Cradle Incident: Know this cyclist?

[Patchelicious]

And lets be honest.  Well unless things changed radically in the last 18 months my general experience was that the majority of motorists were actually also quite cool and wel behaved and even generous.  If I have to be honest I could mention many incidents where motorists were actually polite and nice.  There was however a steady increase in unpleasant instinces but still only the minority of motorists.

 

I just wish I could let some of you experience cycling in my valley here.  Just to see how easy it actually is to achieve a fairly safe cycling environment.

I rode in France and Italy this year, and driver behaviour was the one thing that I kept ranting about when I got back, was not the Cols, the beauty or the Grand Tours, but rather the way the drivers treated cyclists which was truly astounding.

 

Best example is this one: On one of the days in France a few of us decided to race each other up Col de la Croix, an HC climb, in a handicapped TT type race. Its a narrow road, but there was a bit of traffic on it.

 

Some cars got stuck behind some of the riders, but they would not pass until safe to do so, I remember at one point there was a car behind me for about 2 minutes in a switchbacky section. When the car finally passed, the passenger was hanging out the window, screaming at me, but not because I was in their way, he was flippen chearing me on to ride harder....

[Pulse]

I rode in France and Italy this year, and driver behaviour was the one thing that I kept ranting about when I got back, not the Cols, the beauty or the Grand Tours, the way the drivers treated cyclists was truly astounding.

 

Best example is this one: On one of the days in France a few of us decided to race each other up Col de la Croix, an HC climb, in a handicapped TT type race. Its a narrow road, but there was a bit of traffic on it.

 

Some cars got stuck behind some of the riders, but they would not pass until safe to do so, I remember at one point there was a car behind me for about 2 minutes in a switchbacky section. When the car finally passed, the passenger was hanging out the window, screaming at me, but not because I was in their way, he was flippen chearing me on to ride harder....

Sounds like a little peace of heaven

[HBO]

I rode in France and Italy this year, and driver behaviour was the one thing that I kept ranting about when I got back, was not the Cols, the beauty or the Grand Tours, but rather the way the drivers treated cyclists which was truly astounding.

 

Best example is this one: On one of the days in France a few of us decided to race each other up Col de la Croix, an HC climb, in a handicapped TT type race. Its a narrow road, but there was a bit of traffic on it.

 

Some cars got stuck behind some of the riders, but they would not pass until safe to do so, I remember at one point there was a car behind me for about 2 minutes in a switchbacky section. When the car finally passed, the passenger was hanging out the window, screaming at me, but not because I was in their way, he was flippen chearing me on to ride harder....

I want to move there right now!

[Bateleur1]

I rode in France and Italy this year, and driver behaviour was the one thing that I kept ranting about when I got back, not the Cols, the beauty or the Grand Tours, the way the drivers treated cyclists was truly astounding.

 

Best example is this one: On one of the days in France a few of us decided to race each other up Col de la Croix, an HC climb, in a handicapped TT type race. Its a narrow road, but there was a bit of traffic on it.

 

Some cars got stuck behind some of the riders, but they would not pass until safe to do so, I remember at one point there was a car behind me for about 2 minutes in a switchbacky section. When the car finally passed, the passenger was hanging out the window, screaming at me, but not because I was in their way, he was flippen chearing me on to ride harder....

 

Yip. Except Germans being Germans won't hang out windows cheering 

 

My other favourate is when you stick your hand out to turn. Vehicles approaching from behind slam on brakes like made to wait for you to turn.  Took me a while to get used to that.

[Patchelicious]

I want to move there right now!

If I could speak the language, I would be on my way....

[Duane_Bosch]

I rode in France and Italy this year, and driver behaviour was the one thing that I kept ranting about when I got back, was not the Cols, the beauty or the Grand Tours, but rather the way the drivers treated cyclists which was truly astounding.

 

Went to France last month. 100% accurate. The only time we got hooted at was in Geneva from a bus and it was more of a hey I'm behind you hoot.

[Duane_Bosch]

I want to move there right now!

If I had a euro passport and could speak French I'd be there already.

[andydude]

I rode in France and Italy this year, and driver behaviour was the one thing that I kept ranting about when I got back, was not the Cols, the beauty or the Grand Tours, but rather the way the drivers treated cyclists which was truly astounding.

 

Best example is this one: On one of the days in France a few of us decided to race each other up Col de la Croix, an HC climb, in a handicapped TT type race. Its a narrow road, but there was a bit of traffic on it.

 

Some cars got stuck behind some of the riders, but they would not pass until safe to do so, I remember at one point there was a car behind me for about 2 minutes in a switchbacky section. When the car finally passed, the passenger was hanging out the window, screaming at me, but not because I was in their way, he was flippen chearing me on to ride harder....

I am fortunate to be living in France. And a strange thing about the cars waiting before passing is that I feel guilty on the bike in making them wait! There might be no shoulder and I would be literally riding on the edge catching some gravel to help them pass. There might be enough space in the lane and in SA the cars would take it, but here they wait for a clear opening with no cars from in front and give me a wide berth. Still not used to it

[Danger Dassie]

It's a behavioural problem. If people behave aggressively on the road in general, what makes us think any particular 'group' is going to be any more responsible than the other. It isn't a silo behavioural pattern consigned to any particular road user and constantly pointing fingers as if it is, is stupid enough. 
We can be grateful the guy wasn't driving.

[IceCreamMan]

This is 90% of the battle won because we have intention, good intention!

We could cycle on that road, you know the one built on good intentions

[nickc]

Incident and photo now on News24.

[nonky]

So, now this ******** is ruining it for ALL cyclists - story just went HUGE

 

 

Cyclist allegedly attacks woman, husband 2016-09-27 17:19

 

 

 

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/4500/974fd9e28fe340eb88efa0b37a73debe.jpg

The unidentified cyclist shouts at Samantha van den Heever after she hooted at him. (Simon Riekert)

Johannesburg – An enraged cyclist allegedly struck a woman in the face and threw hot coffee at her husband after she hooted at him near the Cradle of Humankind on the weekend.

Samantha van den Heever was driving to meet a friend at a lion park around 09:00 on Sunday when a cyclist moved from the emergency lane into her lane to overtake other cyclists near a blind turn. She braked hard and hooted, Netwerk24 reported on Tuesday.

"I hooted, just to warn him that I was there. I couldn’t swerve because I couldn’t see if another vehicle was approaching," Van den Heever said. 

When she stopped, the cyclist allegedly started hitting her car. "And when I got out to ask him what his problem was, he started attacking me," she said. 

 

Another cyclist, Simon Riekert, who came to her aid, said the other cyclist was foaming at the mouth. 

"I told him not to hit the woman and he attacked me too," Riekert said. 

He said he grabbed the man’s bicycle and used it to defend Van den Heever and himself. 

"He finally drove off, but kept on swearing," Riekert said. 

Van den Heever and her husband Gavin were on their way to the Muldersdrift police station to lay a charge after the attack when they spotted their alleged attacker at a bistro. 

When Gavin got out of the car to ask the man’s name, the cylist allegedly threw his coffee over him and struck him with the cup. Gavin had to have two stitches in his lip, and had root canal work and a crown done on Monday. 

The Van den Heevers laid a charge on Tuesday.

 

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/cyclist-allegedly-attacks-woman-husband-20160927

 

 

[Prince Albert Cycles]

When a motorist hoots at you ....relief ....he/she saw you !

[eddy]

Has the cyclist been identified yet ?

[V12man]

Has the cyclist been identified yet ?

He is not a cyclist - he is a clown.... look at that shirt... belongs in a circus...

[eddy]

 

 

Cyclist allegedly attacks woman, husband 2016-09-27 17:19

 

 

 

The unidentified cyclist shouts at Samantha van den Heever after she hooted at him. (Simon Riekert)

 

 

Another cyclist, Simon Riekert, who came to her aid, said the other cyclist was foaming at the mouth. 

"I told him not to hit the woman and he attacked me too," Riekert said. 

He said he grabbed the man’s bicycle and used it to defend Van den Heever and himself. 

"He finally drove off, but kept on swearing," Riekert said. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Could  the headline not also be "Brave cyclist defends motorist from attack"  ?

 

Well done Mr Riekert, good to show that cyclist will not tolerate such behaviour from other people who happen to ride a bicycle. 

 

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