December 2008.

On Xmas day BCP rode with Madrid’s Critical Mass, and we had a great time. Apart from RUbenest and myself, our pal Germán came with us. We started, as always, at the Cibeles, and about 8.30pm, more than 400 cyclist started to ride around Madrid. I have now been for three months in Amsterdam, and it was quite interesting to ride around a big Spanish city.

I am not going to go over the usual comparisons, because they all come down to the fact that Madrid os not ready, by any standard, to welcome people go wish to ride as part of their day to day life. But what struck me most was how rude and uncivilsed some people still are in Spain. You always find a number of angry people when you ride in a CM, but there seems to be people in Spain who overtly hate cyclist in Spain. I specially remember this one lad in a huge SUV who shouted and insulted us like if he was insane. Had he faced a street full with cars, he would have just relaxed in his obnoxious vehicle and waited. Poor soul.

Anyhow, we had a great time, and Madrid looked beautiful in the Xmas lights.

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