Cycling on N14 from riverstone back to cradle LEGAL or NOT?

[Spinnekop]

3 minutes ago, nathrix said:

Times like these we need Big H, he is/was mos a pad builder and knows all the ins-and-outs when comes to padwerke and sorts.

Oom H always said you cannot cycle on a freeway.
This is the sign for a freeway


It can be marked as "N" and not be a freeway.

A section where there are stopstreets and robots on a N route would not be a freeway and an indication for cyclist allowed.  

[controlc]

16 minutes ago, nathrix said:

Times like these we need Big H, he is/was mos a pad builder and knows all the ins-and-outs when comes to padwerke and sorts.

Careful now, he might just pop up with his excessive usage of exclamation marks, before threatening to leave again because nobody wants to play with him.

The law is quite clear on this: you're not allowed to cycle on a freeway. A national road is not necessarily a freeway, and vice versa. Freeways cannot have any intersections where someone needs to stop; it should all be on- and off-ramps.

[ChrisF]

4 minutes ago, Spinnekop said:

Oom H always said you cannot cycle on a freeway.
This is the sign for a freeway


It can be marked as "N" and not be a freeway.

A section where there are stopstreets and robots on a N route would not be a freeway and an indication for cyclist allowed.  

 

Perfect example is where the N1 passes through towns such as Worcester.  Between towns you have the freeway sign, but just before you enter town you have this sign with the red cross confirming it is no longer a freeway.

[Andymann]

3 hours ago, rudstar1915 said:

HI there Fellow Hubbers

 

Straight into it, yesterday I was nearly arrested for cycling on N14 from Riverstone back to Cradlestone. We have been doing it for decades yesterday I was told that is part of the freeway. 

My understanding is the freeway starts from that bridge at riverstone. 

 

Is that correct, need some info and advice.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Rudi

Going East, It's a 100 zone from the Hendrik Potgieter traffic light to just after the Riverstone offramp - where it changes to 120.  Going West it goes from 120 down to 100 as you drop down the hill towards the bridge.  There aren't any signs saying Freeway starts/Ends when the speed limit changes, but I'm assuming they changed the speed there for a good reason - probably to denote the end of the Freeway.

If so, strictly speaking you could argue that the stretch between Hendrik Potgieter and the Riverstone Bridge isn't part of the N14 and therefore you are allowed to be there but it's such a grey area because these days they don't put up signs like they used to saying where the freeway starts and ends.

I used to see big bunches in the morning on my way to Krugersdorp on that stretch - there's a nice big shoulder and they didn't really get in the way, but come to think of it, given that 94.7 is around the corner I haven't seen that many of late.  Maybe the Police have been clamping down a bit?

[NotSoBigBen]

If BigH was still here he would have given an unequivocal response .... Those were the days

[droo]

5 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

I always thought it has to do with speed limits. In other words, if it’s 100kmh+ part of the highway then you’re not allowed.

 

As an example the N1 coming into Cape Town. The last section of the highway is an 80kmh speed limit and there are so many cyclists that ride that last stretch on the highway. Would this be illegal?

 

As another example, Du Toits kloof descent into Rawsonville is also rated at 80kmh limit. I’ve always been told that its fine to ride there as its under the speed limit.

Nothing to do with speed limits. Freeways can have limits anywhere from 80 - 120.

The N1 into town from the M5 is still a freeway and as such illegal to ride a bike on but it's full of cyclists cos it's about the only way to get in to town from the West Coast without getting stabbed.

[Frosty]

N indicates it’s a national road, and runs across multiple provinces.

R indicates it’s a regional road, in one province.

M indicates it’s a metro road and goes across multiple towns in a metro (JhB, Ekurhuleni).

A freeway doesn’t have to be a N only, it can also be R or M. Cyclists and Pedestrians are not allowed on a freeway.

[RobertWhitehead]

Do any of you want to hear my opinion? Tough for those who don't cause I'm going to give it anyway : 

If you want to ride on a stretch of road where a 2 tonne piece of metal can do more than 80km/h and you're only wearing a polystyrene shell and some lycra then you're risking your life. To me it doesn't matter if it's legal, I'll much rather stick to the suburbs if out on the road where majority of the drivers do 80 in any event

[ChrisF]

11 minutes ago, RobertWhitehead said:

Do any of you want to hear my opinion? Tough for those who don't cause I'm going to give it anyway : 

If you want to ride on a stretch of road where a 2 tonne piece of metal can do more than 80km/h and you're only wearing a polystyrene shell and some lycra then you're risking your life. To me it doesn't matter if it's legal, I'll much rather stick to the suburbs if out on the road where majority of the drivers do 80 in any event

 

So no more cycling to the shop then ?

 

Mommy on the cell in town trumps any highway ....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly, we take a risk when we go out of our drive way.  Heck, some manage to snap ankles in their driveway all on their lonesome .....

 

 

Friday here we come ...

[Mook]

16 hours ago, ChrisF said:

One might get the impression some cyclists are not familiar with K53 ....

 

Absolutely ☝️

IMHO many law enforcement officers neither 👽

[mazambaan]

9 hours ago, Frosty said:

N indicates it’s a national road, and runs across multiple provinces.

R indicates it’s a regional road, in one province.

M indicates it’s a metro road and goes across multiple towns in a metro (JhB, Ekurhuleni).

A freeway doesn’t have to be a N only, it can also be R or M. Cyclists and Pedestrians are not allowed on a freeway.

I've no dog in this fight as I do my best to stay off surfaced roads but one thing that has happened is that SANRAL have taken over a number of provincial arterial roads and branded them N whatever.  All about available budget and perceived capability I think.

Is this road one of these?

[Spinnekop]

18 minutes ago, mazambaan said:

I've no dog in this fight as I do my best to stay off surfaced roads but one thing that has happened is that SANRAL have taken over a number of provincial arterial roads and branded them N whatever.  All about available budget and perceived capability I think.

Is this road one of these?

Again.
"N" does not specify if it is a freeway or not.  It just classifies as "National"
The question is if the specific piece of N road is Freeway or not.

[NotSoBigBen]

15 minutes ago, Spinnekop said:

Again.
"N" does not specify if it is a freeway or not.  It just classifies as "National"
The question is if the specific piece of N road is Freeway or not.

Jy sal miskien moet prentjies teken 

Edited October 25 by NotSoBigBen

[Andymann]

16 hours ago, Andymann said:

Going East, It's a 100 zone from the Hendrik Potgieter traffic light to just after the Riverstone offramp - where it changes to 120.  Going West it goes from 120 down to 100 as you drop down the hill towards the bridge.  There aren't any signs saying Freeway starts/Ends when the speed limit changes, but I'm assuming they changed the speed there for a good reason - probably to denote the end of the Freeway.

If so, strictly speaking you could argue that the stretch between Hendrik Potgieter and the Riverstone Bridge isn't part of the N14 and therefore you are allowed to be there but it's such a grey area because these days they don't put up signs like they used to saying where the freeway starts and ends.

I used to see big bunches in the morning on my way to Krugersdorp on that stretch - there's a nice big shoulder and they didn't really get in the way, but come to think of it, given that 94.7 is around the corner I haven't seen that many of late.  Maybe the Police have been clamping down a bit?

I checked this morning.  There are two "Freeway Ends" signs on both sides of the road about 500m from the Riverstone offramp directly opposite the new school that was built.

There is also however a clear "No Pedestrians/No Cyclists sign" about 1km before the Freeway ends signs - but nothing else after that.

So if you are coming from Avianto you would see neither signs. 

My interpretation - the section from the Riverstone bridge to the Traffic light at Hendrik Potgieter is not a Freeway so no reason why the Police could arrest you for cycling there.

[jcza]

1 hour ago, Andymann said:

I checked this morning.  There are two "Freeway Ends" signs on both sides of the road about 500m from the Riverstone offramp directly opposite the new school that was built.

There is also however a clear "No Pedestrians/No Cyclists sign" about 1km before the Freeway ends signs - but nothing else after that.

So if you are coming from Avianto you would see neither signs. 

My interpretation - the section from the Riverstone bridge to the Traffic light at Hendrik Potgieter is not a Freeway so no reason why the Police could arrest you for cycling there.

Correct, 

[love2fly]

2 hours ago, Andymann said:

I checked this morning.  There are two "Freeway Ends" signs on both sides of the road about 500m from the Riverstone offramp directly opposite the new school that was built.

There is also however a clear "No Pedestrians/No Cyclists sign" about 1km before the Freeway ends signs - but nothing else after that.

So if you are coming from Avianto you would see neither signs. 

My interpretation - the section from the Riverstone bridge to the Traffic light at Hendrik Potgieter is not a Freeway so no reason why the Police could arrest you for cycling there.

Are there not Freeway signs on the onramps from Avianto onto the N14?

Arguing with any cop in SA is about as pointless as it gets. We used to ride that freeway section but as per previous posts, having vehicles pass me at such high speed with the possibility of a truck taking to the emergency land going up the climb and the hugely deteriorated STD of SA drivers means I do the 20km to my ride by car ....

Be safe