MTB on tar - Why?

[Serious Panda]

I went to a funeral and spent a few hours this week with the widow and two sons of a cyclist mowed down by a motorist whilst minding his own business.

 

I refuse to accept that it was his fault.

 

Your logic supposes that women are responsible for being raped and people with possessions for being robbed.

 

Do not blame the victim. Only condemn the perpetrator. Not doing so normalises their behaviour.

 

Whilst we are more vulnerable than motorists, we have exactly the same rights as them.

 

How hard is that to understand? Not doing so makes you part of the problem.

 

No you got it completely wrong. If the victim gets eaten by sharks after he is warned not to swim in a pool of sharks, is he really the victim or just unwise?

 

It is not that it is his fault, but by now we all know that the risk on the roads is high, it is just not wise to continue cycling on the roads.

[Me rida my bicycle]

This topic has good intentions but also a good lesson in how not to start a story. From the start it seems you are attacking mountainbikers and then motorbikers so people tend to get defensive. If I understand correctly you said it's a dangerous road and you know it and you where on it just travelling in the opposite direction? Must be a nice road to ride.

[Patchelicious]

No you got it completely wrong. If the victim gets eaten by sharks after he is warned not to swim in a pool of sharks, is he really the victim or just unwise?

 

It is not that it is his fault, but by now we all know that the risk on the roads is high, it is just not wise to continue cycling on the roads.

Honestly dude, that is the silliest analogy I have ever seen.

 

Actually it's not even silly, it's down right insulting to our fellow cyclists and their families, who have been innocently killed while doing what they loved.

[PygaSchmyga]

Clearly the joburg rain is getting to you lot. Get on your trainers

[CogitoErgoSum]

This topic has good intentions but also a good lesson in how not to start a story. From the start it seems you are attacking mountainbikers and then motorbikers so people tend to get defensive. If I understand correctly you said it's a dangerous road and you know it and you where on it just travelling in the opposite direction? Must be a nice road to ride.

Why would I be attacking mountainbikers if I am one myself?

 

I question the logic of said group to be training on mtb on a road too dangerous to cycle on, whilst they can just venture 1,5m to the left as they are on mtb already. They were half wheeling (not in single file) on a road without a shoulder. So in essence they were travelling two side by side if you think of the space taken up.

 

As I said before, people's comprehension baffles me. What was so difficult to understand? I was under the impression (obviously wrongly) that this forum share a common goal - stay safe out there and enjoy the freedom of riding. But the only common goal here is to ridicule others.

 

As for motorbikers, you clearly have not seen the "heros" going past here on their breakfast runs. Beyond stupidity the speeds they travel. I have very little sympathy and empathy for them. I have had many close calls with bikers overtaking other cars and missing me just when I am driving here. The best is, it is not even a scenic road. It just has many blind rises and blind corners.

 

 

 

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[Nettie R]

 

 

..

Your logic supposes that women are responsible for being raped and people with possessions for being robbed.

 

...

Please read the guy's post again. Nothing ontoward about it. We are at each other's throats about little things. Tearing each other apart from behind our computers with sarcastic and offensive remarks while the OP's sincere message is lost. ????????

[V12man]

To me - the issue here is not so much about the equal RIGHTS of cyclists to the road - it should really be about THE FAILURE of road users application of their MORAL OBLIGATION to ACT to PROTECT the lives of other road users.

 

So yes - as a cyclist you have a right to use the road BUT the motorist, motorcyclist and cyclist using the road seem to forget that they should be caring for and protecting the lives of other road users - and by implication the lives of families and friends of all road users who are impacted by incidents.

 

So there is more to it than just this - but for the moment I will rather do something about caring for my mate whose friend was killed by an unthinking idiot, and whose life will never be the same again - as will the lives of his friends families etc etc.

 

Don't blame the victims..

[CogitoErgoSum]

Please read the guy's post again. Nothing ontoward about it. We are at each other's throats about little things. Tearing each other apart from behind our computers with sarcastic and offensive remarks while the OP's sincere message is lost. ????????

To me - the issue here is not so much about the equal RIGHTS of cyclists to the road - it should really be about THE FAILURE of road users application of their MORAL OBLIGATION to ACT to PROTECT the lives of other road users.

 

So yes - as a cyclist you have a right to use the road BUT the motorist, motorcyclist and cyclist using the road seem to forget that they should be caring for and protecting the lives of other road users - and by implication the lives of families and friends of all road users who are impacted by incidents.

 

So there is more to it than just this - but for the moment I will rather do something about caring for my mate whose friend was killed by an unthinking idiot, and whose life will never be the same again - as will the lives of his friends families etc etc.

 

Don't blame the victims..

^^^^^^^^^

This

 

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[Wolf Lyle]

A couple years ago I was fortunate enough to take a little trip to Amsterdam. We hired bikes for the week as our main form of transportation. The roads there have a mix of cars , trucks , trams , cyclists and pedestrians. The funny thing is , non of them are getting killed . The reason for this is that that there are rules. More so , the rules are enforced with harsh punishment for those that brake them. After all , killing someone is a serious crime.

 

Unfortunately in SA we have rules to protect all of us but there is no enforcement. There is little consequence to mowing over a pedestrian of cyclist whilest heavily intoxicated. We need to stop fighting each other, we all have a right to use the roads. We need to fight the rampant lawless culture that is breeding out of control in SA !!

[fusion01]

I ride my dual suss to the green belts , only time I'm on the road and then I'm up and over the mountain. Reason I own the bike. You can come off and hurt yourself but still far safer than the human risk factor (drivers) I reckon. I then road ride at times on an old hard tail but keep to routes with very wide side lanes of year and gravel. I will always use them fully. I avoid Ou Kaapse Weg entirely, personally that is too high risk for me. I don't trust human beings in most applications, roads are no different. Be safe!

[Goodbadugly]

The heading of this thread:

MTB on tar - Why?

I will answer your question.

1. Almost all new cyclists buy mtb's. They tend to start training on tar.
2. Not everybody stays 3 minutes from Mankele.
3. Some people (like me) have time restrains. If I have 90 minutes, it is more productive to ride from home and get the full 90 minutes rather than driving for 20 minutes to a unsurfaced road, park, ride for 45 minutes on  grave road, load my bike again, drive back home etc.
4. The assumption? that there is no traffic on gravel roads is also quite interesting. I think there are even more road hogs with Ford Rangers and Land Cruisers on these roads. The risk of being ran over on these roads is real.
5. Some okes train for big events. Like Jozi2c, Epic etc. Now where are you going to get 100m's every other day where you can train for these other than tar?
6. Do not underestimate the wear on a drivetrain that does ONLY off road riding.
7. At the moment I am recovering from a shoulder operation. Tar is just so much friendlier to my shoulder.

Think before you criticize other people. Be a considerate driver. Be a considerate cyclist.

[eddy]

As for motorbikers, you clearly have not seen the "heros" going past here on their breakfast runs. Beyond stupidity the speeds they travel. I have had many close calls with bikers overtaking other cars and missing me just when I am driving here.

AnythingBut I appreciate your concern and I tend to agree.

 

I think what you were trying to say was that it is sensible for a cyclist to reduce the inherent risk by taking a course of action that makes his cycle safer. Like for instance riding on the verge if your bike is capable of doing so.

 

Where I diverge from some is where people argue that because of the way motorcyclists and motorists use the road ILLEGALLY we have no right to be on the road and have no one else to blame if we get hit. And yes, those arguments have been made.

 

Should people not rather DO something to ensure proper law enforcement?

[CogitoErgoSum]

 

 

AnythingBut I appreciate your concern and I tend to agree.

 

Where I diverge from some is where people argue that because of the way motorcyclists and motorists use the road ILLEGALLY we have no right to be on the road and have no one else to blame if we get hit. And yes, those arguments have been made.

 

^^^^^

This was never my argument.

 

My argument/rant was actually simple... don't put yourself in harm's way if you can help it.... because the other road users don't give a damn about you...

 

I just saw again how easily the best intentions can get lost in translation/comprehension/prejudice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[CogitoErgoSum]

The heading of this thread:

MTB on tar - Why?

I will answer your question.

• Almost all new cyclists buy mtb's. They tend to start training on tar.
• Not everybody stays 3 minutes from Mankele.
• Some people (like me) have time restrains. If I have 90 minutes, it is more productive to ride from home and get the full 90 minutes rather than driving for 20 minutes to a unsurfaced road, park, ride for 45 minutes on grave road, load my bike again, drive back home etc.
• The assumption? that there is no traffic on gravel roads is also quite interesting. I think there are even more road hogs with Ford Rangers and Land Cruisers on these roads. The risk of being ran over on these roads is real.
• Some okes train for big events. Like Jozi2c, Epic etc. Now where are you going to get 100m's every other day where you can train for these other than tar?
• Do not underestimate the wear on a drivetrain that does ONLY off road riding.
• At the moment I am recovering from a shoulder operation. Tar is just so much friendlier to my shoulder.

Think before you criticize other people. Be a considerate driver. Be a considerate cyclist.

Ditto

 

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[CogitoErgoSum]

AnythingBut I appreciate your concern and I tend to agree.

 

I think what you were trying to say was that it is sensible for a cyclist to reduce the inherent risk by taking a course of action that makes his cycle safer. Like for instance riding on the verge if your bike is capable of doing so.

 

Where I diverge from some is where people argue that because of the way motorcyclists and motorists use the road ILLEGALLY we have no right to be on the road and have no one else to blame if we get hit. And yes, those arguments have been made.

 

Should people not rather DO something to ensure proper law enforcement?

.

 

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[porqui]

No you got it completely wrong. If the victim gets eaten by sharks after he is warned not to swim in a pool of sharks, is he really the victim or just unwise?

 

It is not that it is his fault, but by now we all know that the risk on the roads is high, it is just not wise to continue cycling on the roads.

 

 

OR NOT !!