Search the Community

http://www.climbing.co.za/2015/09/cyclist-mugged-below-rhodes-memorial/ "A cyclist (who also happens to be a climber) was mugged and relieved of his bicycle below Rhodes Memorial. Below is an account from the cyclist: Around 15:30 on Sunday the 13th of September I rode across the M3 bridge at Mostert’s Mill, and went through the rotating gate intending to cycle up to Rhodes Memorial. There was a group of hikers about 100m ahead of me walking up. Two men ran through the group (hence I did not see them coming). One man headed straight to me. He had a gun, which he made visible to me as he ran towards me. He ordered me to get off off the bike and his partner took it. He then ordered me to take off my watch and helmet which he took. He asked for my phone which was not on me. He told me I has lying, and I told him to search me, which he did not do. He then ran down towards the gate and I think they split up. I walked down after him, he was adjusting the seat, and then shouted at me to run up the mountain in the opposite direction, which I did not do. He then rode across the bridge and away. Fortunately I was not hurt in any way. I did not retaliate at any point, but I was tempted to shout to the hiking group (that were ahead of me) but not while he was holding a gun. I reported the muggins to the police immediately at the Mowbray police station and have registered a case. See below a photo from the internet of the bike and colour scheme which was stolen." http://www.climbing.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/GT-A-1_table_mountain_bike_mugging.jpg

To my fellow cyclists out on our roads daily. I am concerned for your safety as well as mine. Every time, with out fail, in fact our group has started joking about it already and counting the amount of times we missed "near death" all thanks to an Uber driver. They stop anywhere along the road to drop off, collect or just sight seeing.They simply just turn into traffic any where and any timeThey open their doors to collect or drop off customers...without warning.They don't apologize, they don't even care! So i ask this question! Do they know people cycle and do their side and or rear view mirrors block us out?

So I have let on snippets about this and I have edited a few bits out but guys here are a few considerations on geospatial information in the form of my ineloquent ramblings on things I have noticed. I am happy to be corrected and for stuff to be added as well... Social media has engulfed the world and although there are many trying to avoid it as much as possible, our digital profiles are still present and more and more they are becoming linked, creating and combining data about us, some of that data is spatial. It is up to us to become aware about this data in order to protect ourselves because even though there are privacy policies implemented there is still data out there that can be helpful but can also be harmful. As a Geospatial Analyst my career specializes in asking the question: Where? GIS software and data is used to map and model space, identify locations, routes, terrain and analyze anything with a location. We can target markets spatially and identify potential shop, service and infrastructure locations. From this outlook and skillset we see spatial information very differently to most and with this there are key positive and negative safety points identified. The Google maps app has recently added a function where you can share your mobile device’s location with others for a set amount of time. This is an incredibly useful function and already many use it to monitor their children’s locations or as an ICE (In Case of Emergency) function when travelling or exercising alone. The android interconnectivity also means that one can track an android device linked to the google account via the online Google account management page. This is similar to the find my IPhone app which has seen success retrieving stolen goods locally on a number of occasions. The Google maps and Waze traffic function is a triumph in sharing of spatial information. Locations and current speed of mobile phones moving on public roads is used to give live traffic updates. Allowing Google to access this information is key to having good quality live traffic data. Waze is also at the cutting edge of location based advertising which targets people with adverts only when they are passing by close to the location of a service, this is a streamline method of advertising which accurately targets the clientele. Some of the sport GPS watches and devices such as the Garmin Cycling devices can be paired with a mobile device and this allows them to share a location during exercise for safety however now with the location sharing within Google maps this safety feature is redundant as you would have to run a mobile device anyway. Knowing the location of your mobile device can also come with a whole host of risks. ‘checking in’ at places regularly can build routines which can be a foot in the door for crime knowing someone is always at gym or having coffee at a certain time allows for others to know you are not home or that you are going to be travelling a certain route whilst being tired from a gym session etc. The risk there is not just for crime but this spatial information is a treasure trove for stalkers following their victims. If you are being stalked the likelihood of you clamping down on publically shared information is already high, but remember to focus on the spatial aspect of this information, your home and current location may be easier to trace than you would like to believe. Notable spatial information that you can think is harmless is that supplied from Tinder, the online dating app, where a distance another app user is from you is provided. This may be harmless seeing as it could be in any direction, but much like the triangulation of a GPS position it would take just three readings to narrow down your location. The map below explains this using dummy data. By restarting the app in 3 different locations, 3 recordings for the distance to another app user were recorded. From this a circle is drawn from each point, with the recorded distance to the app user as the radius for the circle. Where the three circles intersect is the location of the other app user. This is a risk as someone can pinpoint your location to a small area again putting you at potential risk. The Facebook app for mobile use has a ‘friends near by’ function which alerts you when you have facebook friends within a certain radius, and while this is convenient for impromptu catch up sessions there is a lot to consider in terms of who knows exactly where you are. Other apps such as Strava, Garmin Connect and Suunto’s Movescount have built in safety features to allow you to hide your sport activities. Strava also has a privacy zone where any activity within a certain radius of your house or office is hidden from others so that people cannot identify the location of your home. This is important seeing as many cycle from home and there is a large increase in bicycle theft. Strava’s Segments or online races over short sections of track or road can easily be used to identify people who may have multiple high end bikes like strong or professional athletes. Some also list the equipment they used so you can approximate the value of the bicycle in question. Using the link to their account you could then use other activities on their training log to pinpoint their home location for a break in. With the value of certain high end bicycles setting a privacy zone is definitely worth doing. The Strava segments are also an admission of guilt for many law breaking athletes, there are segments which people are regularly racing on stretches of road where cycling and running is illegal and GPS data indicating people breaking the speed limits in areas. One segment alone has over 766 people having recorded times cycling in an illegal place in South Africa. Strava segments are also on public roads and putting others and yourself in danger running stop streets in order to claim a KOM is also risky, the use of GPS data for real time racing is also flawed in that the GPS data is stored in plain text and can be altered. So your KOM could have claimed the time and have never even run or cycled the segment. So while segments are great motivation for training it is wise to take into other considerations when charging for that KOM. Suunto, who make high end sport devices have an online portal which records their training data, and the default setting is public, so your training an movements are by default fully visible to anyone with internet activity. Other portals are set to hidden as default but it is worth checking no matter where you store or log your training. Twitter and Instagram are also valuable sources of spatial information and filtering these streams of data allow us GIS professionals to identify where people are posting about certain things, this is useful in market identification and monitoring trends. As with most social media it is important to control the public access to personal information and spatial information is no different so take a moment and review what spatial information you are sharing. Sharing within limit is perfectly safe and there is no reason to hide your training from close friends and family or trainers the same way your input into traffic will only make your estimated times more accurate or the way your tweet locations could possibly help someone provide you a service better one day. But be aware who has access to this data and what their end goal is with the data, a bit of common sense can go a long way.

Hi guys Any suggestions regarding a decent 20-40km mtb cycling trail (+-1000m elevation) around Somerset West area? I am currently looking at the Helderberg farm mtb route for the weekend (29&30 July) Any info on the safety of the various routes on offer in the area? I get the feeling Schapenberg mtb trails are not safe due to its location. If anyone is keen to ride with me on the weekend or invite me to ride with their group will be great. Start ride after permits bough approximately 08h30. Alternative option is to drive through and cycle at Jonkershoek. *Johan

Hi Capetonians, Bit of a back story: After having car written off, now a full time commuter to work, trip is from Foreshore to Claremont via Woodstock. Been doing it for almost three months and have had to contend with glass and people parking in bike lane, being under 30 I just moaned on twitter and got a some likes and rewteets. Not much changed. Last week the Cape Town city alerts lodged the complaints for me on their site and the glass has been cleaned on the section I reported. I then went and looked at the how process to submit an issue. Its really simple and rather quick. Having talked to a ward councilor, he was saying that it basically comes down to the issues with the most requests gets the money and time spent on it. So as well as reporting on twitter etc, so every week if their are cars parked in the lane, glass, pot holes or any other issue i will make lodge the complaint. Point of this thread: Keep track of all the service requests and complaints, so we can get the cycle lanes safer for cyclists. If too busy to report - you can send a PM with location, issue, cell phone number and I will submit for you Here is how to do it: Click on this link: https://eservices1.capetown.gov.za/coct/wapl/zsreq_app/index.html Click on create service request: Click on what you want to report - Either street sweeping/parking Add a location so they no where to action your request: You can even add a selfie (No please dont, just a pic of car in the lane/glass) * You do not need a photo Then just add your contact deets so they can contact you and know you are not some random bot: If we can start reporting this regularly the city can start doing things about it. Stay Savage!

So I came upon this news article... Oh my vark! edit - spelling http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2017/05/bicyclist_shot_new_orleans_sat.html

Good morning all in Hubland, Reading through some recent threads, it seems that a few cyclists get very upset with "wheel suckers", people who effectively trail behind a cyclist ahead of him/her in a race situation. Now, when you are riding/racing in the more intense batches (vets, A, B etc.), riders have different goals. More often than not, one just wants to finish with the bunch as an example. The only way to do that is to either suck wheel, or to be so powerful that you drag the bunch from start to finish. I'd like to say that this split is 80/20 in favour of the "wheel suckers". What I anticipate the biggest gripe to be are the "wheels suckers" taking advantage near the end of the race, sprinting by and taking the win. Why are people so upset by this? Why do you think that if you lead the race from start to finish you deserve the podium spot? Kudos to you if you are capable of that, but that also makes you a target for subsequent races, because then people know who to "suck dry". What if you as a "wheel sucker" are feeling surprisingly good nearing the end and feel like you can take the win? Should you out of principle stay where you were? Example: Peter Sagan won the 2015 WC by sitting in the bunch until the few kilometers and going solo until the end. Yes, his forte is sprinting, so he wants to take maximum advantage. What do other people think? PS! This is just my opinion, no need to slam mine.

This was brought to our attention on Twitter. Not sure if anything has come of it but if anyone is looking for evidence, please contact Shayne on Twitter. For those blocked from Twitter by your work overlords, an image:

There is currently a negative attitude with regards to the safety of cyclist on SA Roads. With various accidents, bike jackings and presumably mis-managed organizations and governmental initiatives, the overall feeling on BikeHub is that something needs to be done, but the 'what' and 'who' has not been pin pointed yet. Last weekend while cycling on the R104 shoulder from Cullinan to Pretoria, a miracle happened: A super natural force pushed me off the shoulder onto the gravel (this wasn't fatigue) just split-seconds before a drunk or inattentive driver swooped by on the shoulder of the lane @ 140 km/h. Without a doubt I would've been hit and died if it wasn't for God's intervention. The few cars behind honked their horns at the fleeing car and slowed down to ask if I was alright. A testimony of life saving miracle is always a sensitive story, as there are many other cyclists who did not have the luck which I did and either fell, got bike-jacked or collided with cars with terrible consequences. Therefore, my testimony is rather the incredible power of prayer and the effect it has had on the well-being and safety aspect of my cycling. Countless times, the grace of God protected me and putting my mind at ease as I ride next to reckless taxis, through dodgy areas and even preventing me getting aggressive with the hooligans on the road. Dedicated cycling lanes, carrying pepper-spray, flashing lights and bumper stickers reduce cycling risks but don't act on the problem: People's hearts. That is where God and our prayers come in: God is the only One that can act supernaturally on peoples hearts, in weird and wonderful ways. And they don't even have to make a conscious decision to change; it can be enforced by the prayers of anyone believing their prayers will be answered. I would like to encourage all Christians to pray the following once, before every ride or even daily:Pray for your and all other cyclist's safety, for sound decision making, for calmness and that you will again appreciate the ability to do this wonderful sport. There is a nice book called Prayer of Protection by Joseph Prince.Pray for all drivers and other road users, their safety, their awareness and patience when encountering a cyclist or group ride.Pray for the government, PPA/CSA and SANRAL for guidance and a willingness to make the roads safer for everyone.Pray for your family to be safe while you are out on the road or trails and also to give them assurance of your safe return.I would appreciate if this thread can become a collection of testimonies by people who encountered Godly miracles, to enlighten others about the power of our wonderful God. And also a timeline tipping point where the cycling accidents on our roads decrease (even though it is cycling peak season). If there are any questions, please post on the thread or pm me. I hope that it would be very beneficial or at least bring a positive outlook to the situation of SA roads. Have a blessed weekend.

Hi All, I ride the following loop in the mornings between 05:45 and 06:45. The loop takes you out from Midstream past Highveld and Southdowns through Irene and back to Midstream using the new Midstream Drive at the back. Do you guys know of any safety issues on this route especially in the Pinedene train station area? There are a lot of commuters getting off at Pinedene and then either walking up to Midstream or into Irene. I have read about the Cornwall Hill incidents hence me wondering about the safety in that area.

Hi Everyone Anyone heard anything about Cape Town expressing an interest in appointing a "bicycle mayor" in 2017? http://www.eltis.org/discover/news/amsterdam-appoint-bike-mayor-netherlands "'We plan to inaugurate our first 25 cycle mayors in cities as diverse as Beijing, Sao Paulo, Chicago, Cape Town and Warsaw. It will result in a yearly conference, starting in Amsterdam in 2017,' said CycleSpace co-founder Roos Stallinga." While im imagining a john Waynesque character tickets people who park in bike lanes and clearing out that hotspot where the PPA has advised against cycling, Im curious to hear everyone's views on this, and if anyone else is aware of further developments?

where did the good old days of being a 20 year old Wolverine go?......... I've never thought of myself as being a knee/elbow pad, body armour person.... I didn't think I ride hard enough to warrant wearing any.. Yesterday,I learned it's not how hard you ride but how hard you fall that justifies wearing said gear. a little drop off I've done dozens of times, AND did just prior to the incident caused me to be in a fair amount of discomfort yesterday and it's worse today. My elbow/forearm is like a healthy chicken breast, skinless. My hip/thigh got bashed and the side my chest/rib cage too, sneezing feels like being smacked with a sledgehammer on the chest. So, I've decided to invest in some protection. Knee and elbows to start... suggestions please, as to where to get good gear and not be ripped off because I've got no idea what this stuff should cost?

Hi Guys, please have a look at this clip. True Krav are putting together a cycling self defense program. Please get in touch with them if you need more details, I think its a must for all https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=527747114012095&set=vb.221400481313428&type=2&theater Heinrich Hayes 083 958 8440 heinrich@golani-eastrand.co.za

For the past few mornings I've spotted quite a number of cyclists who are almost impossible to spot on the M19, heading from Melkbosstrand to the N7. They have no rear lights and are almost always wearing black. Then again at about 7:20 in the mornings at this time of year, everything looks black, because, as a driver, you're looking directly into the sun. We, as cyclists are always moaning about road safety, but it is also our responsibility to be seen. There were even a couple of "ninjas" who were riding 2 abreast in these gd awful visibility. Be safe out there!

An open letter to all drivers, especially truck drivers. We as cyclists are mothers, fathers, brothers, sister, children and most importantly; humans. If you see us, doing our own thing on the road, please pass widely. Even if we are near the yellow line. I don't care if you have been angered be some idiot on a bike on a previous occasion. Ignore your childish voice to; to your amusement, see how near you can pass us. You see, the only difference between shooting someone and a hit and run is the method. You are still a murderer. And if we do survive, we run the risk of being paralyzed or having severe brain damage. Now tell me how you'd feel if that were to happen to you, your spouse or your child. It is not a game to see how many times you can pass closely to us. It is not a game to see how much you can anger us. You are playing with another persons life. I urge you to pay attention to the road, I know how quickly an accident can happen. There is no going back and no sorry will change what happened. As taken, exactly from the website https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/transport-travel-and-motoring/cycling/cyclist-road-rules-and-safety : "Drivers are required to give a minimum of one metre when passing a cyclist where the speed limit is 60 km/h or less or 1.5 metres where the speed limit is over 60 km/h. Scan the road for cyclists. Look for cyclists when turning or entering an intersection and give way as you would for any other vehicle. Before opening your car door look behind and check blind spots for cyclists. Do not drive, stop or park in a bicycle lane, you can cross a bicycle lane to turn left, enter private property or park in a parking lane. Cyclists can legally ride two abreast - be patient as you approach and overtake only when safe. Give cyclists plenty of room - a minimum of one metre clearance when overtaking." You can also refer to the following websites for more information: http://www.bicyclecapetown.org/bike-law/rules-of-the-road/ http://www.pedalpower.org.za/news/new-traffic-laws-affect-cyclists/ Don't be the person responsible for taking another persons life. Be patient, share the road and let everyone arrive home safely. Kind regards, A human on two wheels.

Heard that a rider has died after a hit and run on Viking Road today. Randall Februarie. He rode for Crown Cycles. RIP, leaves behind a wife and three kids. Sad day indeed.

I can only think of a few races that do a full road closure, they seem to be the Mega size races to justify the closures: -947 Cycle Challenge -CTCT (Aka "Argus") -Amashova Am I missing any? Emperors Classic was a very nice race, although technically not a full road closure event but as close as one could get. The marshals were outstanding this year.

Anybody who rides regularly in the Cradle, will be aware of the success of the Flap Away project run by Megan, who successfully lobbied the JRA to remove those deadly lane dividing flaps. She has now turned her attention to the state of the roads and trails in the Cradle to ensure that they are as safe as possible. To achieve this goal, she needs as much info and feedback as possible, from the community that rides in the Cradle. Please click on the link below and share your thoughts on the survey. It shouldn't take more than 30 seconds of your day and could help to make the cradle safer and more pleasant to ride. Click here

In the interest of public safety, as well as for the protection of the environmental integrity of the Silvermine and Tokai sections of Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), park management decided that these two areas will remain closed to the public until further notice. Click here to view the article

Durban - A mother and daughter were left bruised and battered after a crash on the M19 that, according to the pair and witnesses, was caused by a reckless cyclist who, along with his team, “just rode off” afterwards. The safety of cyclists on our roads has been a hot topic, but it appears the roles were reversed in this instance. Sajheeda Ahmid, 53, and her daughter, 29-year-old Suyhayfa Arbee, had been driving on the M19 off-ramp, near Mountbatten Drive, Reservoir Hills, when the incident happened at lunch time on Monday. “We were in the extreme left lane,” Ahmid said. “A cyclist passed me, then I looked to see if it was clear on my side, and the next thing I knew he was cycling into my lane.” The audibly shaken woman said if she had hit the brakes, the car behind her would have smashed into her. Instead she swerved to avoid the cyclist. The car skidded across the freeway and “somersaulted”, and eventually landed in a nearby ditch, coming to rest on its side. The cyclist and his two teammates did stop, Ahmid said, but only briefly. “Then they cycled off.” Ahmid and Arbee were still in hospital on Thursday morning. “My daughter sprained her arm and has been suffering with stomach and head pains and I have whiplash in my arm and neck,” Ahmid said. Yusuf Moolla, who witnessed the crash, said the pair were lucky they were not killed. Police spokesman, Major Thulani Zwane, confirmed the incident. “A motorist allegedly lost control of her vehicle and crashed on the M19 highway. The driver and the passenger were taken to hospital,” he said. Sydenham police were investigating the incident. Earlier this year, the deaths of popular cyclists, Richard da Silva, 46, of Glen Anil, and Jaryd Dwyer, 36, of Glenwood, outraged the cycling community. Da Silva and Dwyer were out on an early morning ride when they were killed in a crash on the M4. And three years ago, world-renowned cyclist Burry Stander was struck by a vehicle on the South Coast while cycling. After this year’s incident, the head of events, safety and security of Cycling SA, Craig Proctor-Parker, told the Daily News that the eThekwini Municipality needed to meet sports governing bodies to find ways to improve the safety of all athletes. He said runners and cyclists were also soft targets for criminals and this needed to be addressed before the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Daily News

Hey all! Does anyone have ideas or is anyone doing a commute like this or suggestions on what route would be the safest? Below is 3 routes I have come up with, they differ slightly from the google maps but you should get the idea. Route 1: https://goo.gl/maps/uCj6YdevAh12 Route 2: https://goo.gl/maps/rUsJtf3Ujsq Route 3: Basically the same route as route 2 except i take the gravel road next to the M5 and the footbridge over the Swart river and pop put next to the river club. The morning will not be that big of an issue as will be leaving at 6am most mornings, it's the afternoons that concern me especially the crossing of koeberg interchange. I have driven the proposed part of going over koeberg interchange and there is a sidewalk with Traffic points-men stationed there for pedestrians to cross over the interchange where they have to come in contact with traffic.

Hi, If this is not appropriate here, do tell me and I will delete the post. I am mostly a commuter (I do about 6000 kms a year), I was a bit worried about cycling at night. Which is when I realized that utilizing the backpack, which is the most visible part of a commuter cyclist, to improve safety is such a natural idea! Over 6 moths, I started building this backpack and several prototypes later, I think we got it right! Presenting to you - Aster, the safest commute backpack in the world! Do check it out at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1656733 . I took inspiration from cars and motorcycles and built in a turn indicator, automatic brake lights, rear lights visible from 250M/800ft, static profile lights and door-me-not front lights. The indicators are controlled by a handlebar unit via Bluetooth and the backpack can be configured through an app. Of course, as a cyclist, it gave me an opportunity to rethink the backpack from a cyclist point of view too! For example, an "Emergency contact info" slot is just basic and should have been there in every cycling backpack! Also, I decided to put in reflectors that were visible from multiple angles! I finally launched the backpack on Indiegogo. I would love to hear feedback from the community. This is still a work in progress, of course, so would love to hear any ideas on how else we can improve safety through this! Thanks Gandharv

Winter is the time of year when the clocks go back and for those who commute to and from work, or cycle to stay fit after a long day at the office, soon find their sunlit ride is now darker or pitch black. When winter arrives, you might think that bicycling season is over. But with a little knowledge and practice, winter riding can be highly rewarding. New cycling equipment, better apparel and a growing awareness of the feasibility of wintertime riding has caused an increase in participation. Click here to view the article

Hi all So I just recently moved down to Cape Town and will be heading to Jacobsbay area over the long weekend. Obviously taking the bike with... Can anyone tell me if there are any nice routes to ride and if it safe-ish? I'll be riding alone and have never been there Thanks

Hi, we're busy coming up with ideas to fight bike jacking, and to improve safety in general in what SHOULD be safe biking zones (for both road and trail cycling). Your feedback would be greatly appreciated if you could take this quick poll, it will only take a few minutes of your time. Thank you in advance! You can find the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S2RJC3J