Two cyclists on the M5 off ramp into Milner Road

[Capricorn]

**** you and **** your kind and i really hope your front washes out and you eat curb.

 

Coming off the M5 taking the offramp. Two cycles in the left yellow lane. I slow down. Fcking moron turns right into oncoming traffic, does not even bother LOOKING, but instead seems to be looking at his riding partner who still had some from of intelligent thought by staying in the yellow lane.

 

More braking. Then he notices i'm coming along, and nearly f'ing dismounts inthe middle of the road.

I throw all anchors, tires skidding and car starting to fish tail. Stop less than 1m from this f'ing fool. Gets on his bike,and rides AGAINST traffic down the RHS yellow lane and shouts Sorry with a huge smug-ridden smile on his face as he passes.

 

A sorry?

Then breaks more rules of the road.( he went back down to the M5 to continue his f'ing miserable way).

 

I came within a whisker of possibly killing a cyclist today. I had to stop again later to becalm myself, and then went looking for the fool cos i really really wanted to smash some sense into his knucklehead. I hope the curb does me the favor.

I dont have mercy for morons like this. THey give every single cyclist, roadie or mTBer, a filthy name. So **** you!

[Tiny K]

+1 - wtf are they doing on the M5 anyways?! It's a freeway, not a faster shortcut!

[jmaccelari]

Wow. P.o.'d isn't the word for your state! What type of morons think they can ride like this!? Not cool...

[Capricorn]

they had red and black kits, cant remember the lettering on their outfits.

You know the old argument about roadie this and roadie that, and oft times, i dont get involved, and dont tihnk badly of them. Since I've taken up cycling, and followed threads slamming cyclists, it opened my eyes to all road users, and unfortunately, I'm beginning to see why so many ppl have issues with roadies.

Not all of them mind you, but it happens so frequently, you cant help but feel antagonism toward them all.

 

Generally, if they dont follow hte rules of the road, they get labelled assholes in my book. But that's normal for any road user who acts the moron, and takes first prize. But today was different. Coming so close to killing someone, despite my best efforts to even coming close to any sort of vehicular confrontation with a cyclist, i'm extremely angered if only because I feel so helpless.

 

I cannot be thankful enough that I tried to be as conscientious of cyclists, and that my brakes worked (despite the ABS_roll which made me wish I really had anchors). OH, and i cannot be thankful enough no one else was behind me at the time, cos I didnt have a split second to spare to throw a glance at the rear view mirror. ALl I could do at the time was pray I didnt smash into that f'ing piece of ****!

[onetrackmind]

 

Generally, if they dont follow hte rules of the road, they get labelled assholes in my book. But that's normal for any road user who acts the moron, and takes first prize. But today was different. Coming so close to killing someone, despite my best efforts to even coming close to any sort of vehicular confrontation with a cyclist, i'm extremely angered if only because I feel so helpless.

 

 

Always two sides.

 

From what you have described here, they attempted to keep riding straight along a road they are perfectly entitled to be on, and you couldn't control your speed/hurry enough to take an entry to an offramp safely, not just for you but for other road users, by slowing down and going behind them? Had they indicated they were turning up the same offramp? If not, you have made the error of judgement here, that could have screwed up everybody's day.

 

Had they been riding, rightfully, in the left hand lane not inside the yellow line, which would have made continuing along the M5 safer, in theory, you would have been on here bitching about them riding in the middle of the road. Ride legally, you are damned. Ride considerately, in the yellow line, and you get self-righteous motorists trying to kill you.

 

DISCLAIMER. I don't think riding the M5 is clever. At all. But it is legal. Unfortunately, cars are bigger than bikes, and drivers tend to run just a slight god complex.

 

ANOTHER DISCLAIMER. They were riding 29ers?

[Capricorn]

wow. onetrackmind, how can u get it so horribly wrong. Did even bother to read what happened, or did u just whip out your at_the_ready list ignorant accusations to insult me with?

but there always has to be one to make excuses for ILLEGAL, UNLAWFUL, and just generally FCKED UP maneuvers on the road, et al. You seem so damn sickeningly assured of yourself that I was the one at fault. Go eat some curb pls.

Edited May 1, 2011 by Jarek Wysocki

[DJR]

Riding on the M5 (Cape Town) is illegal as it is a freeway. It is illegal for the very reason that it is dangerous to cyclists.

 

I see too many stupid idiots riding the M5 or the M3, trying to get themselves killed. I would have been pissed off too, but because I drive a Landrover, that doesn't quite stop like a sportscar, I would probably have gone over them. Then I would have been the one with the big problem, because the victims and other (fellow) cyclists would have bayed for my blood.

 

Cyclists (myself included) should obey the rules of the road, for our own good.

[Capricorn]

you hit my concern on the button there DJR (ABS always freaks me out when it kicks in, cos the car keeps rolling and the brake pedal vibrates like mad). I often see guys riding the N1 into and out of town despite the cycle lane which DOES give them the right to be on hte road. Generally they dont suddenly turn into and against traffic, so no biggie. If they wanna end up as pancakes, fine by me.

 

But like onetrackmind underscored, who cares if the cyclist did anything wrong, cos they never do, right? Must be the guy with the licence and pays road taxes, who has right of way, sticking to speed limits, that is always at fault.

 

I guess the cyclist shouted sorry cos I was in the wrong. hmmm. why didnt i understand that before..

[Christopher Brunsdon]

....

DISCLAIMER. I don't think riding the M5 is clever. At all. But it is legal. Unfortunately, cars are bigger than bikes, and drivers tend to run just a slight god complex.

....

 

Nope and neither is it legal on a National road.

[onetrackmind]

Riding on the M5 (Cape Town) is illegal as it is a freeway. It is illegal for the very reason that it is dangerous to cyclists.

 

I see too many stupid idiots riding the M5 or the M3, trying to get themselves killed. I would have been pissed off too, but because I drive a Landrover, that doesn't quite stop like a sportscar, I would probably have gone over them. Then I would have been the one with the big problem, because the victims and other (fellow) cyclists would have bayed for my blood.

 

Cyclists (myself included) should obey the rules of the road, for our own good.

Riding on the M5 is NOT illegal, it is NOT a freeway. Check your facts, mate. Seriously. It may not be clever, but it is not illegal. This has been debated many, many times on the hub.

 

Which makes the rest of your comments idiotic.

[onetrackmind]

Nope and neither is it legal on a National road.

It is 100% legal on the M5, and 100% legal on a national road, unless that portion of road is designated a freeway. FFS, did you guys not do your learner's licences?

 

This has been debated on the hub over and over: in CT, the freeways sections are:

 

The N1, from just after the Milnerton offramp, to Paarl or there abouts

The N2, from the bottom of hospital bend, to just before Somerset West

The Blue Route (M3) from the top of Wynberg Hill, o it's end at Westlake.

The N7 - I have not been a long for a few years, with the improvements, there may be some sections there.

 

Eastern Boulevard, Hospital Bend, past UCT, the first part of the N1, De Waal Drive, the N7 (I think) are all completely legal for a bicycle, albeit very stupid places to ride.

[onetrackmind]

wow. onetrackmind, how can u get it so horribly wrong. Did even bother to read what happened, or did u just whip out your at_the_ready list ignorant accusations to insult me with?

but there always has to be one to make excuses for ILLEGAL, UNLAWFUL, and just generally FCKED UP maneuvers on the road, et al. You seem so damn sickeningly assured of yourself that I was the one at fault. Go eat some curb pls.

Ok - let's start this again - maybe I misunderstood you - Please don't get me wrong, if they were breaking the law, they deserve rockets where rockets don't fit.

 

Were you turning left off the M5 to take the offramp? My understanding of your initial post was that you were.

 

Were the guys in the yellow line, and just carried riding straight along, in other words 'crossing' the offramp?

 

Or have I got it wrong and they tried to cross from the yellow lane, to the middle of the highway, across the two lanes of traffic that were not taking the offramp at all??

 

Just trying to understand.

[Capricorn]

to be fair, i'll play along:

i'm coming off the M5, not mach 5, onto that off ramp leading into Milner.

 

that off ramp has two lanes, one on the far left (not originating from the M5), and the right hand side lane which is the actual off ramp. They were coming up in the left hand side yellow lane for the left hand side lane.

 

I presume their plan was to turn into the right hand side lane (the actual off ramp), double back and join the M5.

 

So genius #1, does exactly that, as if there was ZERO traffic for miles in either direction. In fact, he was so oblivious to any traffic, he was looking UP the ramp, again, i presume, at his riding partner, who at the time was still in the yellow lane of the LHS lane of that off ramp. I saw them the moment i turned into the off ramp, as i said clearly stated before, already started slowing down, cos roadies make me nervous that way. What I did NOT expect was the asshat to suddenly turn INTO traffic to try and cross over both lanes of the offramp.

 

So he crosses both lanes of the off ramp, rides in the RHS yellow lane DOWN toward the M5, and turns back ONTO the M5 to ride the M5's yellow lane to somewhere i dont know.

 

yes, very legal. i see it all now. my bad.fml.

[onetrackmind]

to be fair, i'll play along:

i'm coming off the M5, not mach 5, onto that off ramp leading into Milner.

 

that off ramp has two lanes, one on the far left (not originating from the M5), and the right hand side lane which is the actual off ramp. They were coming up in the left hand side yellow lane for the left hand side lane.

 

I presume their plan was to turn into the right hand side lane (the actual off ramp), double back and join the M5.

 

So genius #1, does exactly that, as if there was ZERO traffic for miles in either direction. In fact, he was so oblivious to any traffic, he was looking UP the ramp, again, i presume, at his riding partner, who at the time was still in the yellow lane of the LHS lane of that off ramp. I saw them the moment i turned into the off ramp, as i said clearly stated before, already started slowing down, cos roadies make me nervous that way. What I did NOT expect was the asshat to suddenly turn INTO traffic to try and cross over both lanes of the offramp.

 

So he crosses both lanes of the off ramp, rides in the RHS yellow lane DOWN toward the M5, and turns back ONTO the M5 to ride the M5's yellow lane to somewhere i dont know.

 

yes, very legal. i see it all now. my bad.fml.

I am now even more confused than ever. Please don't try a third time, I am getting a headache I haven't lived in CT for a few years now, so my memories are vague enough of this intersection to work it all out - sounds more complicated than I remember.

 

so, I will give up

 

night night

[Capricorn]

sigh.. pitchers might help..

 

big pitcher for context:

 

detail showing two lanes, and X marks the offending spot:

[Capricorn]

that other lane i keep talkingabout is the raapenberg off ramp that hooks up with the M5 off ramp.