Dublin : First Critical Mass of 2006

by m :) Wed Apr 26, 2006 23:58

sounds like a stupid question, but do i need a bike....? Mine was stolen, and I havent got another one yet....thanx :)

by pedalpowder Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:45

you can stroll along with us,
-or skateboard, or rollerblade or unicycle...
pls just don't bring your car or scooter.

by village reader Thu Apr 27, 2006 14:31

highlights point that for 1 hour bikes make a small traffic jam while every day cars make traffic jams
theres another bike ride on sunday, the greenway cycle that goes around the 2 canals and stops off in the phoenix park for a picnic: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75672

by Paul Baynes Thu Apr 27, 2006 15:40

I remember reading that the average speed of a car in Dublin city centre within the two canals is 12km/hr whereas the average speed of a bike in the same area is 14km/hr.

by bike rider Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:16

show on newstalk at present about bikes in the city
http://www.newstalk106.ie/
and also a very good article about how a successful critical mass campaign can affect big change in the city landscape
http://criticalmass.hu/english

by bike rider Fri Apr 28, 2006 15:37

Dublin's Biggest Ever Critical Mass Ride (500-700) with lots of great links to irish bike culture
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=64716
and maybe with a few bike workshops we might have our own rinky dink (pedal, solar, wind powered bike machine / sound system / usable sculpture
http://www.baka.co.uk/rinky/

the rinky dink

by bike rider Fri Apr 28, 2006 17:20

last year there was also the international Velo City conference in Dublin, during which they organised a docklands cycle in which 2,500 people cycled around.
photo from ECF- european cycling forum
http://www.ecf.com/1047_1

the Dublin Velo city website is at : http://www.velo-city2005.com/index.html
would be good to get their summing up on how the event went

indymedia and other community media coverage of velo city :
Majority World Velo City Special
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/70101

2.500 cyclists cross Dublin on the VeloCity Docklands Cycle Event-2005

by Biking without fools Fri Apr 28, 2006 19:56

What has CM ever achieved that's positive? Most of the people pushing CM as something that brings change are in favour of feckin bike lanes which are practically proven to be dangerous to cyclists (puts them in the inside and sets them up for getting smucked by left-turning vehicles). The other notable achievements of CM have been the practical criminalisation of bicycling in major US cities because all the cops assume that cyclists are anti-republican anarchists.

CM is a pointless waste of time based upon the lie of being "leaderless".

by dunk Sat Apr 29, 2006 17:16

pics up from bikeride here:
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75739
curtosy of Noise Hacker + others

so Biking without fools - what do you propose, what have you done about it, will we see you for the greenway cycle tomorow
as one of the fools with little brain, id appreciate all your insight and ideas into how we can make the greenway idea a reality, how we can make the city more sustainable, how we can make the city car free

thanks in advance to you and others for positive assistance

dunk

by Biking without fools Sat Apr 29, 2006 17:32

You won' t be seeng me on your Greenway rubbish or on Critical Mass. The last thing I want is some fecking greenway where cyclists are shunted off the main roads and onto some poorly maintained, badly lit greenway that doesn't go where I want to go.

The single thing that could be done do improve cycling conditions in dublin is to remove the god awful bike paths and cyclie lanes and what have you that "cycle campaigners" and CM lobbied to get.

Following from that we could take all the unlicensed drivers off the road, take the HGVs out of the city, confiscate and sell the cars of people with 3 penalty points and more, construct secure parking for bikes WITH GUARDS in multiple locatins throughout the city, slap higher taxes on cars and put more buses out there.

You can keep your ineffective greenway rubbish and I sure as hell won't be there.

by Anthony Sun Apr 30, 2006 00:33

On the subject of cycle lanes, I'd agree with the above poster that most cycle lanes in the greater Dublin area are shit. But some are good and even some of the mediocre ones have the effect of reducing two lanes of cars into one lane of cars and one of bikes resulting in more space for cyclists where previously there was none.

However it's important to note that critical mass is not a lobby group, has never lobbied for anything and by it's very nature never can. It's an event with many different people attending and with different motivation for doing so. From my own experience of attending the events over the past four years or so, I've noticed quite a few cycle ampaigners who are strongly opposed to the recent proliferation of cycle lanes. In addition, the statutary instrument requiring mandatory use of cycle lanes is acknowledged by many - if not the vast majority of - cycle campaigners to be one of the biggest legislative obstacle facing cyclists in Ireland.

The rest of "Biking without fools" suggestions all strike me as being decent starting points for debate. If we could achieve half of them, I'd be a much happier road user.

by tom Mon May 01, 2006 02:33

critical mass is grand,
were doing it in cork too , its relatively small but with a good energy , but hopefuly with more people
helping spread the word , and with more fliers and stickers that should be made in time for the next one,more people will come .
we meet at Daunt square the last friday of the month 6pm

i think it is very important that the cylists , make a noise , bring whistles ,bells drums , whatever they can , and that a message or image is given , flags , banners ,ect
bike can be adapted quickly before the event ,we made flags very quickly with gafa tape and willow,
this not only makes the event more fun, it gives a larger pressents , and i recon it will help the event grow................................make a noise,
be bright
say something.
id love to have a flag on my bike all the time , probably with a canceled out car,
but i recon it would atract the wrong sort of atention and some wan£#r might kick my wheels?

any way lets make it bigger next time

by KaZa - Warsaw Critical Mass Wed Jul 05, 2006 15:37 kaskakazakidis at poczta dot onet dot pl

Hello!!
I'm from Poland, and I'm so hapy that U've got critical mass too!!!
I will live in Ireland in Kildare since 16.08.2006, and I'd like to continue my adventure with bike.
Here in Warsow I have made a paramedic bike group, wich was built of beopel with "firt aid" courses. I am a paramedic with a dyploma:)
We helped people who had a crash on bike with another cyclist on criticla mass.
I'd like to catch a contact with someone from citicall mas from Irelad and here is my e -mail:
kaskakazakidis@poczta.onet.pl

have a nice day!!! on bike of course!