Mojoman Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 On my way to Kdump this morning around 9am and there was a road cyclist with a 'scooter' tailing/leading him heading towards the bends near Mount Grace. I am not sure how stupid you can get but this has to be right up there with the best! The R24 carries a large volume of traffic from JHB side to Rustenburg including heavy/wide loads and there is no shoulder to pull off in once you are going through the corners! At least once a month we have a serious accident through those bends with cars going off road (and dropping a good few metres down into the river!) or trucks overturning due to speed. This is just yet another tragedy waiting to happen....
SwissVan Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 (edited) Not trying to detract from your intentions but you know that in all likelihood nothing is going to happen unless you post the pictures from your cell phone. Edited January 7, 2013 by SwissVan
Mojoman Posted January 7, 2013 Author Posted January 7, 2013 Not trying to detract from your intentions but you know that in all likelihood nothing is going to happen unless you post the pictures from your cell phone.Ja, sadly although I was driving and my partner was in the car by the time I realised what was happening we had gone past them!Just makes me feel better! And makes me realise just when you think you have seen it all...another idiot comes along and slaps 5 kinds of 'Wow' into you!
Paulst12 Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Seriously?? You have a problem with a scooter trailing a cyclist on a busy road? Unless they were in the middle causing havoc, whats the issue?
dirtrider Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Not trying to detract from your intentions but you know that in all likelihood nothing is going to happen unless you post the pictures from your cell phone. I would realy not do that . The Hub will have ur nuts for breakfast if you drive and pick your nose never mind taking a picture !!
Mojoman Posted January 7, 2013 Author Posted January 7, 2013 Seriously?? You have a problem with a scooter trailing a cyclist on a busy road? Unless they were in the middle causing havoc, whats the issue?I suppose to be fair both riders had helmets on!
SwissVan Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Ja, sadly although I was driving and my partner was in the car by the time I realised what was happening we had gone past them!Just makes me feel better! And makes me realise just when you think you have seen it all...another idiot comes along and slaps 5 kinds of 'Wow' into you! Well even better, you coulda taken pictures looking behind you while driving, this thread would be on page 15 by know if you had done that... No worries and well done for thinking responsibly I would realy not do that . The Hub will have ur nuts for breakfast if you drive and pick your nose never mind taking a picture !! Tchaaa thats what i meant, without the illegal one handed driving pics the thread is doomed to die an early death
BigGuy Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Seriously?? You have a problem with a scooter trailing a cyclist on a busy road? Unless they were in the middle causing havoc, whats the issue?It's OK but becomes difficult to pass at 1.5m when going around the bend with the truck appoaching from the opposite side on a road with no shoulder. I am with the OP on this one. He knows those roads well. Sometimes you just have to use common sense when doing that kind of training.
djsam Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 It's OK but becomes difficult to pass at 1.5m when going around the bend with the truck appoaching from the opposite side on a road with no shoulder. I am with the OP on this one. He knows those roads well. Sometimes you just have to use common sense when doing that kind of training. Not to be funny, or tty start up a debate... but you said it simply just using different words, if it is unsafe to psss @ 1.5m with a truck approaching don't, wait till it is safe, you not only save endangering yourself but also the cyclist.. pretty much common sense should prevail, we all have equal rights to the road.. wait your turn....you wouldn't overtake a car if it were unsafe don't do it to a cyclist even if you have to wait. Paulst12, Louzy and Patensie 3
Paulst12 Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 So if you train on a busy road its frowned upon? Did they break any laws? They were in single file, wearing helmets and I presume on the left side of the road. Sounds to me like they were trying to be responsible & staying visual. It just so happened that the route traversed the bends, and for that they are tjops? Oh boy!!
Paulst12 Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Not to be funny, or tty start up a debate... but you said it simply just using different words, if it is unsafe to psss @ 1.5m with a truck approaching don't, wait till it is safe, you not only save endangering yourself but also the cyclist.. pretty much common sense should prevail, we all have equal rights to the road.. wait your turn....you wouldn't overtake a car if it were unsafe don't do it to a cyclist even if you have to wait.+1
Mojoman Posted January 7, 2013 Author Posted January 7, 2013 So if you train on a busy road its frowned upon? Did they break any laws? They were in single file, wearing helmets and I presume on the left side of the road. Sounds to me like they were trying to be responsible & staying visual. It just so happened that the route traversed the bends, and for that they are tjops? Oh boy!!Indeed its their choice, but they are taking a chance with their own lives and the lives of others. I cycled that road once through those bends and will never do it again, its just far too risky. There is no room for error there. One side is a concrete retaining wall holding back the koppie below the old railway line and on the other side of the road is a 10-15m drop off into the Magalies river! Unfortunately they are also endangering other road users as once you are in those bends you are committed, the posted legal limit is 60km/h but there is no way they will be doing that and once you are around and through a corner a truck/car cannot see around that bend. So if the truck driver is doing 60km/h and the cyclist is only doing 30-40km/h and is slightly off his line in the lane who do you think is going to be the loser? But my original moan was more about how sometimes common sense just seems to pass some by! Prehaps they are new to the area or something.
HappyMartin Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Clearly not even cyclists know the rules. The guy was on a busy road, that's not against the law. There was a scooter behind him, that's not against the law. It would be difficult to overtake, so what, wait till its safe then overtake. Would you like to ban bicycles from the road? I really don't know, when we get this on a cycling forum from a cyclist then I really think there is no hope. Personally I prefer to find quiet roads to train on but sometimes that means linking between quiet sections on a busy section. To get in any decent training you need around 100 km. inevitably you end up on some busy sections.
Mojoman Posted January 7, 2013 Author Posted January 7, 2013 Clearly not even cyclists know the rules. The guy was on a busy road, that's not against the law. There was a scooter behind him, that's not against the law. It would be difficult to overtake, so what, wait till its safe then overtake. Would you like to ban bicycles from the road? I really don't know, when we get this on a cycling forum from a cyclist then I really think there is no hope. Personally I prefer to find quiet roads to train on but sometimes that means linking between quiet sections on a busy section. To get in any decent training you need around 100 km. inevitably you end up on some busy sections.You are right, its not against the law (although I am unsure about a scooter tailing a bicycle), it is against some common sense though! At the end of the day its up to you where you want to ride.
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