2wheelsgood

Bushcamp - I wear my vest over my backpack, and in winter (soon!) I wear my jacket over the backpack too.

Ditto. I started using pavement for a stretch of my ride to work some time ago because it's just insane to use the road. At narrow points along the way I always stop and give way to foot traffic, and make prodigious use of my bell (although the number of people with headphones these days often renders this pointless).If you're going to spend any amount of time on pavements, a bell is a must - and in my experience people are glad that you're warning them of your approach and move to the side quite happily.

If not, why not? I started wearing a yellow vest 6 months ago after a particularly close call - now feel a bit naked if I ride without it.

After it happens to you enough times, you realize it's an aspect of commuting that just as to be accepted. Drivers feel they are more entitled to their place on the road than a cyclist, and so more entitled to arrive at their destination quickly than a cyclist (you're on a bicycle after all, what's your hurry?). It's not a conscious assumption, it's so implicit that I doubt any driver questions it - but then I think any car driver naturally considers themselves more entitled to be ahead of ANY slow moving vehicle they encounter - bicycle, bus or otherwise. Add that with the fact that many drivers are not very observant in the first place, and the old overtake-and-then-turn-left-10m-down-the-road scene becomes almost inevitable. For some time now, whenever someone overtakes me on a suburban road I'm eyeing their indicators, brake lights and front wheels for any sign of a left turn. I'd say on at least a couple of occasions this has saved me from contact - and because I've expected it, I feel slightly satisfied - rather than wanting to pull the drivers out the window and beat them senseless. I hated driving and quit it because it made me angry too much - I don't want those negative feelings on a bicycle. Having read it now tho, the pepper spray idea seems awfully attractive...

Well done! (on getting some action taken I mean, not on getting bumped. Had that a few months ago myself courtesy of a WBHO construction workers bus, not fun)

Not much mystery in that question, but I do wonder about how apostrophes sometimes turn up in the most unneeded places.

They might be friendlier, but they don't often leave enough of a gap when passing. Alrode is an industrial area isn't it? That would concern me.

Morningside cycles - around March last year I took my bike (mid-low range Trek mtb) to have the chain + front and rear cogs replaced. They gave it a full service (didn't replace anything). In October after an intimate encounter with a bus, I had to take the bike in to get the rear wheel replaced - they did replace, and again added an unnecessary service in. Replacement wheel hub broke after 2 months, they (well, supplier) replaced the entire wheel (no charge). Not sure if I'll be back there although it is the closest shop to me, otherwise it's Dunkeld.

I think you have inadvertently touched on one of the reasons behind the lack of respect from motorists towards cyclists. Cycling is not transport in SA, it's a sport. If you saw people kicking a ball along the side of the road, you wouldn't hesitate to tell them to GTFO as it's clearly not their place to be there. Motorists know that most cyclists are not riding to go anywhere in particular, they're just riding to train, for recreation, for fun, for pretty much anything but getting from point A to point B. If cycling was seen as a serious mode of transport - and this would have to come from a governmental level, I think motorists' attitude might change. But maybe not, because as has been rightly said in this thread, there are a lot of quietly angry people driving out there, and unfortunately it's very easy to be provoked into irrational anger over something when you're cocooned in over a ton of metal, glass and plastic and have that subtle disconnect from anyone else on the road.

Yes sadly in SA bicycles are but recreational toys for the majority of riders. Fortunately the price of petrol is slowly correcting that

I would re-consider the route - rather cut through 'burbs and minimize time on busy roads like Witkoppen and Main (unless it's bumper-to-bumper traffic at the time you're riding). That's how I roll, anyways.

Darwin had it 100% right and humans have been cocking it up ever since. We now spend massive amounts to make depressed people live, make sick people better, make old people live longer, and on more warning labels for idiots who would otherwise turn litigious. Little wonder we're so f-ed.

Yes. Maybe if roadies stopped being such arses they'd stop being referred to as such. (I realize this brush is painting quite broadly, but my experience so far justifies it completely. Still waiting for the day I meet a friendly roadie)

Man you don't understand nuthin about etiquette. If you are blessed enough to encounter a Roadie*, you should firstly stop and climb off your bike; call yourself and your bike "Unworthy bastards" until the roadie is out of sight; bow and curtsy a few times as he goes by; walk home, while lamenting how much cooler roadies are than everyone else on the road. Jeez, you had the nerve to expect them to get out YOUR way?! * If they're dressed up like they're on the Tour de France, don't even try make eye contact - the cold stare you'll receive in return may cause shriveling of testicles.

Definitely! Do not let her get away with this! Glad you're ok. I would've probably slapped her and thrown her phone across the road.

Cool, decent range too. Shocking how poorly local bike shops cater for commuters tho.

1) Doesn't work in heavy traffic 2) means eyes are off the road for a few seconds - bad idea in heavy traffic, and I'd like to be able to know what's behind me in general, not just check when I'm about to do something. I'm in Gauteng btw.

Anyone know where to find rearview mirrors locally? I've found several overseas sites that sell some nice-looking ones, but the shipping cost makes it a bit of a poor deal. I've realized that rearview mirrors are not a nice-to-have.. they're a must.

I've got a fairly short ride, but it's crap because I have no choice but to cross some heavy intersections on main roads (Sandton area). Got bumped by a bus last week in fact Ride itself is maybe 5km each way, one hill each way.

Wow. How do we get something like this in Gauteng?!

what's pathetic is your comprehension skill. I was willing to pay Hi-Q just as I was willing to pay Supaquick - except the guy turned down my money.

So which one would you use? I'll tell you why it should be Supaquick: I was riding in Mellville the other day and my tyre punctured. I didn't have patches with me so I thought I'd buy from Hi-q. I asked and was told it would cost me R20 for two patches. Just ordinary tyre patches. I blew my lid at the manager who told me it was in the system, nothing he could do. I stormed off and made another plan. Yesterday I went past a nearby Supaquick and asked for some patches, and got a couple for FREE. ****Hi-Q, damned thieves is all they are.

I have a similar problem, a highly intermittent creaking that appears mostly on uphills, at random points in the revolution. As has been suggested, I'm just pedaling till somethin breaks

No, you see unlike you racer boys I don't just pull my bike out on weekends and load it on a rack to drive it somewhere before I ride it; I'm on my bike EVERY DAY because my bicycle is my form of transport, and with all the rain recently it's become a bit of a problem to have water and dirt flung all over me while I'm riding to work.

Does anyone know anywhere in Sandton (or JHB north) that sells mudguards for mtbs?