Rant: Weaving through Table View Traffic on Bicycle

[flymango]

So this morning I commute to town in my car during peak traffic for the first time in ages. Man, now do I understand why we are so stressed as a nation by the time we get to work. Taxis cutting in, traffic lights short timing. But why, oh why, does a cyclist have to weave in between all the traffic and then tackle that narrow section through Milnerton when there's a dedicated cycle lane for his use? To the crazy cyclist wearing Northcliff Cycles kit, you're obviously new to Cape Town and don't know about the cycle lane, or you're a fool to have single-handedly gotten under the skin of several hundred motorists.

 

Please cyclists - use the cycle lanes during peak hour traffic!

 

Watch me get flamed.

[MTBeer]

So this morning I commute to town in my car during peak traffic for the first time in ages. Man, now do I understand why we are so stressed as a nation by the time we get to work. Taxis cutting in, traffic lights short timing. But why, oh why, does a cyclist have to weave in between all the traffic and then tackle that narrow section through Milnerton when there's a dedicated cycle lane for his use? To the crazy cyclist wearing Northcliff Cycles kit, you're obviously new to Cape Town and don't know about the cycle lane, or you're a fool to have single-handedly gotten under the skin of several hundred motorists.

 

Please cyclists - use the cycle lanes during peak hour traffic!

 

Watch me get flamed.

forking roadies

[Bianchi]

Used to do it here through rush hour too. Okay, no yellow lines and no cycling lanes and maybe we just did it to annoy the drivers and remind them that bikes > cars

Somewhere along the way I lost the balls to do it anymore, so I got a mtb and now there's no need to ride through rush hour anymore.

 

But yeah, it can get rather dangerous.

[GLuvsMtb]

Fully agree with the OP. If you need to train in the mornings rather than commuting, try to stay out of rush hour traffic, or commute to a safe spot and start training then (ie, use the commute to Camps Bay as a warm up / warm down and hit it hard all the way to Simons Town and back, with a nice warm down from Town back to Table View) or take the funrider option to Melkbos and back.

[GLuvsMtb]

I commute / train often and have to crawl my way past Koeberg / Blouberg. Once I take the traffic circle to Tiekiedraai I start my actual training.

[YUMEYA]

but weavng is fun!

[ccc2]

So this morning I commute to town in my car during peak traffic for the first time in ages. Man, now do I understand why we are so stressed as a nation by the time we get to work. Taxis cutting in, traffic lights short timing. But why, oh why, does a cyclist have to weave in between all the traffic and then tackle that narrow section through Milnerton when there's a dedicated cycle lane for his use? To the crazy cyclist wearing Northcliff Cycles kit, you're obviously new to Cape Town and don't know about the cycle lane, or you're a fool to have single-handedly gotten under the skin of several hundred motorists.

 

Please cyclists - use the cycle lanes during peak hour traffic!

 

Watch me get flamed.

so what did he do to get under the skin of several 100 motorists?

[Hairy]

I have seen guys cycling here when traffic is moving fast and there is no shoulder with already narrow lanes for the cars to drive in and a rather blind bend when driving into town and these clowns still cycle there while they have a very good cycle lane to use ..... then also the typical clown that weaves through traffic and then holds up the guys on motorbikes or in one instance I witnessed, cuts in front of the motorcyclist and very nearly caused a horrific accident.

 

To the clowns out there, if you are reading this, slowly and carefully remove the big red clown nose and your oversized shoes and be sensible!

[flymango]

so what did he do to get under the skin of several 100 motorists?

 

I can see where you're coming from and I acknowledge you do have a point - so let me qualify by adding "potentially". But to answer your question, moving between cars between left and right lanes where motorbikes would, and then preventing cars to safely pass on stretches without a shoulder (actually holding up traffic).

[ccc2]

noted. the reason why i asked, i was riding down blowberg rd a few years ago at about 11am. it was a superb sunny sunday and the traffic was backed up to boy de goede. i was passing on the left side of the backed up traffic. half way down a truck decided to take a short cut thru the suburb and cut me off. i landed up in the gutter minus a few front teeth. a policevan was a few cars back and witnessed the incident. truck driver and wife were distraught blah blah blah. cut a long stort short, cop says to me 'you were in the wrong' u should of been riding between the lanes and not between the gutter and backed up traffic. so if i ever encounter backed up traffic that is where i ride. if i commuted into town , i would use the cycle lane, the section past lower church street, w'stock and the onramp from that road would give me the heeby jeebies.

but then again i know of several peole that have been commuting for years by bicycles into town from m'ton,TView B'ville (the ppa even tried to get a commutor group going about 10 years ago) without incident.