Kiwi

OK Guys, I have been in contact with Shaun at Sign-Up and I have been able to set up an SMS donation number for him through Cycling ETC. SMS donate cyclingetc to 33003 to contribute R30 http://www.cyclingetc.co.za will have more details soon for larger donations or corporate donations. They are in the process of creating a link that will be offered to cycle club websites and online stores etc for anyone that really does want to help making cycling safer. I have also arranged to have a banner printed for Shaun @ Sign-Up who will have a both at the 94.7 Expo this week. Support Shaun as he is actually doing something to make our rides safer and has put a heck of a lot of effort into this. An article about Sign-Up is in the current issue of Bicycling. See also http://www.sign-up.co.za for more info! Kiwi2007-11-04 23:50:57

OK Guys, I have been in contact with Shaun at Sign-Up and I have been able to set up an SMS donation number for him through Cycling ETC. SMS donate cyclingetc to 33003 to contribute R30 http://www.cyclingetc.co.za will have more details soon for larger donations or corporate donations. They are in the process of creating a link that will be offered to cycle club websites and online stores etc for anyone that really does want to help making cycling safer. I have also arranged to have a banner printed for Shaun @ Sign-Up who will have a both at the 94.7 Expo this week. Support Shaun as he is actually doing something to make our rides safer and has put a heck of a lot of effort into this. An article about Sign-Up is in the current issue of Bicycling. http://www.sign-up.co.za Update! Ummm errr... Thanks to all that have tried to use the SMS donation number seems I jumped the gun and the SMS techs are hoping for it to be up today. I will update as soon as it is up. Sorry guys! Ps my Mum said someone on the NZ All Blacks fan website had started an auction for the All Blacks Team at $1. At least the Boks could use them as cheap training fodder!!!Kiwi2007-11-05 23:03:04

Cool, if anyone knows the guy or can put me touch with him as I know some one who knows someone who runs one of the SMS services...

Just had a thought -my first today and its not even about lunch!!! There was an article in this months Bicycling about a guy who raises money to get those cyclist signs put up. Could some one organise a way (link or SMS number or something) so we could get money to him?

Unfortunately I don't think you can even put it down to people pressed for time, I was told by the driver of one of those dump trucks working on the Gautrain tunnel in Rosebank/Sandton "you better keep out of my way or I will ****you up" this was 7.30am on Sunday morning. There was no one else on the road, he changed lanes to chase me down (I was rolling about 55-60km/h on one of the good down hills from Illovo) so I spent 2 hours waiting to fill out a form at the Police station. Waste of time that was as we all know. So I don't bother with that side of things anymore. I was offered condolences by other people in the que at the station, you wouldn't believe how many people are standing in a que to report a motor vehicle accident at 7.30am on a Sunday morning... Anyway, I am on the road by 5.30am even on the weekends now or go with a big bunch which I don't always like doing because groups quite often fragrantly piss motorists off. The motorists then take their anger out on the guys who are training on their own. So yes we are partially to blame too and not all taxi drivers are bad either, a taxi stopped the traffic the other day when all the lights were out on Luis Botha so I could go through - this was in rush hour traffic. I was so surprised I thought I was going to cry, it was such a nice thing to have my stereotype busted up!

Absolutely right, how many times have you thought well if he's gonna go through the red light on the wrong side of the road then so will I... And I agree with the turn the other cheek philosophy to - I have been surrounded by 6 taxi drivers so I know what you mean! But also if some one knows they are going to get a hard time for cutting you up they will generally think twice before doing it again... Or maybe shoot you. It's a loose loose situation so do you do what's right or cower?

Yeah much better now HR, thanks!!! Back out 5.30am tomorrow then (sigh)

I'm sorry to say it but break the mirror, dent the door. The people who obey the law are the victims. I have ridden in downtown London in rush hour - I even road no hands over London bridge snapping away with my camera (ok very silly) without people intimidating me because that is what it is. In my first year in GP I was clipped twice and finally brought down on the third time (6.30am in Sandton) by a car doing 70km/h crossing 3 lanes to do it. He made sure I was still alive (ie still moving) and drove off. This as you well know is standard practice here. Thanks to the security guards who pulled me off the road and f-u to the car drivers who were trying to run me over, you try moving with a freshly torn adductor, cracked rib and road rash! On average, in all other countries I have lived or stayed I have been brought down once evey 5 years (for me that is once ever 72,000 km, on average I do 1,200 km per month) which I think is a fair smack down to kms average. Our only hope is now that the government is committing it's self to distributing heaps of bikes we will have safety in numbers. BTW, in France cars will stop at an intersection and just sit there until you are safely through the intersection, whether you are supposed to stop or not! They treat cyclist of all abilities like heros, very weird at first. I thought a guy was giving me some stick one day when he drove up beside me on a climb until I figured out he was just saying alle alle! In Austria I could of sworn we were surrounded by force fields, the cars kept so far from you when they passed. In the UK you can tell they want to kill you but for the most part they keep well away from you because there are cameras everywhere, even out in the countryside in places and they will get caught and actually done too. In NZ I used to train in the dark in the mountains at night no worries. Yes there are hot heads there but pull your mobile out and a cop will be there in 5 to 10 minutes and another will be with the car that was giving you grief asking if you would like to press charges. Sorry to rant, what I am trying to say is it's not like this everywhere else. To be a cyclist in SA you have to be tough, hard and crazy!!!Kiwi2007-11-02 03:35:41

Raleigh UK AIRLite Carbon... http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/tech/shows/london07/index.php?id=/photos/2007/tech/shows/london07/london071/IMG_3322

I cycled home from my going overseas pub crawl about 2am. I remember gigling insanely at the cars getting pulled over as I road through the Police check point. The next day when I checked my pack I found 6 cans of pet food, dont remember buying it though... Kiwi2007-10-01 03:25:25

Hi Guys, I know there are lots of posts about a few of the 2007 Raleigh RC carbon frames having problems but my local has a great price on one. I am happy with the waranty side of things and I would be swapping a lot of the parts off my race bike on to the RC anyway. What I wanted to know is how do they ride? Are they stiff enough etc. I am 6' 4" 85kgs if that makes any difference. Update: Scratch that, I hummed and harrred to long and its gone! What about the new one then, suppose to be lighter, better, stiffer (more expensive)?Kiwi2007-11-05 23:57:41