Stolen: Silverback Vida 4 2015 (Cape Town)

[DonConnan]

Stolen: Silverback Vida 4 2015
When: 27 January 2020
Where: Cape Town, Western Cape

At 06:20 I was cycling to work. I got onto the MyCity cycle lane at Woodstock bridge (Church street bridge). I cycled towards Paarden Eiland (away from town). There is a small hill that leads onto the straight before it goes under the N1. I saw four coloured guys standing on the cycle lane. As I got to them to try pass, they grabbed me and took my bike, backpack and phone. At least one had a knife. As they started dragging my stuff through a hole in the fence I saw another guy come running down the hill towards us. Not knowing if he was coming to help me or them I ran diagonally across the MyCity lane towards where I came from and he is coming from. As the guy got closer and passed me he pointed a hand gun at me and I just kept running shouting to please not shoot. I then climbed over the fence onto the busy on-ramp from Marine drive to the N1. As I got over and these guys where all through the hole in the fence and then I saw the security car come driving past. This makes me believe the guy with the gun was on the hill keeping a lookout for this car and ran down when he saw it coming. DO NOT CYCLE THIS ROUTE ALONE PLEASE AS IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. It is such a pity as it is a beautiful new cycle lane that is unusable.

Get further details about the incident in the Stolen Bikes section

[MORNE]

sorry about your incident. I have strong opinions about that cycle lane and what needs to happen but alas.

 

this area...and some other are all well documented in this thread:

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/32361-cape-town-danger-areas/page-55?do=findComment&comment=3605914

 

be careful out there.

 

PS. for future reference....if you ever muster the courage to ride through there again...Hairy on here is part of group of people that commute through there every day in a group/bike bus around that time I understand....give him a shout.

 

also...everybody that has to go through there alone  unfortunately feel that using the n1 is safer than the cycle lane. 

Edited January 29, 2020 by morneS555

[Cape Town Tank]

Sorry to hear.  I ride that route most mornings.  I ride in the bus-lane to avoid the narrow cycle-path

[Jbr]

Crazy, I only use the N1 going to town and back, no ways I ever use that cycle path/bus lane ever again, never got attacked there but always felt super vulnerable

[MarcW]

Sorry to hear about your incident. Try not to let these A holes get the better of you, and keep you from enjoying your sport and not sitting in traffic! 

 

I also use the N1 as the bike lane is far too isolated. The busier the area the better (most of the time). 

[Hairy]

Really sorry to hear RE your experience. This is a well known hot spot unfortunately, and the City has done very little to nothing to secure this stretch of lane.

 

Glad you walked away from this experience without any physical harm.

[Hairy]

And if the Law Enforcement are actually on duty they are sleeping.

 

 

[Mamil]

Abysmal. So.sorry to hear of this ordeal you had to endure and glad you are at least safe. I no longer use the cycle lane either preferring to take my chances on the N1

[Long Wheel Base]

Ah man so sorry, that is a scary incident. Pity that is how you had to open your bikehub account.

[Maaknplan]

Crazy, I only use the N1 going to town and back, no ways I ever use that cycle path/bus lane ever again, never got attacked there but always felt super vulnerable

 

What route does one take when you get to the end of the R27 if you dont have a mountain bike?

The footpath next to the N1 is not really hard enough for skinny tires

[Jbr]

What route does one take when you get to the end of the R27 if you dont have a mountain bike?

The footpath next to the N1 is not really hard enough for skinny tires

We take the side road at the end of the cycle lane by the flea market, then you have to jump a curb to get back to Marine Drive after the shell petrol station in front of the On Tap. Then it's all on the road with the cars... main danger zone is the woodstock exit/entry, after that the side of the road is wide and you can put the hammer down all the way into town

 

Here's my last strava route going to town, hope this helps : https://www.strava.com/activities/2980187144

Edited January 29, 2020 by Jbr

[Maaknplan]

Many thanks

We take the side road at the end of the cycle lane by the flea market, then you have to jump a curb to get back to Marine Drive after the shell petrol station in front of the On Tap. Then it's all on the road with the cars... main danger zone is the woodstock exit/entry, after that the side of the road is wide and you can put the hammer down all the way into town

 

Here's my last strava route going to town, hope this helps : https://www.strava.com/activities/2980187144

[DonConnan]

Thanks for all the advice and concern. I have always used the N1 but as it is not really legal and a car did try drive me off the road on purpose I thought I better use the cycle route provided. That is when I got robbed on my third go on the MyCiTi route. I'll be back on the N1 now once I find myself another bike.

[Hairy]

Thanks for all the advice and concern. I have always used the N1 but as it is not really legal and a car did try drive me off the road on purpose I thought I better use the cycle route provided. That is when I got robbed on my third go on the MyCiTi route. I'll be back on the N1 now once I find myself another bike.

Fortunately the N1 only starts after the Koeberg Interchange (Leaving town) .... so the route as mentioned is perfectly legal

 

EDIT: or at least this is how I understand it.

Edited January 29, 2020 by Hairy

[ChrisF]

Fortunately the N1 only starts after the Koeberg Interchange (Leaving town) .... so the route as mentioned is perfectly legal

 

EDIT: or at least this is how I understand it.

 

The "N1" stops under the bridge

 

 

so yes, normal road into town.

[JonnyCT]

Sorry to hear about your experience. I too was a victim at that very proximity a couple of months ago. All the best