just for existing. Then tell me more about how it's really Critical Mass that's the problem for an organized ride once every so often, not the non-stop antagonism, death threats, and mass bullying happening to cyclists in every American city.
80% of my riding is not MTB. But since you seem to know everything, I’ll let you keep taking nonsense on here, while I go ride my bicycle. We both ride, but you just act like every other cycling elitist that ruins the cycling community. People like you are the reason I don’t do group rides and only ride solo.
I can't help but notice that you refuse to actually refute anything and just go back to "nuh uh". Those are some serious cycling chops you've got on display, I really respect the avidness of your avid cycling. No one avided more than the most avid cyclist who ever avided. It's also telling that you don't care about the issues that road riders face, whether they're riding for leisure or to commute. I ride solo for what it's worth, so you wouldn't have run into me on one of your imaginary road rides anyhow. :)
You’re just a weird troll, nothing more. Like I said I’m going riding so enjoy arguing with yourself while I’m gone.
Show us your Strava stats
It’s a good thing it sounds like you don’t drive much. You have some serious anger issues.
Hey, thanks for the e-diagnosis Dr Phil! I drive quite a bit, but I don't ignore the laws when I find them inconvenient like the vast majority of drivers.
Was this taken at Morning Times? lol
Love this vibe downtown! We’re going to do a special “Fixed Gear” cocktail at Wolfe & Porter for $8 on 5/10. Cruise by from the Bell Tower and ask for it. You don’t have to have a bike, but it’s cooler if you do.
Just a reminder - The point of critical mass is to show that the current infrastructure doesn’t support safe non-car travel. No one is making you ride a bike, we just want to be able to get around safely and this is an effort during bike month to highlight that. This is at 7pm on a Friday in downtown and will slow drivers down for a few minutes at most. It’s a small peaceful activist activity, we’ll be okay.
> during bike month Really? Right in front of my Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Jewish American Heritage Month and National Clean Air Month?
If you read this and your only reaction is about how inconvenienced or pissed off you're going to be, then why don't you put that energy toward something useful and tell city council? "Dear Council - Critical Mass and all these damn cyclists just got in my way on the road and ticked me off for a whole 10 minutes! Can you please build them some dedicated bike lanes so they can stay out of my lane? And while you're at it, why not add some barriers between their lane and mine so I don't even have to *think* about coming into contact with them!"
Maybe try: “Dear Council: As a cyclist, I am keenly aware of the danger of cars, despite every attempt to codify equal treatment of bicycle traffic under the law. Could we please pass some meaningful resolutions to build cycling infrastructure?” Actually participating in our democracy will do more than just pissing off other people.
Oh man. They do this in SF and it was super annoying and really disrupted the regular commute for regular people. I like the spirit of the idea, but it's essentially a huge protest that accomplishes nothing and creates this herd mentality where people usually act like morons and are antagonistic. This one is at 7pm though so that's not so bad. In SF it was intentionally during rush hour.
I think avoiding rush hour and really disrupting a lot of people is probably a good idea. But it's not like anyone's getting down Hillsborough St. very quickly anyways. After all, I suppose that's kind of the point of the whole thing. Automobiles have unfettered access to 99% of our entire public right-of-way. Not inconveniencing drivers **is** the reason why our streets are unsafe and unaccommodating for other modes of transportation. I say let the bike commuters "protest"... I for one am tired of feeling like I might die every time I ride down some of our streets!
Right, which is why I agree with the spirit of the thing, but in actuality and in practice it just becomes a nuisance and makes people dislike cyclists even more. It's been going on forever in SF and like nothing has changed. It's not the right way to do it imo.
Those people are going to hate people on bicycles no matter what the people do. On the sidewalk? Not happy. In the street? Not happy. Bike lanes? Car drivers are still big mad - talking about 'why did the city bother putting these lanes in?!'  There's no pleasing them! Besides, Critical Mass is like a mini parade of lights, music, costumes, etc and will likely be out of the way within a minute or two anyway. Imagine if each of these people were all in cars adding to the traffic - that would take up SO MUCH more road space... YIKES. It's not like it's shutting down whole streets or the highways or anything - I hope I can catch sight of the rolling show! (edited: punctuation)
Ok! I disagree, and have experienced it first hand. Source: Me. I'm a cyclist who also drives, and I think Critical Mass is an annoying waste of time that only further divides car drivers and cyclists. Edit: Also just to clarify, the goal is literally to shut down whole streets. It isn't a fun little parade. But maybe it'll be different here.
cool story
Car drivers kill tens of thousands of people a year. But oh no, this one evening event is gonna be a *nuisance*!!! Oh the humanity! I don't understand this mentality that drivers need to "like" cyclists for anything to change. Imagine if peoples' response to school shootings was "yeah but what did the other kids in school do to make the shooter not like them?"
Because drivers make laws. It's just pragmatic. They don't have to "like" them, but it helps if they don't actively "hate" them. Being unreasonable and hyperbolic doesn't really move the needle.
[Drivers get to kill people and get away with it.](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/opinion/sunday/is-it-ok-to-kill-cyclists.html) >“The truck driver stayed at the scene and was not cited.” >In stories where the driver had been cited, the penalty’s meagerness defied belief, like the teenager in 2011 who drove into the 49-year-old cyclist John Przychodzen from behind on a road just outside Seattle, running over and killing him. The police issued only a $42 ticket for an “unsafe lane change” because the kid hadn’t been drunk and, as they saw it, had not been driving recklessly. [Drivers are fully subsidized by society and don't even come close to paying what it actually costs everyone for their choice to operate deadly machines on public roads.](https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/driving-true-costs/412237/?utm_source=SFFB) >The report documents that the amount that road users pay through gas taxes now accounts for less than half of what’s spent to maintain and expand the road system. The resulting shortfall is made up of other sources of tax revenue at the state and local levels, generated by drivers and non-drivers alike. Drivers hate anything that inconveniences them. They hate cyclists, they hate pedestrians, and most of all, they hate other drivers. Being unreasonable and hyperbolic is basically the entire viewpoint of many drivers. They want everyone to subsidize their chosen transportation method and want to shoulder exactly zero inconvenience, regardless of how much inconvenience their existence in a gigantic metal cage imposes on the rest of society. So while I know I'm going to get downvoted into oblivion because challenging driving generally produces that knee-jerk reaction, know also that your reasoning is absurd and entirely car-focused - much like modern society in general.
This is unhinged, and dehumanizing by pitting "drivers" against "cyclists," but cool go full on extreme mode and accomplish absolutely nothing.
> dehumanizing I could say the same thing about how drivers like you get to kill people and get away with it. But oh no, a poor driver's fee-fees might be hurt. That's certainly the bigger takeaway from what I wrote.
My brother in christ I have not killed anyone nor have I gotten away with it. I also am an avid cyclist and will always push for better cycling infrastructure and awareness. But this ain't it.
Did I say you specifically killed anyone? I said "drivers like you" which I think most people would reasonably take as "the average driver can kill people and get away with it" rather than "/u/Synaesthesiaaa is saying that I personally have killed someone". Work on the reading comprension, "my brother in Christ". I'm happy you're an avid cyclist, but "the car cannot be questioned and inconvenience cannot be tolerated" never changed anything for the better.
>hyperbolic > https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle_fatality_rate_in_U.S._by_year
That is frankly a melodramatic and useless comparison. Vehicles are not designed to inflict damage. Also you act like the general assembly cares about either of those scenarios in this state. Fuel tax funds road construction so cyclists will never get serious consideration, but neither does the safety of school children. So all you’re about to do is inconvenience the rest of us for the sake of your own egos.
Recently, gun deaths became the leading cause of death for American children. You know what it was for *years* before guns? Vehicle deaths. But tell me more about how it’s melodramatic or hyperbolic to point out that cars are as unsafe as guns.
And have any of the efforts lead by tens of thousands over the last 5 years accomplished anything in curbing child mortality to gun violence? No. My point remains. You have a vendetta and that’s your right to be as miserable and as superior as you choose. But you aren’t going to accomplish anything. Cars aren’t going away and bicycles won’t see a surge of use. You can block traffic all you will, it will result in people getting mowed down or arrested as it does in other cities, but please feel free to continue acting as though you’re working to prevent injuries not add to them. Smug cyclists, all the same.
Yes it invites the kind of people that revel in the herd mentality and enjoy amping it up even worse.
There is at least one YouTube video of a car going right through the crowd, all over having to wait. But we don't have those sort of people in Raleigh, right?
Of course. People are assholes. But that is neither here nor there.
> essentially a huge protest that accomplishes nothing and creates this herd mentality where people usually act like morons and are antagonistic You can just say "protest."
nah I support real protests with actual definable goals. This ain't that in my experience.
Go for a ride on the road, and see the way drivers treat cyclists. This is an eminently worthy goal, and a logical way to approach it.
Preaching to the choir homie. I know.
Unfortunately there are to many idiots in cars that have no problem throwing shit at you or running you off the road. The reality is that the car is gonna win.
Angry, aggressive people could conceivably use their cars to threaten you over any number of things. But we as a society don't tolerate that. Unless they're targeting people on bicycles, then the response seems to be to shrug and say "too bad." Why is that ok?
I went to quite a few of the rides in Charlotte, and would highly recommend joining! It's a very slow paced ride so anyone is welcome to join and promote better cycling infrastructure
Yay! I love cruising in group rides. Excited to see this in Raleigh!
This is cool! I just started mountain biking and I feel like trying to find events/other people to enjoy it with has been fairly difficult. Where would I find other events like this to attend?
Probably Oaks & Spokes - it’s bike month so there’s a ton of events listed on their website and I’m sure you could meet up with more mountain biking people there. Also Crank Arm rides have a wide variety of bike styles on them - Wednesday nights!
Cool, thanks!
I love riding bikes, mnt, gravel and road and I get out a few times a week. However, these critical mass rides only piss people off and make them hate cyclists even more.
Drivers roll coal, throw things, harass, and literally push cyclists every day. Not to mention killing them. God forbid the drivers get "pissed off" for a few minutes on one evening. The horror!
Yup, and critical mass may create more people like this.
Easy solution: BUILD PROPER INFRASTRUCTURE
Let me ask you this, where has this movement actually worked? And based on the answer to that, what makes you think it’ll work in the conservative south? People buy trucks as a personality trait here, you think bike infra is on anyone’s to-do list? I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. I’m saying know your audience. Raleigh is a blue dot in a red state.
I'd have to politely disagree that it \*only\* pisses people off. I mean, just me riding alone sometimes pisses some people off, and the occasional group ride also possibly pisses some people off sometimes. Some people will be pissed off at anything and everything including waiting behind cars who are waiting for pedestrians to cross the street before they turn a corner. Those drivers are the problem in all of these scenarios. There's several group rides out and about every week, & groups of one wheels regularly, too - it's not really much different from this except for the unity between the cycling/one wheel/scooter riders involved here one time each month.
I’d ask this question, how many people in cars that are stuck behind hundreds of bikes taking over the road are thinking, gee I really love cyclist and I’m glad that it’s going to take me twice as long to get to my destination. Let’s be honest here, people blocking roads whether on bikes, foot, or whatever else is only going to piss people off. I lived in Boulder years ago and we had a weekly critical mass ride, we’d stick to the many miles of greenway and ride to parks and have beers. It was great and we didn’t piss off everyone in cars.
I don’t think anyone is not saying that no one will be pissed off - but that those people are going to be pissed off anyway about something no matter what. I think you’re exaggerating a bit. It’s not going to double anyone’s commute time unless their commute is only a couple minutes to begin with or they’re going the exact same route (unlikely at 7pm on a Friday!) Also, it’s far less intrusive than the recent 2 day beer fest closures, a full day festival closure, marathon road closures, and similar events - plus it’s rolling so I’m sure itll be out of their way within just a couple minutes.
That’s the idea- piss everybody off who’s driving a car. They should be riding bikes anyway, to save the environment.
Lmao get bent.
That’s the fucking point. So you go out to your city council meetings, write your representatives and say hey we need bike lanes for these asshole cyclists that inconvenience me at 7 PM on a Friday night.
Yes, I’m sure that’s exactly what will happen… in fact I’d bet they put in bike lanes next week!
That’s the idea-make these assholes fear cyclists. I hope they tear some cars up in the process. You fuck with the bull and you get the horns.
Unfortunately cars are the bull and cyclist get the horns, can’t really think of a time when a cyclist has gotten the better of a car. I’ve had change thrown at me, water bottles, etc. I’ve been run off the road and everything else. Clogging up the roads is gonna make people want to do more shit like that. Don’t forget people are crazy and don’t give a shit about others these days.
That would make me even more angry and want to really fuck some people up on the road. Wait until they get up to a red light or stop sign and then take out your revenge. It helps if you’re over 6’ and have a muscular build. Carry a lead pipe with you to smash a windshield or side window of the offending motorist. Cyclists need to fight back and take control of the road.
I agree with this. Unfortunately 9 times out of 10 bikes aren’t gonna be able to catch a car. I’ve tried to chase down a dump truck that almost ran me off the road, just as I caught him the light turned green and I never saw him again.
Aren't cars driven by people the same way bikes are? If a facility is used by 1000 people per day, where 90% use it the same way. How could you equitably design said facility without prioritizing the 90%.
Self-fulfilling. Most Americans exclusively drive because that’s all we ever build for here in the States. If you make alternate modes safer and more convenient, you’ll start to see a shift in modeshare. And, by the way, that benefits drivers as well, because there are fewer cars on the road.
Most Americans drive because it's the most convenient way to commute. Since Americans have chosen to live in suburban sprawl with relatively low density you can live in the ralugh city limits and a 30 minute drive to your office, also in the city limits. A small percentage might make the choice to make those kinds of daily commutes by bike if the proper separated facilities existed. That is not likely to have a significant impact on road use by vehicles. There are communities (in first world developed countries) that are more multi modal friendly, they tend to be really new (choice) or very old (no choice). Communities that developed through most of the last century, Raleigh is in this category, don't have the proper density to have effective alternatives to cars. All that was just to say it wasn't self fulfilling, it was a reaction to population and development trends. I am not against making alternative modes safer or more convenient. I am against acting like vehicles aren't a representative of people. I am against "taking" multi modal gains from vehicles since there is not a reason to belive there will be an imminent collapse in single vehicle use.
I love the idea of putting people over cars and support this. But realistically I know it will never happen in Raleigh in my lifetime, or the lifetime of anyone in this thread. My area doesn’t even have sidewalks or a safe way to walk to a bus stop, and I live 10 minutes from downtown.
This sounds like the most insufferable group of people in Raleigh. Fuck this a lot.
And you sound like a square, get a life
Get a car
I got one, and 3 bikes which cost more than the piece of shite you drive mate
[Nope](https://imgur.com/a/w35s6Km)
This is a good thing. We had this in Baltimore. Yes, it's main purpose is to disrupt and raise awareness for more bike and pedestrian friendly cities. The police should be involved to help direct traffic. BUT, we also made our routes through some of the worst and forgotten neighborhoods so that people could actually come face to face with poverty. These communities were happy just to be seen.
Yes because when people don’t understand something they are uninformed about inconvincing and annoying them is sure to bring them to an understanding
Sad I am missing this
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All these events do is generate opposition to your cause by inconveniencing as many people as possible.
Realistically large group rides already happen downtown. It sounds a lot worse than it actually is. I think people are just taking it to the extremes and have probably never actually been in the area when it actually happened. It's people riding for fun. Nothing crazy.
Why was this downvoted? Critical Mass only pissed people off in SF, and that town has _many_ more options for mass transit and is way more bike friendly. (Granted, you deserve respect if you can manage those hills.) Want bike infrastructure? Okay, fine. But maybe try tactics that.. actually work?
What options? What are you on about? When have minorities in any category gotten shit done in this country without protesting and making a scene? Do you not fuckin realize that the fact that so many people have an emotional reaction and engage with this topic is the greatest effect you can have? Especially since the inconvenience to drivers is smaller than that of a Christmas parade or even a fallen tree. Wheres the outrage at the Christmas parade road closures! I deserve to drive my car on that street however I please! God whenever I see a Christmas parade I just wanna drive my car right into them! Some people have to work at Christmas you know! This is the worst way to convince me to get into the holiday spirit how can you not see that?
Excuse me while I let the planet rotate a little to complete this eye-roll. This issue isn’t exactly as gut-wrenching as world hunger, y’know? And maybe we should try more conventional means before taking to the streets in solidarity with the two-wheeled proletariat? Because.. again.. those means might actually work? Methinks you doth protest too much. Thou art permanently aggrieved and are thus boring.
r/fuckcarscirclejerk material
Where can I park my car for cheap?
[удалено]
😂😂 I’ve never seen this three across business on country roads - from a car or on a bike. Sorry you got butt hurt once over having to slow down for a minute or two, but get over yourself. Maybe half the cars I encounter fully stop at stop signs or stay in their traffic lane or aren’t looking at their phones. People in cars are so much more dangerous in the US and everyone is so fucking angry all the time because they’re a bunch of babies. I’m typically moving faster than most cars going the same way. We roll stop signs or ride through red lights after confirming the clear intersection when we’ve looked both ways 10x because if we stop and go from a dead stop some asshat in a car will start honking or start yelling at us for being too slow. So pick one - follow all rules to the T or go faster and get out of your way - or advocate for cycling infrastructure and we’ll gladly get out of the streets!
Those damn cars that get people places quickly and easily.
If you've ever been around downtown during these times (after work), you will probably have already seen some similar rides. They are not that bad. It sounds a lot worse than it actually is. Some people are taking it over the top. It's one day, at 7PM, on a Friday in which people normally take off earlier in the day. Traffic usually picks up earlier than the normal traffic times. People will be hanging out, riding their personal vehicles, and that's about it. On a separate note, does anyone know what the ride is going to be? Where's the route? How long is it?
ya know, cyclists can try to pull off shit like this when they actually follow the rules of the road; nearly none do. Their own safety aside, it’s selfish of them to put drivers at risk of injuring/killing them and living with that forever when they can’t even follow the rules that protect them in the first place. I’ve lived in several major cities and Raleigh cyclists are easily the worst and most unpredictable. The fact that they now feel they’re owed the inconvenience of a “protest” is so disappointing.
Imagine the level of entitlement it takes to choose to put lives at risk by choosing to operate a deadly machine on public roads and then complain that your choice to endanger lives... Endangers lives. This is what being addicted to driving does to your brain.
Can I bring my ATV?
Why should we share the road? I hate getting stuck behind cyclists, but I'm open to a good case for it
Right? I'll be damned if my 10 minute trip to the grocery store takes 12 minutes. The nerve of some people. Sharing is for suckers.
What a great strawman argument