Jackal and Hyde

[Speed Devil]

It's amazing how a cyclists attitude changes from being on the bike to being behind his steering wheel.

 

I was a marshal at the start/finish and saw something that amazed me.

While on their bikes most cyclists had the attitude that they owned the road and that cars had to wait/give way for them.

When they finished the race and went home, traffic going up Hekpoort from the finish were guided onto the gravel next to the road, and the tarred lane going up Hekpoort was reserved for motorists coming down.

Some cyclists were totally inconsiderate and impatient because they had to ride on the gravel or wait for oncoming cyclists to come past before moving on. They then went about 100m on the gravel and then came over onto the tar into oncoming traffic, causing the oncoming traffic to move over into the cyclists lane and causing potentially unsafe situations.

These were the same cyclists that 3 hours earlier wanted their own space on the road and to be out from between the cars.

 

Now I ask you...don't the tail-enders have the same right and as the front riders to have their own space on the road?

 

[Canaris]

Speed devil, an inconsiderate idiot stays an inconsiderate idiot, on a bike or in a car.  It is always interesting to see that the guy with the flashy bike demanding his space, is the same guy in his fashy car, demanding his space.  Unfortunately, he does not realise that to get, you should be willing to give as well.

[TNT1]

 

 

Speed devil' date=' an inconsiderate idiot stays an inconsiderate idiot, on a bike or in a car.  [/quote']

 

True, although the average south african does seem to turn into a bit of a rabid demon once behind the wheel of a car...

TNT12008-10-27 07:46:09

[Lowe]

Good day,

 

I agree, if you're an idiot on the bike, you're gonna be an idiot off the bike and vice versa. These kind of cyclists is the kind that makes the sport look bad and give it a negative connatation. They don't take the sport as they should, a gentlemans sport.

 

Get an old bike and pass the oak with his flashy bike and tell him he is an idiot, won't change his mentallity but I would like to see the look on his face.

[Canaris]

Good day' date='

 

I agree, if you're an idiot on the bike, you're gonna be an idiot off the bike and vice versa. These kind of cyclists is the kind that makes the sport look bad and give it a negative connatation. They don't take the sport as they should, a gentlemans sport.

 

Get an old bike and pass the oak with his flashy bike and tell him he is an idiot, won't change his mentallity but I would like to see the look on his face.

[/quote']

 

even better win the SV with one running shoe on......................

[Minion]

Are you talking about the hill immediately before the finish, as you turn right out of the venue?

When I drove there, the cones for the first 100m were positioned so that there was a clear car's width on the gravel between the edge of the tar and the cars parked next to the road.

After 100m, the cones were placed on the gravel and there was not space for a car to pass between the parked cars and the cones. This forced motorists back onto the tar.

I wondered about this at the time, but there seemed to be people directing traffic at either end of this section, so I assumed you were stopping and letting cars though, depending which direction they were coming from.

 

[intern]

Agree Speed Devil - but that's roadies for you, many, many of especially the top riders feel that they are somehow above such things. Was really chuffed to see Werner Moolman putting his goo packet back in his pocket instead of chucking it on the ground...

[Speed Devil]

On the same topic....

While waiting for the elites to finish, 4 cyclists out training were coming up Hekpoort from the finish side. 2 of them were riding abreast and holding up traffic. I asked them to ride side single file and let the traffic through. One of them, who was a fat pig and was huffing and puffing his way up the hill told me to f*ck off because the traffic had to wait for him.

If I had not been part of the marshalling team I would have gladly shown him where the side of the road was.

But once again, it just goes to show the mentality of some people. it is due to tjops like that, that the rest of us are have to incur the wrath of the motorists.

[Speed Devil]

Are you talking about the hill immediately before the finish' date=' as you turn right out of the venue?
When I drove there, the cones for the first 100m were positioned so that there was a clear car's width on the gravel between the edge of the tar and the cars parked next to the road.
After 100m, the cones were placed on the gravel and there was not space for a car to pass between the parked cars and the cones. This forced motorists back onto the tar.
I wondered about this at the time, but there seemed to be people directing traffic at either end of this section, so I assumed you were stopping and letting cars though, depending which direction they were coming from.
[/quote']

 

Yes Edman

 

Firstly, the cones were originally in the road, but with trucks coming down the hill the cones were pushed out of the road, and we unfortunately didn't have enough marshals to keep repositioning the cones.

Secondly, motorists were told not to park on the side of the road because we were going to use the shoulder of the road for traffic. But all the dumb f*cks who woke up late and didn't want to wait in the traffic to get to the parking area parked there, thereby causing even more frustrations....but next year things are going to be a lot different!!!!!

Speed Devil2008-10-27 08:08:24

[Minion]

 

Firstly' date=' the cones were originally in the road, but with trucks coming down the hill the cones were pushed out of the road, and we unfortunately didn't have enough marshals to keep repositioning the cones.[/quote']

OK, I apologise then for driving where I shouldn't have. It was done out of ignorance, rather than any feeling of tar entitlement .

 

I have to agree with Kona that inconsiderate drivers make inconsiderate cyclists - it seems our road habits don't really change with our mode of transport.

 

[Minion]

 

Get an old bike and pass the oak with his flashy bike and tell him he is an idiot' date=' won't change his mentallity but I would like to see the look on his face.[/quote']

Why always the flashy bike? I've met lots of nice people on flashy bikes and been vloeked by two guys on Raleighs (fun story that one ).

 

[Zoo Cookie]

just before the hekpoort climb, i caught up with some of the riders from the 85km. all of a sudden i could hear a bakkie just behind me. he stayed there for some time and I could not understand why he would not pass.

as we were making our way up Hekpoort did I realise it was a very concerned father following his 15 or 16 year old son - doing the 85km. the son past me and so did the dad  - traffic backed up behind him as he insisted to ride next to his son.  not sure if the father did not realise what he was doing of if he knew and just didn't care.

 

i later went past the son and then thanks to the father not to much traffic to contend with as i had to doge the riders swerving all over as they struggled to get up hekpoort.

 

[SPY786]

Hi Speed Devil

 

I agree. Cyclist should be the most considerate on the road

[AndreZA]

Last Friday while driving to work, a lady in Palio cut in infront of me and I had to slam on brakes. On her back window she had a nice big "Think Bike" sticker. The new one with the motor bike and bicycle. I thought to myself that she must rather not think about my bike if she drives like that.

 

 

[slowpoke]

SD, i have encountered this so many times it's just not funny anymore. i'll never forget the first year at D2D a wifey who had parked where it was clerly indicated NOT to park then insisted on risking the lives of peeps coming in to the finish by driving through/over them to get out to go fetch hubby who'd had a mechanical and she "had to get to him urgently - he's stuck at the side of the road"

 

also had someone rushing to the aid of a buddy with a mechanical at the Fast One this year... but shaunh and the TB marshals sorted him out.

 

so yeah - the jeckyl and hyde problem of "cyclists own the road while i'm cycling, but cars own the road when i'm driving" is certainly not helping to make cycling any safer. it also applies from the top guys (the wifey in question above) to the tail enders (the Fast One episode was definitely not a front runner)

[SwissVan]

 

Think I'm going to report Sped Devil for this Topic....