Cyclist attacked @ Phisantekraal, WC

[Wannabe]

Received word from my training buddy that our regular early morning training group (the Sportsworld group) was ambushed and attacked by 4 x knife wielding thugs this morning.

It happened at about 5h45 at the Phisantekraal Railway Bridge.

They were lucky enough to see the thugs in their cycling lights, and managed to fend them off with their bikes and the use of pepper spray. A passing truck also stopped to assist them.

Details are sketchy at present (all I know is what I said above) but I believe there were no injuries.

 

BEST OF ALL, IT WAS A GROUP OF TEN (10) CYCLISTS. No more safety in numbers.

[Guest notmyname]

Joh.

[BDF]

Received word from my training buddy that our regular early morning training group (the Sportsworld group) was ambushed and attacked by 4 x knife wielding thugs this morning.

It happened at about 5h45 at the Phisantekraal Railway Bridge.

They were lucky enough to see the thugs in their cycling lights, and managed to fend them off with their bikes and the use of pepper spray. A passing truck also stopped to assist them.

Details are sketchy at present (all I know is what I said above) but I believe there were no injuries.

 

BEST OF ALL, IT WAS A GROUP OF TEN (10) CYCLISTS. No more safety in numbers.

Thank goodness no injuries! Hope there was also no loss of equipment!

 

Safety in numbers is still real. Imagine if there was only one or two cyclists. The outcome would have been different.

 

Not cool to see this happening and I hope the thugs get hit by a train.

[hagar]

glad to hear nobody was harmed perhaps next time a 9mm instead of the pepper spray

[hayleyearth]

Flip!

     

['Dale]

So sorry to hear.

It sounds like it was a well planned ambush as the Sportsworld group routinely passes there, like clockwork.

 

Other than emotional scars, did anybody get hurt?

[DJR]

          

[PygaSchmyga]

Hope all the riders are fine.

 

I'm curious for more details on this. Does the pepper spray actually work, and by work I mean does it hold these thugs at bay so you can either leg it, or for the brave, deliver some quid pro quo? I recently bought a can and wonder if it is any use? I'm also too chicken to give it a try myself!

['Dale]

Okay, can confirm that no one got hurt, other than the emotional trauma of being attacked.

 

There is a police station a few hundred metres away from the bridge.

 

Was the incident reported there?

[Cal Naughton Jr.]

2 Lights by Linea guys had someone take a swipe at them with a knife there. They've stayed away from there since. I regularly take the R302 up to the silos to avoid that road, but it's only a matter of time until that road becomes a target too. Also, the intersection at the Klipheuwel silos doesn't seem safe anymore. I had two guys blocking the road in front of my mate and I (luckily we managed to take evasive action).

 

Scary to think that this was such a premeditated attack on a group of 10. Hope you guys are alright.

[Skubarra]

Scary scary - that Fisantekraal loop is one of my regular training routes. Rode past there on my own yesterday afternoon! Seems I'll have to find new training routes

[KingTJ]

Glad everybody is ok....10 v 4...plus a pepper spray...sounds like agood odd vir n loesing ☺

[Lynnie_the_Snail]

One of the reasons why i've started riding on the road less and less... it's so sad. Can't even enjoy my passion anymore without having to be "armed" to the bone... no more zoning out and just enjoying the ride anymore either... 

Sigh. 

 

Glad the dudes are ok ... 

[Duimpies]

savages 

[Halfdoesyn]

Relieved that everyone is ok. This is madness.

[kosmonooit]

Hope all the riders are fine.

 

I'm curious for more details on this. Does the pepper spray actually work, and by work I mean does it hold these thugs at bay so you can either leg it, or for the brave, deliver some quid pro quo? I recently bought a can and wonder if it is any use? I'm also too chicken to give it a try myself!

 

 

It does work to an extent but against a drug crazed thug? I confronted a guy stealing circuit breakers & fuses out of our local sub station, gave him a good dose of pepper spray in the face but he didn't go down, although he did drop his bag and run away (bag had drug paraphernalia in it) whereas the other time I used it against a thief it did work and they guy went down and we could apprehend him. So it safe to say its efficacy depends.

 

Also if you are downwind, even just a few droplets causes major discomfort in your eyes. so that's why the jet and not the mist is preferable.