Motorists vs Cyclists.... again

[Hairy]

5 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

Yeah, not many bright people on twitter.

I rarely venture in the darkness that is twitter anymore ... it is scary how narrow minded and just plain insensitive users can be to everything around them.

[Spookie]

48 minutes ago, PygaSchmyga said:

check out the comments section - not much love for cyclists:

https://x.com/adrianranson/statuhttps://x.com/adrianranson/status/1759209935777243458?s=20s/1759209935777243458?s=20

I have no words. This is astounding. Just, WOW. 

[herrowpreeze]

50 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

Motorcycling is not too dissimilar to cycling in this respect.

 

For every chop out there, there are so many more riding responsibly.

 

It is the extremes in both these groups that result in "public opinion".

 

 

 

There have always been motorcyclists that get their kicks out of "racing passes" .... and every so often one goes down.

 

Tragic that a cyclists was a victim in this case.

 

With any luck one or more car had dash cams and can assist with a case against this racer.

 

 

 

I do like the idea by @DieselnDust to get buy in from the City to have a time slot for "groups of cyclists" along this section for the month leading up to CTCT.  Maybe even once a month for the rest of the year.

 

A few speed cameras may well adress a few of the cars .... Many of the high end cars ride without number plates.  But the City CAN address the racing, if they wanted to put some resources towards this.

 

If you want special times for cyclist then they should also pay the tolls IMO

Edited February 19 by herrowpreeze

[Jewbacca]

Why is it legal to ride superbikes on the road?

120kph on the highway and you're still in 3rd gear. Big, powerful machines that only come alive at 180kph to drive on roads with a max speed limit two thirds of that.

How is it still a thing? 

Roads are a serviceway for people to get to and from work and for goods and services to be provided. They should be regulated as such. 

Having vehicles on the road that can easily violate traffic laws and giving them to idiots who only learn when the fan has already been soiled?

The motor industry and government need to figure out what it is they want. These superbikes belong on the track, not the roads.

Keep your Harleys and other big loud vehicles as well. A V8 roadster and a Harley pulling up in residential areas is deafening, amazingly inconsiderate and pointless.

 

[Duane_Bosch]

General comment.

This time of year SUCKS on the roads as a cyclist. After Argus. Heaven.

As a former owner of a superbike. Chappies is a K@K road on those bikes. It's too tight and the corners tighten up on themselves so you're always on the brakes and never using the bike. It's also over so quickly. I can't understand why guys on superbikes want to ride on it. Hopefully the guy that was hit is going to be ok.

I have to say Twatter really does bring out the worst in people. WOW! But in a really bad way.

[Hairy]

7 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

Why is it legal to ride superbikes on the road?

120kph on the highway and you're still in 3rd gear. Big, powerful machines that only come alive at 180kph to drive on roads with a max speed limit two thirds of that.

How is it still a thing? 

Roads are a serviceway for people to get to and from work and for goods and services to be provided. They should be regulated as such. 

Having vehicles on the road that can easily violate traffic laws and giving them to idiots who only learn when the fan has already been soiled?

The motor industry and government need to figure out what it is they want. These superbikes belong on the track, not the roads.

Keep your Harleys and other big loud vehicles as well. A V8 roadster and a Harley pulling up in residential areas is deafening, amazingly inconsiderate and pointless.

 

120kph on the highway and you're still in 3rd gear. Big, powerful machines that only come alive at 180kph to drive on roads with a max speed limit two thirds of that.

A person can ride a high powered sports bike on the road and not break the law. That same bike could be taken to the track on the weekends for sports racing. 

Why should we dictate what another person decides to purchase and enjoy, as long as they are safe on the roads.

Roads are a serviceway for people to get to and from work and for goods and services to be provided. They should be regulated as such. 

Roads are a way for people to travel and explore. Humans and animals have been creating their own paths since they have roamed earth. The only regulations that should be in place are those that keep people safe.

Having vehicles on the road that can easily violate traffic laws and giving them to idiots who only learn when the fan has already been soiled?

Then ban shoes too, as may a pedestrian has illegally j-walked and caused an accident, or walked on the roads while intoxicated and caused accidents.

The motor industry and government need to figure out what it is they want. These superbikes belong on the track, not the roads.

As per above, they can travel anywhere. You can take this same mindset and say that cyclists may only ride heavy steel framed single speed bicycles with commuter geometry as those on light weight bicycles are riding too fast and pushing the boundaries on the roads. Not much of an argument here, both versions are not really thought through

Keep your Harleys and other big loud vehicles as well. A V8 roadster and a Harley pulling up in residential areas is deafening, amazingly inconsiderate and pointless.

My Harley is not noisy. 

 

[Graham S]

Being on both sides, cyclist and motorcyclist I have an opinion on each side. 

When I am on my bicycle, on the road (Which is very rare as it find it extremely unsafe) I observe cyclists 90% of the time riding 2, or 3 abrest! without fail or often passing a cyclist ahead and not looking before moving over and going into the road. No shoulder checks...

Guys CYCLING ON THE N1 into town! Yes yes I know that section isnt safe, I've cycled there many times as well. You are taking the risk by riding on the highway to avoid being mugged on the cycle path, I get it. 

Cyclists cycling on roads with a very narrow yellow line, sub 500mm is just asking for trouble. Guys cycling UP and DOWN Franschoek pass which basically has no yellow line is just asking for trouble. YOU are inviting risk into your ride by riding on roads that are unsafe for bicycles. 

Removing the motorcycles racing up and down the pass. There are MASSIVE grain carriers, bakkies towing boats to the dams, car clubs and general traffic. Now add a cyclist to a blind corner with no yellow line and not enough space to pass safely and you are asking for trouble. 

AGAIN: YOU CHOSE TO CYCLE ON AN UNSAFE ROAD.

This applies to Chappies. Its a MASSIVE tourist destination with busses, cars and motorbikes (Yes I acknowledge speeding and over taking blah blah), there is NO SPACE TO CYCLE THERE SAFELY, even if all traffic is obeying the rules of the road, riding a bicycle there is not safe with the amount of traffic that goes through there. 

You accepted the risks when you went on that route, do not expect a cycling utopia just becuse its a popular route. 

On the Motorcycle side.

I've been riding motorbikes on the road and track for a long time. 

Cars dont see you, trucks dont see you, cyclists dont see you. Those roads I mentioned above are just as unsafe for motorcycles as they are for cyclists. 

We accept these risks when using the road. 

Everyone gets sad when a motorcyclist, who is riding normally, gets killed by a car turning or running a red light. But this is part of being on two wheels, bicycle or motorcycle.


Any way, sad day indeed but people only care about their side of the story and want to regulate te opposite.

The cure lies in education and correct training, but we can only dream..

[Shebeen]

31 minutes ago, Hairy said:

 

My Harley is not noisy. 

 

Have you tried turning it on yet?

[117]

To add some info: I'm on a biker group that has a connection to the rider that hit the cyclist. 

Want to sit down quickly?

The rider was at the back of a group of riders and was on the outside of the lane close to the white line

He was not overtaking on a blind corner as thought and has a few car driver witnesses to back it up. 

The cyclist (ebiker) was the one that cut the corner into the oncoming traffic and impacted the side of the biker as shown in that one photo. 

That to me makes sense, juding by the impact on the right side on the motorbike and where the bicycle ended up. If the biker was on the oncoming side that ebiker cyclist would be swimming instead.

Help was given to the cyclist but the cyclists' group thought it to be better to verbally climb into the lone biker instead of helping their fallen pal. I hear the cyclist was concused and is now in icu for standard check ups

Please don't jump on your high horse at me, rather keep your emotional reply at me at bay, im merely passing on information that i find to be factual

[Headshot]

I've seen cyclists over cooking corners on that descent and enting up on the opposite side of the road - luckily no oncoming cars at the time. Sometimes wide bakkies  hurtle up that side and overtake cyclists heading up, leaving very little space for riders descending. As others have said, one of your responsibilities when driving a 2 ton vehicle is to avoid causing injury and death to others. 

I'm glad we weren't on Chappies this weekend. The road from Simonstown to Scarbs is wonderfully traffic free on a Saturday morning. What a pleasure. Just one chop of a bakkie driver who passed me twice well under 1.5 on an empty open road. 

[Shebeen]

2 hours ago, mecheng89 said:

 

19 minutes ago, 117 said:

To add some info: I'm on a biker group that has a connection to the rider that hit the cyclist. 

Want to sit down quickly?

The rider was at the back of a group of riders and was on the outside of the lane close to the white line

He was not overtaking on a blind corner as thought and has a few car driver witnesses to back it up. 

The cyclist (ebiker) was the one that cut the corner into the oncoming traffic and impacted the side of the biker as shown in that one photo. 

 

Well these two "reliable" sources are vastly conflicting.

 

Maybe we will get the third version of the story.

[Spookie]

13 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

 

Well these two "reliable" sources are vastly conflicting.

 

Maybe we will get the third version of the story.

Yeah it’s very different to the story I got, from a driver (who is not a cyclist) who the bikes overtook on a blind corner mere seconds before at a ridiculous speed.

The driver also indicated that there were tyre marks on the wrong side of the road where the motor bike had started skidding. But yeah, I was not there so I guess all conjecture at this point. Hopefully forensics will be able to confirm. 

[Spookie]

Also, just FYI not sure if it is self evident or needs to be pointed out, but that  motorbike was picked up from wherever it was on the road after the accident and placed upright against the wall as can be seen in the photo, which was clearly taken some time after the accident took place. But yeah, let’s maybe wait for the facts to reveal. There are also plenty of camera’s along that road that should maybe provide a bit of additional insight.

[Hairy]

53 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Have you tried turning it on yet?

😭

[The Ouzo]

1 hour ago, Hairy said:

My Harley is not noisy. 

is that why you put earlugs in when you ride ?

Harleys are noisy from the factory, and then people go and put louder pipes on

[dave303e]

On 2/18/2024 at 1:08 PM, DieselnDust said:

No one driver or motorcyclist adheres to it. That speed is sufficiently slow to demand all traffic only crawl up slowly. But every day it’s a race track with motorists forcing cyclists against the wall. 
but remember to ride singlefile because not adhering to that Karen interpretation of the law makes you the biggest most vilified criminal in the world 

If it is such a dangerous hot spot for cyclists and motorists, why do people bother riding there? Surely a view is not worth risking your life for?

I have been there a few times in a car but the last few trips to the Cape we have avoided it as much as possible, just not worth it.

On 2/18/2024 at 12:57 PM, NC_lurker said:

I heard from a reliable source that the cyclist was hit head on by the motorcyclist while descending Chappies direction Noordhoek. Supposedly the motorcyclist was passing a car on a blind corner.

Note, I don't think the car in pic was involved, think it was just passing through afterwards.

Unfortunately in my opinion, you don't put on a 1 piece leather suit to potter around on a Sunday morning. Just my 2c, same way you don't take out a skin suit and a time trial bike for a Sunday coffee run unless you plan on hurting your riding partners.

I have never owned a superbike because I know I cannot control myself.

On 2/18/2024 at 1:05 PM, NC_lurker said:

But there is a sign...

 

Signs are pointless in SA.

I have worked numerous race events where people ask things like where are medics or where are bathrooms? 90% of the time you can point at a clearly visible sign that answers their dumb question.

 

21 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

Can bicycles be caught speeding? Pretty sure I go way faster than 20kph

 

In theory yes, but like motorbikes, no front facing number plate, so good luck unless they pull you over right there and then.

20 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

this country ......eish

Valentines day in SA is a dangerous day hey.

1 hour ago, Jewbacca said:

Why is it legal to ride superbikes on the road?

120kph on the highway and you're still in 3rd gear. Big, powerful machines that only come alive at 180kph to drive on roads with a max speed limit two thirds of that.

How is it still a thing? 

Roads are a serviceway for people to get to and from work and for goods and services to be provided. They should be regulated as such. 

Having vehicles on the road that can easily violate traffic laws and giving them to idiots who only learn when the fan has already been soiled?

The motor industry and government need to figure out what it is they want. These superbikes belong on the track, not the roads.

Keep your Harleys and other big loud vehicles as well. A V8 roadster and a Harley pulling up in residential areas is deafening, amazingly inconsiderate and pointless.

 

So here is a big one- somewhere on a thread there were comments on the UK driving laws being silly and too restrictive, I think it was in connection with e-bikes.

In SA you can be over 18 and have have never touched a motorcycle ever in your life. You can write a written learners text at a desk and then if you pass you can legally ride a machine capable of 300+kmh on our roads.

In the UK, you need to ride a smaller bike for 2 years and then do another license test before you can legally get on a properly powerful bike. Makes a lot more sense.

The other thing- where do you cut off high performance bikes for track only and not road. Surely every AMG G class, all sports cars and other high performance vehicles should be illegal as well. You can do 200 easy in an amg g class, and that is a 3,2ton chunk of metal rubber and plastic hauling down the road.