Safety: Cycling on National Roads (N7)

[Solstice]

Hi All

I rarely have any comments on what cyclists do or do not do. Where we cycle or what others do. We are all responsible for ourselves and our own safety as best as possible. 

Today, even if this has been going on for ages, I would like to remind cyclists out there to be safe and to follow the rules of the road. Far too often I see posts and comments about road safety but when we skirt the rules no word is uttered and no brow raised.

Firstly, last I checked, it is Illegal/Unlawful to cycle on National Roads, yet, I came more than one groups of cyclists do this.

Secondly, riding 3/4 abreast, with one rider on the vehicle side of the yellow line, is dangerous and irresponsible.

When this happens, we invite not only criticism and disdain but risk our own lives and the respect of motorists and fellow road users.

Please, let's be better, let's set the example and think about the consequences. We cannot ask for justice when there are incidents if we are not following the rules.

https://bicyclesouth.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SOUTH-AFRICAN-RULES-OF-THE-ROAD.pdf

https://www.arrivealive.mobi/cycling-rules-of-the-road-and-road-safety

@Pedal Power Association 

[openmind]

Don’t confuse safety and the law. Some illegal things are far safer than other legal things. 
Riding in the wide yellow line shoulder of the N7 is pretty safe, comparatively speaking. 
If you want to safely ride your bike around here AND comply with the letter of the law then I would suggest you take up another sport. 

[buckstopper]

It is not illegal to ride on National roads unless they are "Freeways', or if there is a sign  forbidding bicycles. 

[StripesOfYellow]

4 hours ago, buckstopper said:

It is not illegal to ride on National roads unless they are "Freeways', or if there is a sign  forbidding bicycles. 

While this is true, I do believe the stretch of the N7 that is commonly used by cyclists is a freeway. 

[ajnkzn]

Regardless of what the letter of the law says, riding on a road where vehicles are coming from behind you at 120 km/h plus seems like a piss poor idea. 
 

But hey I’m just a dumb MTB rider. 

[Mook]

Just this morning again saw a MTB'er on the R44 between Klapmuts and Wellington without any lights. This was 06:00 with light conditions still poor - all vehicles were driving with headlights on. Given the distance from Stellenbosch, Paarl, Klapmuts or Wellington, my guess is this rider left his residence in total darkness. This was not a worker commuting to his place of work either.

That stretch of the R44 is notorious for speeding traffic and reckless driving, despite having a 100km/h speed limit.

WTF guys, we have to take some accountability for our own safety. This rider appeared out of nowhere like a ghost.

Be lekker ............

[Super Sywurm]

I know what I am going to say next and this is what I do, is frowned upon by my fellow cyclists.  When I ride alone on the road, I ride on the wrong side.  Then I can see what is coming from the front and I can just go off the road.

It's not that easy when the danger is coming from the back.

This is for my personal safety.

[Martin Albrecht]

On 1/31/2026 at 3:22 PM, StripesOfYellow said:

While this is true, I do believe the stretch of the N7 that is commonly used by cyclists is a freeway. 

Which section of the N7 is a Free Way? I’m assuming you are reffing to the N7 in Cape Town? 
 

That said, I wouldn’t willingly cycle the N7, especially when the R27 has a bike lane pretty much all the way to Melkbos. 

[Shebeen]

N7 is a long road. what portion are we talking about? Big diff between Dunoon and Citrusdal

 

31 minutes ago, Super Sywurm said:

I know what I am going to say next and this is what I do, is frowned upon by my fellow cyclists.  When I ride alone on the road, I ride on the wrong side.  Then I can see what is coming from the front and I can just go off the road.

It's not that easy when the danger is coming from the back.

This is for my personal safety.

meh, depends on the situation and the traffic load imho. would be a pain if there are many other cyclists coming that way.

[cadenceblur]

And this morning I saw two cyclists who, in their infinite wisdom thought it okay to cycle on the M5 - direction town.

Nogal in club kit as well.

Edited February 3 by cadenceblur

[Ncayi]

The discourse of the letter of the law vs a nuanced implementation is always fascinating for me. Generally people tend to pivot either way depending on how they are affected by the situation. Just because something is legal does not mean it's a good idea to do it.

A quick search revealed that the N7 is a freeway up until Malmesbury if you are driving away from Cape Town. The grass island, two one way lanes,the 120km/h speed limit and the off ramps instead of intersections are clues that this is a freeway.

Also discovered this little nugget, "No person shall ride a pedal cycle on a public road unless he or she is seated"

[Paul Ruinaard]

The laws of natural selection apply to the cycling gene pool as they do in the African bush for Impalas and warthogs. If you ride on roads that are dangerous the danger increases and your risks increase proportionately. I am tired of preaching abot risks, strategies to mitigate and avoid and then hearing people being of the opinion that you know better or can make your own rules up.  

If you do nothing to reduce risk you increase your exposure. If you do a lot and someone avoids you or you avoid a situation by a plan not to ride in a high risk region you never know what bullet you dodged. 

People cant seem to get this idea and always seemm to think they know better or they can circumvent these rules. Those are the ones that are normally the loudest - aka dunning kruger effect.

It is always true that people under estimate risks until after the event.

We are seeing mass carnage from early December and we are still attesting our right to do risky things, and that we know better.

I am sure all these people who are now dead or mained didnt walk out the door thinking it could be them. But it can be you every time you leaev the house.

My 2 cents

[Mamil]

All I hear from official channels and in the "we our own worst enemy" responses here in the hub is "I saw a cyclist behaving badly on the road".

I have a 2km commute to work - here's the "I saw...." list from the two morning commutes so far this week

1. Suburban street with school children walking, me on a bike, cars parked on the side of the road a courier van doing about 80kmph hard braking for the speedbump

2. Same street - student in a polo rolling through the stop street on her phone

3. Cnr liesbeek and durban robot - taxi turning right from middle lane cutting across legitimate right turners.

4. Same intersection - three cars accelerating through after the green arrow has gone pushing through a throng of school kids 

5. Next to Rondebosch common - city electrical department vehicle close passes me into the traffic circle and hoots as he does so - because he saw me but couldn't be @rsed to slow down for the one second it would take me to get out of his way.

6. Queue of cars waiting while parents turn right into Rustenburg grounds - two cars without looking try sneaking around and block the cycle lane - a frequent one this - some of the cars have had me slap them on the fender and tell the driver "sorry man did you git a cyclist?"

7. Same road - I'm turning right on my bike into premises with cars released from the snarfu at Rustenburg accelerating towards me - I'm signalling right turn - parent in SUV accelerates to close the gap so I can't turn (she didn't see me - how many times we heard that one? No darling you weren't looking) three cars do the same until someone lets me through despite the fact they must stop 30 meters further on.

8. One bishops kid on a bike possibly with parental instruction to ride on the jogging path not the road, another old man on his bike hugging the cycle lane while cars whizz past, a racer with a backpack sprinting hard to keep pace with the traffic, breathing in lungfuls of diesel particulate and skillfully anticipating the traffic movement.

 

Ja cyclists should ride well on the road but this "take responsibility for your safety" stuff is bizarre to me as an endlessly repeated mantra.

What I think motivates this argument that "we need to be better" is two main factors.

1. The absurdity of the normality that the motor car dominates our public space so much and the taken for granted idea that this is usual, normal and that there isn't another viable option. I see this is a profound lack of imagination and political will. The "cyclists do better" argument legitimates the lack of political will to protect the human and natural environment from cars.

2. The psychological difficulty of understanding that as a cyclist, we have very little control over what happens. Short of staying off the road. To get on the bike is to put our lives in the hands of the general f$#kwittery out there. It is reassuring then to say that we can do something to keep ourselves safe (stop at robots, wear bright clothing, yada yada yada) because to hold the idea that we have so little protection and so little control is terrifying.

Ja my radar light and secondary flare light make a difference but much of that is as a talisman - reassurance of my fear. 

How many of the deaths we report and mark with sad emojis and ghost bikes are due to cyclist behaviour other than "he was riding his/her bike and a speeding / drunk / inattentive driver hit him?" I can think of one only - a young woman who did a U turn without checking in 2023 I think it was?

I can guarantee that if every cyclists stopped at every robot, always rode single file, was festooned in lights and bright colours ... the carnage would continue unabated.

 

 

 

[NotSoBigBen]

6 minutes ago, Mamil said:

All I hear from official channels and in the "we our own worst enemy" responses here in the hub is "I saw a cyclist behaving badly on the road".

I have a 2km commute to work - here's the "I saw...." list from the two morning commutes so far this week

1. Suburban street with school children walking, me on a bike, cars parked on the side of the road a courier van doing about 80kmph hard braking for the speedbump

2. Same street - student in a polo rolling through the stop street on her phone

3. Cnr liesbeek and durban robot - taxi turning right from middle lane cutting across legitimate right turners.

4. Same intersection - three cars accelerating through after the green arrow has gone pushing through a throng of school kids 

5. Next to Rondebosch common - city electrical department vehicle close passes me into the traffic circle and hoots as he does so - because he saw me but couldn't be @rsed to slow down for the one second it would take me to get out of his way.

6. Queue of cars waiting while parents turn right into Rustenburg grounds - two cars without looking try sneaking around and block the cycle lane - a frequent one this - some of the cars have had me slap them on the fender and tell the driver "sorry man did you git a cyclist?"

7. Same road - I'm turning right on my bike into premises with cars released from the snarfu at Rustenburg accelerating towards me - I'm signalling right turn - parent in SUV accelerates to close the gap so I can't turn (she didn't see me - how many times we heard that one? No darling you weren't looking) three cars do the same until someone lets me through despite the fact they must stop 30 meters further on.

8. One bishops kid on a bike possibly with parental instruction to ride on the jogging path not the road, another old man on his bike hugging the cycle lane while cars whizz past, a racer with a backpack sprinting hard to keep pace with the traffic, breathing in lungfuls of diesel particulate and skillfully anticipating the traffic movement.

 

Ja cyclists should ride well on the road but this "take responsibility for your safety" stuff is bizarre to me as an endlessly repeated mantra.

What I think motivates this argument that "we need to be better" is two main factors.

1. The absurdity of the normality that the motor car dominates our public space so much and the taken for granted idea that this is usual, normal and that there isn't another viable option. I see this is a profound lack of imagination and political will. The "cyclists do better" argument legitimates the lack of political will to protect the human and natural environment from cars.

2. The psychological difficulty of understanding that as a cyclist, we have very little control over what happens. Short of staying off the road. To get on the bike is to put our lives in the hands of the general f$#kwittery out there. It is reassuring then to say that we can do something to keep ourselves safe (stop at robots, wear bright clothing, yada yada yada) because to hold the idea that we have so little protection and so little control is terrifying.

Ja my radar light and secondary flare light make a difference but much of that is as a talisman - reassurance of my fear. 

How many of the deaths we report and mark with sad emojis and ghost bikes are due to cyclist behaviour other than "he was riding his/her bike and a speeding / drunk / inattentive driver hit him?" I can think of one only - a young woman who did a U turn without checking in 2023 I think it was?

I can guarantee that if every cyclists stopped at every robot, always rode single file, was festooned in lights and bright colours ... the carnage would continue unabated.

 

 

 

That is the most enlightened and rational post I have seen on this subject, thank you!

[Zebra]

2 hours ago, Martin Albrecht said:

Which section of the N7 is a Free Way? I’m assuming you are reffing to the N7 in Cape Town? 

When driving in towards the N1, on the N7, before you hit the N1, i guess THREE offramps before the N1, is T-H-E 'freeway' sign, which generally means road excluded to foot traffic and cyclists. It is placed very prominently, to CLEARLY identify a 'freeway' precinct...

Please dont shoot the messenger - SIMPLY pointing out, that, in law, certain near-identical portions of road can be identified as a 'Freeway', and there you have it!

 

See HERE:

The portion of the road within Cape Town is a freeway, but it loses limited-access freeway status shortly after exiting the urban limits at the M12 interchange (Malibongwe Drive). From here, it remains a dual-carriageway and gains limited-access freeway status again at the Melkbosstrand M19 interchange. It remains a limited-access freeway until just after Malmesbury at the R45 intersection. Thereafter, the N7 is a single-carriageway highway with wide paved shoulders to Piekenierskloof Pass and through the Olifants River valley until Clanwilliam.^[1]

[ChrisF]

2 hours ago, Shebeen said:

N7 is a long road. what portion are we talking about? Big diff between Dunoon and Citrusdal

 

meh, depends on the situation and the traffic load imho. would be a pain if there are many other cyclists coming that way.

 

Encountering this more frequently ... me cycling the "correct way", then have near head-on situations with cyclists on the wrong side of the road ....

 

DANGEROUS !!