Cyclist shot at cradle...

[Bonus]

I also don't remember a "Cradle style wall" down that road but maybe they built one since I was last there.

[EvanB]

there are a couple on that road

[shaper]

I also don't remember a "Cradle style wall" down that road but maybe they built one since I was last there.

There are a number of walls and stopping points similar to that at the end of the caves road on that part of the road which goes past the roots restaurant

[Patchelicious]

About half way up, just after the steep climby part. On the right if you heading up.

[Bonus]

Fair enough. As I said, we always turned into the caves road because it had the cycle lanes and felt like the "right way to go".

[EmptyB]

Fair enough. As I said, we always turned into the caves road because it had the cycle lanes and felt like the "right way to go".

Yup, been a looooong time since I went past the Caves turnoff...

[ratherberidin']

Eish. I generally try to stay positive in life and country, but between cyclists being shot at the "safe place to ride" and farms being taken I'm getting ever so slightly less patriotic.  

[gerrit_c]

I think Patche's approach with building groups is a good quick fix, however doesn't cater most people that need or want to train at their own pace and time. 

 

Since I started riding in the cradle I thought that there isn't much of a relationship between the people that live in the cradle and that ride there. Now if I see a car I have no idea if it is suspicious or not - I am there 1-2 times a week for an hour or two. But the people who live there, they do, more likely at least. Do they care though? 

 

Following the logic of what happens in my neighbourhood (if you park too long with your car at the corner or just cruise around, you end up on the WhatsApp group that has a straight line to security companies, cause someone finds it odd, and you'll get checked out) - and what makes it less interesting for criminals to take a chance here, is that people are aware and awake. Residents, community, not visitors. 

 

TBH I think this is something that requires a broader approach including cyclists & clubs, residents & businesses, SAPS & private security, to turn the cradle into a safe place 7 days a week - or at least on the weekends. 

[seven]

There is no simple, single, universal solution to this. Wherever there are people cycling in numbers, criminal elements will follow.

 

Look at a place like Klapperkop, that should be fairly easy to secure, and all the various initiatives to try and secure it....

 

I commend any plans to help make it safer, but a cyclist will always remain a soft target...

[live2ride]

I think Patche's approach with building groups is a good quick fix, however doesn't cater most people that need or want to train at their own pace and time. 

 

Since I started riding in the cradle I thought that there isn't much of a relationship between the people that live in the cradle and that ride there. Now if I see a car I have no idea if it is suspicious or not - I am there 1-2 times a week for an hour or two. But the people who live there, they do, more likely at least. Do they care though? 

 

Following the logic of what happens in my neighbourhood (if you park too long with your car at the corner or just cruise around, you end up on the WhatsApp group that has a straight line to security companies, cause someone finds it odd, and you'll get checked out) - and what makes it less interesting for criminals to take a chance here, is that people are aware and awake. Residents, community, not visitors. 

 

TBH I think this is something that requires a broader approach including cyclists & clubs, residents & businesses, SAPS & private security, to turn the cradle into a safe place 7 days a week - or at least on the weekends. 

I live in the cradle right opposite where this happened and cycle that route myself several times a week. Many of my fellow residents are cyclists too, this is partly why we live here.

 

I agree with you all of these problems need a broader approach. I can assure you that residents in this area are doing everything they can to keep it as secure as possible. As usual not everyone is on board but the majority are.

 

Under normal circumstances at that calming point any stationary or suspect car would be reported via the community whatsapp and radio network. However on Saturday mornings it is busy with tourist and cyclist cars stopping so I guess less attention is paid. On Saturday as soon as this incident happened the community were alerted and out to assist and patrol the routes. From time to time  they also do joint activities with SAPS, as was done a week or two ago, check their FB page  https://www.facebook.com/conservsec 

 

The biggest challenge with an area like this is that it is a large area with few residents, limited resource, lots of space and many visitors on weekends, so the odds are against you. Added to that the visitors are the targets and can be easy targets as they let their guard down in the "peaceful" countryside.

 

The cradle has limited access points so I think one of the best ways to secure it during the busy weekend periods is to control those access points, everyone working together is the best way to achieve this. I will share this with the community security so that perhaps something can be done between residents, local enforcement, businesses, clubs and visitors.

[RFC311]

Most of the people that I know, don’t sit back and complain. Shaper happens to be one of those.

 

The easiest, quickest, most cost effective short term solution, just ride with a few buddies.

 

When I was out in the Cradle today, I wasn’t planning on riding up that road (I was solo), I was going to stick to the safer Caves turn off. However I saw a guy riding up there on his own, so I chased him down, told him about the shooting from yesterday and we rode up there together. Making friends and staying safe...

 

So just look out for others and stay in groups, or form groups.

 

If they start attacking groups, then we rethink.

Couldn't agree more!

[CogitoErgoSum]

This incident is just crazy. All the best to the family.

 

The temporary answer to rider safety is groups.

 

Maybe us riders should be more forgiving and open to a lone stranger cycling on the same route? There have been times where I was frowned upon trying to latch onto a group that didn't know me....

 

We need to start looking out for each other, even if you don't know the other rider. Life is precious people

[Dirkitech]

I was wondering, but then again as many other ideas it would cost a lot of money. Since the cradle is such a tourist and activity area- wouldn't it be possible to encourage company partnerships to add surveillance to the area through cameras? I'm thinking along the lines of the blinding blue light gantries over the highway stretches- the only use the have is to see if the highway is standing still or not. So perhaps something like a camera overlooking as long a piece of road as possible, where one can at least see "unusual activities" and respond better to them. So when applied to the recent shooting attack, the camera would spot 2 vertical silhouettes, then 1 horizontal silhouette perhaps and the bike being taken over by a different person, then security vehicles can respond to these?

[Undun]

Hats off to John John for saving the guys life!

Turns out he even stuck his fingers in the victims bullet holes to stop the bleeding as he was first on the scene.

 

He was talking on Jacaranda FM, a few mins ago.

JJ is definitely my HERO for the month! 

 

Thoughts are with the Victim and his family. 

[scotty]

Extra security costs money and people are reluctant to pay. Let me give some examples, a while back there was a drive to improve cycling safety by a Hubber where you could donate funds to erect cycling safety sign's, very few were keen so it did not take off, fail. There was an initiative to have backup and marshals on a Sat along the Lido route, all that was asked is that riders contribute towards petrol costs, fail. Riverfields MTB track riders are asked to donate towards the cost of keeping security, the number of cyclists using the track does not equate nearly to the cost. There was a group started for riders who preferred to ride in the evening with back up car following, it took off well until the request came for donation towards petrol costs, then suddenly the numbers dwindled. So yes plenty of riders are happy to demand safer roads and MTB trails but expect someone else to pay.  

[geomark]

I live in the cradle right opposite where this happened and cycle that route myself several times a week. Many of my fellow residents are cyclists too, this is partly why we live here.

 

I agree with you all of these problems need a broader approach. I can assure you that residents in this area are doing everything they can to keep it as secure as possible. As usual not everyone is on board but the majority are.

 

Under normal circumstances at that calming point any stationary or suspect car would be reported via the community whatsapp and radio network. However on Saturday mornings it is busy with tourist and cyclist cars stopping so I guess less attention is paid. On Saturday as soon as this incident happened the community were alerted and out to assist and patrol the routes. From time to time  they also do joint activities with SAPS, as was done a week or two ago, check their FB page  https://www.facebook.com/conservsec 

 

The biggest challenge with an area like this is that it is a large area with few residents, limited resource, lots of space and many visitors on weekends, so the odds are against you. Added to that the visitors are the targets and can be easy targets as they let their guard down in the "peaceful" countryside.

 

The cradle has limited access points so I think one of the best ways to secure it during the busy weekend periods is to control those access points, everyone working together is the best way to achieve this. I will share this with the community security so that perhaps something can be done between residents, local enforcement, businesses, clubs and visitors.

 I don't know the ins and outs of access control and costs etc for the area, I would assume access monitoring is the best you can do.

 

But I do think that the best long term solution is an integrated one with people like live2ride who are part of the riding community and local residence community being able to find common ground between the 2, as there have obviously been some issues in the past.  Sadly SA is in a situation where you have to pay tax for a police force and again for private security, so if we want to improve security as a community of riders that uses the cradle we will have to bear some costs.  As Scotty says this is where things get sticky.  

 

In an ideal world could have a voluntary levee at the restaurants/attractions in the area where there is a "do you want to add x to your bill" type appeal plus boards with QR codes to scan and donate at trail heads/ends like Stellenbosch Trail funds and others use, then appeals to businesses etc.  Cant really think of better long term funding options, but also needs a security fund to plan.

 

that said there has to be 1000's who ride here regularly.