Educate me please! Road cycling, what are the rules?

[Duane_Bosch]

 

The reallity is however, that is the reasoning of a fairly large portion of SA motorists.  

I've spoken to Joanna Dobinson about this who is into commuting to school and cycling buses etc and it's apparently an African phenomenon.

 

In Africa if you are on a bicycle you are poor coz you don't have a car. Therefore you're a second class citizen.

 

I'm not sure I buy into this. I think it's just the general attitude of most South Africans who think the rules apply to everyone else and they are entitled to interpret, bend, break, ignore rules as they see fit.

[Pusher]

Option 1:

If you can't get across, ride to the intersection, stop. Wait for the robot to change then move across to the lane that goes straight. Might cost you some time now but you have time to enjoy the rest of the ride.

 

Option 2:

If you can move across, extend your arm to INDICATE your intention and move when safe. If not safe, see Option 1.

 

Then...

Acknowledge the drivers that are courteous to you, and IGNORE those that aren't. All you are doing by reacting, is fuelling a fire that doesn't need to get bigger.

I use Option 2 which works pretty well for me.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I've spoken to Joanna Dobinson about this who is into commuting to school and cycling buses etc and it's apparently an African phenomenon.

 

In Africa if you are on a bicycle you are poor coz you don't have a car. Therefore you're a second class citizen.

 

I'm not sure I buy into this. I think it's just the general attitude of most South Africans who think the rules apply to everyone else and they are entitled to interpret, bend, break, ignore rules as they see fit.

Yep. In Europe you cycle in to work because taking a car is just such a schlep. And it's the norm. 

[CJ Van]

Luckily everybody’s new best friend, dave303e, is from Pretoria and I will never have to meet him on our Cape Town roads.  He is obviously not a roadie and does all his base training in all the mountains surrounding Pretoria.  I’m not a roadie either, riding in a bunch scares the **** out of me, but I do use the public roads on my MTB to get to the trails.  I just treat all motorists as idiots that don’t have any regard for my life when I’m on my bike.  I only change lane when it is safe and after I’ve signalled my intent.  And if someone gives me right of way I always make sure to thank them.  No use converting more motorists into angry, cycling hating psychopaths.

The problem is not only our friend dave, this is an opinion of most of the South African non – cyclist.  I have had heated arguments with some of my close friends regarding their opinion of cyclists using the road.  The fact that South Africans have no regard for cyclists using the road might be because cycling never used to be a big thing in SA and we don’t commute to work like in most European countries.  Maybe this will get better in time as more and more people gets into cycling.  Maybe there is a way to create more awareness regarding this topic......  Unfortunately this forum reaches only the cycling community and not all the dick heads out there that don’t know the rules of the road. (not sure if I’m allowed to say “dick head” on here , I don’t know the rules of this forum that well.)

[DPG]

Luckily everybody’s new best friend, dave303e, is from Pretoria and I will never have to meet him on our Cape Town roads.  He is obviously not a roadie and does all his base training in all the mountains surrounding Pretoria.  I’m not a roadie either, riding in a bunch scares the **** out of me, but I do use the public roads on my MTB to get to the trails.  I just treat all motorists as idiots that don’t have any regard for my life when I’m on my bike.  I only change lane when it is safe and after I’ve signalled my intent.  And if someone gives me right of way I always make sure to thank them.  No use converting more motorists into angry, cycling hating psychopaths.

The problem is not only our friend dave, this is an opinion of most of the South African non – cyclist.  I have had heated arguments with some of my close friends regarding their opinion of cyclists using the road.  The fact that South Africans have no regard for cyclists using the road might be because cycling never used to be a big thing in SA and we don’t commute to work like in most European countries.  Maybe this will get better in time as more and more people gets into cycling.  Maybe there is a way to create more awareness regarding this topic......  Unfortunately this forum reaches only the cycling community and not all the dick heads out there that don’t know the rules of the road. (not sure if I’m allowed to say “dick head” on here , I don’t know the rules of this forum that well.)

I'm sure the mods wont give you a warning for calling a spade a spade!

Even though they do irritate us, we still have only one rule to follow and that is "STAY ALIVE".

I follow each and every rule of the road as if I was in a car when riding public roads. I wear really bright clothing with flashing lights and use hand signals. Still wont trust anyone in a car to see me so cycle defensively.

Sad thing about us South Africans, don't ever tell a Saffa he doesn't know how to drive or how to braai!

[Vetplant]

Luckily everybody’s new best friend, dave303e, is from Pretoria and I will never have to meet him on our Cape Town roads.  He is obviously not a roadie and does all his base training in all the mountains surrounding Pretoria.  I’m not a roadie either, riding in a bunch scares the **** out of me, but I do use the public roads on my MTB to get to the trails.  I just treat all motorists as idiots that don’t have any regard for my life when I’m on my bike.  I only change lane when it is safe and after I’ve signalled my intent.  And if someone gives me right of way I always make sure to thank them.  No use converting more motorists into angry, cycling hating psychopaths.

The problem is not only our friend dave, this is an opinion of most of the South African non – cyclist.  I have had heated arguments with some of my close friends regarding their opinion of cyclists using the road.  The fact that South Africans have no regard for cyclists using the road might be because cycling never used to be a big thing in SA and we don’t commute to work like in most European countries.  Maybe this will get better in time as more and more people gets into cycling.  Maybe there is a way to create more awareness regarding this topic......  Unfortunately this forum reaches only the cycling community and not all the dick heads out there that don’t know the rules of the road. (not sure if I’m allowed to say “dick head” on here , I don’t know the rules of this forum that well.)

 

I think there is a slight chance that dave303 is in fact a troll, but that would distract us from the real problem that allot of people in SA actually has the same mindset as exhibited by dave303.

 

For some of you wishing away the last couple of hours at the office, I came accross a cool video trying to explain trolling and why it happens...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gqHTlBp6iY

[Joe Low]

.............................

 

In Africa if you are on a bicycle you are poor coz you don't have a car. Therefore you're a second class citizen.

 

I'm not sure I buy into this. ...........................

 

Completely true if you are a black African, non-recreational cyclist.  In Malawi, for example, a car will hoot from behind and cyclists will get off the road for it.  Sometimes they don't have to hoot and people move out the way.

 

White people dressed up and on bicycles fries the wires a bit, so you get mixed reactions from those same motorists.

[dave303e]

ah you guys are sharp this morning, yes to be honest I was trolling/fishing, and you guys did a great job, felt like my dynamite bait was on form.

But yes my views were tainted yesterday by being stuck behind bicycles riding 2 abreast and thinking these okes are tools and realising that if it were a car breaking the law it is one thing, but a bicycle is almost impossible to ID.

 

As with most things it is a small minority ruining it for the masses, you won't remember 100 cyclists riding carefully along in no ones way, but the 2 riding 20km/h 2 abreast chinwagging away holding up traffic will be remembered sadly.

 

This is my apology for poking at sensitive topics, but atleast you see cars reasoning and judgement/lack there of and as mentioned possible stupid viewpoints, obviously I need to brush up on my road rules as well haha...

[Bateleur1]

 

As with most things it is a small minority ruining it for the masses, you won't remember 100 cyclists riding carefully along in no ones way, but the 2 riding 20km/h 2 abreast chinwagging away holding up traffic will be remembered sadly.

 

 

That is a personal choice everybody should make and not just on road rules.  To generalise or not to generalise.

[Patchelicious]

Pedestrians are supposed to merely cross the roads, and came along way before roads and cars and bikes so we can leave them be, before roads etc came along they could walk where they wanted fine

 

my next 2c is that I obviously struck a nerve with all the entitled road bikers...

The only thing more pathetic than entitled road users is a wannabe troll.

[Vetplant]

ah you guys are sharp this morning, yes to be honest I was trolling/fishing,.........

 

 

...... obviously I need to brush up on my road rules as well haha...

This reminds me of a friend who use to play poker with us: He would think he is sitting on a flush or something until the cards are laid bare... at which point we would ask him what he has because we see nothing... "ah, you guys called my bluff".... not very convincing there son...

 

The only thing more pathetic than entitled road users is a wannabe troll.

 

Agreed

[porqui]

Trolling/fishing with a post count of now 3!!

 

Sehrijaas - eisch!

 

What would Rouxtjie say???