Bikejackings in Hilton cedara forests.

[New world disorder]

Warning to mountainbikers riding in Hilton cedara area.

Last wednesday 2 guys were attacked by 4 black males

and beaten with metal pipes and bikes stolen luckely they are alive.

 

Yesterday a couple were attacked and also beaten with pipes and bikes stolen by the same group now 5 black males!People need to ride in larger groups to hopefully prevent these attacks but it is very sad that its happening here in our back yard!

[Bin Laden]

Pity real nice place to ride. Started my Mtb journey there 8 years ago

[Caerus]

This is not good, wish all the victims a speedy recovery. I was only saying on Sat that there have not been any hi-jackings in KZN for a while that I had heard of.

[Stretch]

ditto - i enjoy it here because i can ride wherever i want with no hassles. This concerns me slightly as we ride there regularly. On the Wednesday public holiday I reckon i came across at least 50 riders and in a couple of cases a women or two women alone.

 

I have a sense we are going to have to do something about this - and if that involves an annual subscription to get some sort of guarding then so be it. The real problem is blocking up all the numerous entrance points

[Stretch]

@papa roach any idea where these incidents happened?

 

edit: i have this (two of us went past the exact same spot about an hour earlier on the same day!):

 

"On Wednesday 21 March 2012, my friend and I were cycling in the Mondi plantations in Hilton, KZN. We had followed the Cedara Classic course but decided to continue up Zwartkop instead of turning right toward Cedara. We rode up and turned left at the hairpin corner at the top that overlooks Cedara and the plantations. We continued on the gravel road, along the ridge toward Sweetwaters. At about 10-30am, just as we were emerging from the tall woodland that sits at the top corner of the plantations, we were confronted by four young black men (18 -23 years old). As we passed next to them and greeted them, they pounced - aggressively hitting us with a steel pipe and wooden staffs, forcing us off our bikes. We didn’t think twice to abandon our bikes but we were still chased on foot for about 50 – 70m down the road, shouting and pleading for them to have mercy because we couldn’t outrun them. Craig noticed at this point that one of the guys had a knife. We believe they continued chasing us because they wanted Craig’s backpack and perhaps our other equipment (helmets/glasses etc). There was no way we were going to stop running after being hit so severely and seeing the knife. Fortunately and for whatever reason, they eventually stopped chasing us and made off with the bikes. We then decided to get off the road and we ducked into the bush, running to find any safety we could. Luckily, we had escaped with Craig’s cellphone which was in his bag and we called for assistance. They must have abandoned any idea of pursuing us and decided instead to make their getaway, probably over the back of Zwartkop."

Edited March 26, 2012 by Stretch