I really want to appeal to all two wheeled road users, roadies and mountain bikers alike, to take note of what happened to me yesterday, and the very valuable lesson I learnt indeed. I was hit by a car last year in September (road bike), which resulted in a broken arm and no riding for 3 months. Recovery was very slow as the crack was in the elbow itself. I have just started mountain biking, much to my delight and really just needing a change. Yesterday, I was returning home after another great ride in Majic Forest in Durbanville CT, when I was almost hit 3 times in a space of 1 km. First a guy talking on his cell phone who pulled out and did not see me, then a bus which suddenly pulled out as I was passing it, then, the final straw, a BMW with four 20 old year old arrogant "skollies" nearly took me out at well over 100km per hour in a 60 zone on Durban Road. My blood was understandably boiling, but the mistake I made was to confront these youngsters at the next robot, foaming at the mouth and labeling them as the reason cyclists get killed on the roads. I made sure I threw my chirp as I was turning right down a hill (they were going straight). As I rode down the hill, I had a bad feeling, and suddenly realised after a few hundred meters that these guys were chasing after me, with 3 guys hanging out the windows with baseball bats!! Luckily I was on my mountain bike, so I was able to jump off the road and up onto the grass verges of residences as I passed them, but these guys chased me around, up and down a double carriage way (which I jumped one way then the next) for a good 5 minutes. I eventually managed to escape them by turning into a private residence and asking for assistance at their front door! I was unarmed, outnumbered and on a bicycle. These guys were in a car, four in number and 3 of them were wielding baseball bats. I arrived back to my two children and wife very shaken and stressed out. I did not bargain on that happening. I have over all my years of riding, always "chirped" motorists who have ventured too close to me or our group, but yesterday I learnt a valuable lesson: RATHER JUST KEEP QUIET. Please guys, don't be a fool like I was. Put your egos aside and think responsibly in those heated moments on the road. The possible consequences are not worth the satisfaction of venting your fury on a passing motorist, possibly with a baseball bat in his car. When I looked into the eyes of my two kids, I realised the stupidity of aggression towards motorists. I just does not help. I think we should create more awareness of these incidences, which is why I started this post. Regards to you all and safe riding. JMstringer2010-02-11 06:05:55
