How Safe??

[Motard660]

Good Day

 

I am from the KZN South Coast where cycling alone is still reasonably safe from bike hijackings act.

 

I must be in Florida area for a good couple of days in the next week or two. I was thinking of taking my Road Bike with me and to do a few rides in the area towards Krugersdorp and maybe out on Hendrik Potgieter road just to keep the legs going. I am not really familiar with that area anymore as I left about 20 years ago.

 

Howe safe is that area to ride alone?

[Bianchisti]

I rode there every day a few weeks ago. No issues. But instead of HP I went on Wilgerood. It runs parallel to HP but is a smaller road. Lower speed limit. Quieter traffic wise but not too quiet to feel scary.

 

I started at Christiaan de Wet and went down Wilgerood all the way till it becomes Robert Broom and turned onto the R28 towards Krugersdorp (dont go all the way down to Dan Pienaarville, thats dodgy) then made a u-turn before getting into town and went in the opposite direction on the R28 to Silverstar casino. Couple of good climbs. Back to Christiaan de Wet gave me just under 1000m of climbing over 50kms.

[Motard660]

I rode there every day a few weeks ago. No issues. But instead of HP I went on Wilgerood. It runs parallel to HP but is a smaller road. Lower speed limit. Quieter traffic wise but not too quiet to feel scary.

 

I started at Christiaan de Wet and went down Wilgerood all the way till it becomes Robert Broom and turned onto the R28 towards Krugersdorp (dont go all the way down to Dan Pienaarville, thats dodgy) then made a u-turn before getting into town and went in the opposite direction on the R28 to Silverstar casino. Couple of good climbs. Back to Christiaan de Wet gave me just under 1000m of climbing over 50kms.

 

Thank you for your reply...i will definitely try this route.

[Tjokkits]

Traffic on hp is dangerous because the wide shoulder cars and taxis try and pass on the left smashing into cyclist. Turning left out of hp into ondekkers toward johannesburg there was a coupe of hijacks where ondekkers cross the highway, not sure if still a problem. make your way to the cradle thats the safest bet

[Motard660]

Traffic on hp is dangerous because the wide shoulder cars and taxis try and pass on the left smashing into cyclist. Turning left out of hp into ondekkers toward johannesburg there was a coupe of hijacks where ondekkers cross the highway, not sure if still a problem. make your way to the cradle thats the safest bet

 

Maybe if you can assist me...where is the cradle?

[Motard660]

Is there any MTB trails on the West Rand.....

[Motard660]

So...i went to Gauteng for a few days and decided to drive the route first before actually riding it with a bike. HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!! Is there actually people cycling those roads !!

 

People drive like maniacs there and Taxi's overtake you on the left while you are already on the left hand side of the road. This while you content with thousands of other cars for a small piece of road.

 

Needless to say..I did not even took my bike for a ride and shorten my visit very very quickly. I actually got new respect for people that stay in that area and cycle. Seriously dangerous to cycle on any of those roads.!!! Never mind bike hijackings.....the cars will take you out in no time!

 

Suddenly I appreciate my little South Coast town with its not so busy roads and where i am spoiled with choices of awesome Mountain Bike tracks.

[BSG]

So...i went to Gauteng for a few days and decided to drive the route first before actually riding it with a bike. HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!! Is there actually people cycling those roads !!

 

People drive like maniacs there and Taxi's overtake you on the left while you are already on the left hand side of the road. This while you content with thousands of other cars for a small piece of road.

 

Needless to say..I did not even took my bike for a ride and shorten my visit very very quickly. I actually got new respect for people that stay in that area and cycle. Seriously dangerous to cycle on any of those roads.!!! Never mind bike hijackings.....the cars will take you out in no time!

 

Suddenly I appreciate my little South Coast town with its not so busy roads and where i am spoiled with choices of awesome Mountain Bike tracks.

Thats exactly the same with mtb and road cycling down here in Groot brak, between George and Mosselbay, we have got so many save gravel and tar roads here and we are very fortunate as well

[Bianchisti]

You obviously werent on the route I suggested? If you were and you were on the left you would've been hard up on the Kerb and no one can overtake you.

 

So you must've been on HP and even though legally so, I wouldn't feel safe on that road either. Which is why I suggested the alternative. It's just to wide and the speed limit can't be enforced and overtaking on the left even less so. There will always be the idiot texting and driving at 60km/h and the taxi behind them getting annoyed. I was with a group this past weekend in Cape Town(not knowing where I was going) and we ended up on a road similar to HP. Although legal, I didn't feel comfortable cycling there and I certainly made my feelings known to those I was riding with.

 

I took my route suggestions for Joburg off strava. But do so with caution. The person posting that might have been cycling in a group with a support car so you never know. If that's the case I would also cycle on those roads yes.