Northcliff Cycles in the Cradle this morning - what a bunch of Tjops

[awesme]

KY?

 

G

 

gently?

[ccc2]

To the long haired guy leading the Northcliff Cycles group road ride in the cradle this morning, you are an unadulterated Tjop. In the Kingdowm of Tjopdom you rank a 12 out of 10.

 

When your club car riding behind you point blank refuses to move over and give a bit of space to allow me to overtake you all a bit further away (and safer) even though you are climbing at all of 15 kmh, and I eventually manage to overtake, you take it upon yourslef to be the hero and you move over to the right as close to the centre of the road and the white line as you can possibly get to deliberately obstruct me. So i am now behind your bunch of cyclists (now between you and the car) and I have to sit behind you whilst your group, 3 to 4 abreast across the whole road under your command, rides up the hill. BTW - you guys arent TdF material - my speedo didnt even register the speed you guys were climbing.

 

And to add insult to injury when the guy at the back shouts to you to move over because there is a car, you turn around and do exactly the opposite. I think you even told him what to do with himself.

 

Eventually i got past when you all slowed down to about 12 kmh up the next hill, but I had to overtake on a solid white line or sit in your bunch of cyclists all thinking they were bullet proof.

 

For you I have some advice:

 

1.) In the eternal war between cars and bikes, bikes have yet to win. Carbon Fibre does not provide much protection against steel, and the weights and physics are against you my friend. Undertsand that mate and you may be a little less casual about obstucting cars nest time. ABS will not be enough to save you.

2.) Even as a cyclist, when you are behind a bunch of arrogant twats like you and faced with your attitudes towards me as asnother road user in the cradle, the desire to drive straight over you can alsmost become irrepressible as you made it clear that that you didnt give a continetal about anybody else, and further you obstruct them deliberately. Turning you in to a bonnet ornament was something that played across my mind, . Read 1.) above and see what the result may have been.

3.) Havent you heard of the fact that there are other road users and unless you are paying a special tax to use the whole of the road rather than the cycle lane specially assigned to you, maybe you should think twice, next time you decide to exercise your right to ride a bicycle like a moron. You may find the guy overtaking is not as interested in you and your riders safety (who you are clearly leading and setting a fine example).

4.) And great advertising for Northcliff Cycles guys - your club attitude needs to be looked at if that's what you do with a group ride

 

Oh and BTW it gets better - you were doing laps (the Northcliff Cycles Criterium it looked like) so you guys passed me later going the opposite way on the second lap and there you all were, all doing the same thing again.Not a continental care and a bakkie with a farmer in behind you, hooting.

 

I wonder how many people you pissed off in the cradle today and how many people were saying what a bunch of twats you were. And other cyclists will get a bad attitude from them and zero tolernace because of your attitude.

 

Northcliff Cycles - If you were the only bike shop in town, i would rather ride 500km with an empty Camelbak to the next town than use you guys if thats the example you guys are happy your club leaders set.

 

Havent you guys heard about the incidents in the Cradle over the last months and last week? Wow - just amazes me how stupidity and arrogance combine. Maybe this is where Darwin was right - natural selection will remove you guys from the gene pool sooner rather than later.

so how long were you held up for until it was safe to overtake?

[King_Crispy]

gently?

Yes.

You only need to bruise the ego, not the body....

 

Make him think about his actions next time.

Like I tell my kids: choice and consequence

Edited December 17, 2012 by King_Crispy

[Bonus]

I was going to ask the same thing.

 

The Cradle is one of the few, if not the only, places where cyclists stand a chance of being able to go for a ride without having a near death experience every time.

 

Is it such a hard thing for a car to sit behind some bikes for a short time, when those bikes are riding in an area designated to them?

I sit behind all types of traffic every day of the week. I sit at broken traffic lights countless times a day. It hasn't killed me yet.

Maybe anyone trying to drive through the Cradle in a rush has made a bad choice of route?

 

Alex is a nice guy who does a lot for cycling. Maybe he was just taking his position of responsibility for the people riding in his shop group seriously and doing what he could to keep everyone safe?

[awesme]

question, this is a public road, so what do you imply "when those bikes are riding in an area designated to them?"

 

sitting behind someone because there is really no place to pass, I don't think any of us will have a problem, neither will joe soap public, but if we read the OP post, the "long hair" rider basically on purpose rode in a blocking manner in the middle of the road, I can't say yes this happened, but if this is what happened, then there is no excuse.

 

We are all allowed to use to road, responsibly and with consideration, be that on a bike, or in a car.

 

G

 

I was going to ask the same thing.

 

The Cradle is one of the few, if not the only, places where cyclists stand a chance of being able to go for a ride without having a near death experience every time.

 

Is it such a hard thing for a car to sit behind some bikes for a short time, when those bikes are riding in an area designated to them?

I sit behind all types of traffic every day of the week. I sit at broken traffic lights countless times a day. It hasn't killed me yet.

Maybe anyone trying to drive through the Cradle in a rush has made a bad choice of route?

 

Alex is a nice guy who does a lot for cycling. Maybe he was just taking his position of responsibility for the people riding in his shop group seriously and doing what he could to keep everyone safe?

[King_Crispy]

I was going to ask the same thing.

 

The Cradle is one of the few, if not the only, places where cyclists stand a chance of being able to go for a ride without having a near death experience every time.

 

Is it such a hard thing for a car to sit behind some bikes for a short time, when those bikes are riding in an area designated to them?

I sit behind all types of traffic every day of the week. I sit at broken traffic lights countless times a day. It hasn't killed me yet.

Maybe anyone trying to drive through the Cradle in a rush has made a bad choice of route?

 

Alex is a nice guy who does a lot for cycling. Maybe he was just taking his position of responsibility for the people riding in his shop group seriously and doing what he could to keep everyone safe?

No responsible person should EVER ride 3 or 4 abreast on a public road.

Shows lack of respect for other road users. There is a cycle lane for some of the route, and yet there are still @$$holes that choose to ride like they own the road and ride fanned out along the lane.

Stupid idiots

No excuse for bad manners.

[Pieter1]

Mountainbike, thats all I'm saying.

[Paul Ruinaard]

 

No responsible person should EVER ride 3 or 4 abreast on a public road.

Shows lack of respect for other road users. There is a cycle lane for some of the route, and yet there are still @$$holes that choose to ride like they own the road and ride fanned out along the lane.

Stupid idiots

No excuse for bad manners.

The point Ed Zackery. I don't actually mind too much staying behind for a bit and passing safely. But other motorists don't understand this and I can understand how they get enraged by the behavior.

 

Da rules are da rules. You don't want to create the situation that it is difficult to pass by spreading out on the road. I know in other countries things are different. But this is SA and we have a little different problem.

 

Look at the post about the guys who got hit from behind last week. You just shouldn't be tempting fate on a bike...

[TNT1]

No responsible person should EVER ride 3 or 4 abreast on a public road.

Shows lack of respect for other road users. There is a cycle lane for some of the route, and yet there are still @$$holes that choose to ride like they own the road and ride fanned out along the lane.

Stupid idiots

No excuse for bad manners.

The point Ed Zackery. I don't actually mind too much staying behind for a bit and passing safely. But other motorists don't understand this and I can understand how they get enraged by the behavior.

 

Da rules are da rules. You don't want to create the situation that it is difficult to pass by spreading out on the road. I know in other countries things are different. But this is SA and we have a little different problem.

 

Look at the post about the guys who got hit from behind last week. You just shouldn't be tempting fate on a bike...

 

No excuse for breaking the rules. Two wrongs don't make it right.

 

OP admits to breaking the law. He's as guilty as the cyclists.

[tombeej]

Two things:

 

1. Yes I'd also like to hear about whether they were riding in a designated cycle lane (as some seem to be saying here)? If so, then IQ of 2 is wrong.

 

2. If they weren't in a designated bike lane, then it's very simple. The law states very clearly that a person on a bike is deemed as a 'vehicle' on the road, just a like a car/truck, etc. So we have full rights to be on the road, but we are also bound by exactly the same laws as cars, trucks, etc. In other words, single file! The only time two riders should ever be side by side is when one is busy overtaking the other (just like a car, truck, etc.).

 

No designated cycle lane, then I'm 100% with the OP.

 

So if there's a bunch of cyclists on a public road not riding single file, then I have no time or patience for them. And they have zero leg to stand on when other road users get upset by their illegal behaviour. Not only illegal, but extremely dangerous (for them).

 

Now, for a bunch of riders to take up the entire lane, and then for one of them to proceed to intentionally ride into the middle of the road and attempt to block other road users from passing (if that really did happen, and I have no reason to doubt the OP) then we're talking about a proper grade-A w@nka.

 

So if things did happen like IQ of 2 said they did, then this guy needs to be properly educated about what his actions are doing for the rest of us law-abiding cyclists. My nominee for Mampara of the Week award.

Edited December 17, 2012 by tombeej

[slowpoke]

I used to support the shop if my usual place couldn't help (either not stocking a specific manufacturer or me being in rush for repairs), but things have changed over the past year or two. I've had really bad service from shop assistants on two occasions and the vibe in the shop simply isn't what it used to be.

 

As to this morning in the Cradle, I saw them going in opposite direction to me, and was glad that no car was trying to pass them as we re directly opposite because even though there was a cycle lane, any vehicle would have had to cross to their oncoming direction to go past. Have to admit I was highly disappointed with them.

[TNT1]

The law states very clearly that a person on a bike is deemed as a 'vehicle' on the road, just a like a car/truck, etc. So we have full rights to be on the road, but we are also bound by exactly the same laws as cars, trucks, etc. In other words, single file! The only time two riders should ever be side by side is when one is busy overtaking the other (just like a car, truck, etc.).

 

 

So, is lane splitting legal in your opinion?

[Big H*]

No excuse for breaking the rules. Two wrongs don't make it right.

 

OP admits to breaking the law. He's as guilty as the cyclists.

 

Yes he did break the rules, after being held up for two slow uphills, became impatient and he passed. If there was a head on he would have been responsible and the long haired cyclists would have shrugged his shoulders and said that IQ was irresponsible. ..... WTF are you serious?????. FFS, why can a cyclist NEVER be wrong.

 

This group was wrong. I would like to hear their excuse.

Edited December 17, 2012 by eccentric1

[TNT1]

any vehicle would have had to cross to their oncoming direction to go past.

 

Any vehicle drivers could also hold their cocks and wait till it was safe to pass, couldn't they?

[TNT1]

WTF are you serious?.

 

This group was wrong. I would like to hear their excuse.

 

Yes.

 

Why can't motorists in this country obey the law, and alert the police to wrong doing by any other road user?

 

And yes, for my part, I do what's right, and damn the rest of you self righteous law breakers.

 

Like I said, two wrongs don't make it right.

 

You want an answer? Call Alex at the shop in the morning?

Edited December 17, 2012 by TNT1

[slowpoke]

 

 

So, is lane splitting legal in your opinion?

 

A 3 or 4 wheeled vehicle has to change lanes to pass. Motorcycles and pedal cycles may pass in the same lane. Hence lane splitting is legal - you are PASSING the other vehicle.

 

As to motorists having to wait, this is South Africa - With you as a prime example of the mentality we know theymwon't wait. The NC guys had a car blocking all vehicle from behind so when the passing vehicle eventually gets fed up because of people breaking hthemlaw and deliberately preventing them from passing (combined with cyclists riding in the middle of the lane when there is a demarcated lane for cyclists) it is the cyclists in the opposite direction who are not protected by a vehicle who will get hurt.

 

When you stop trolling you might actually understand a bit more about life, the universe and logic.