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On a highway to....


jedimastersa

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Did anybody do the River Rotary Festival

race yesterday?

 

 

 

What did you think?

 

 

 

Poenster and myself did the 40km ride, the route was really

nice, and it was quick, did a really good time as far as we where concerned,

just one thing that bothered me and not sure if anybody else felt the same?

 

 

 

We started at Stonehaven and about 1km after the start, we

turned of the normal quite roads onto the R57 (If I'm not mistaken), nice

double laned "highway", which had a really broad shoulder....

 

 

 

This shoulder eventually whittled down into nothing and we

found ourselves racing on the dual lane highway, I found it a little scary when

there where busses or trucks coming past in the slow lane, as well as cars

trying to fight through the cyclists to get to their off ramps, on the way back

I saw there was an almost accident where a cyclist almost ended up getting

knocked down by a motorist trying to get to the off ramp. Some motorists where

getting irritated and hooted at cyclists etc etc etc etc........

 

 

 

Then the dual lane became a single lane...not nice at all...

 

 

 

Not that we like to complain but with all the incidents

going around lately with cyclists getting knocked down, and then certain posts

on this Forum about us cyclists not obeying the road rules (Id10t Cyclists),

surely the event organisers could have a different route organised...?

 

 

 

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Like the Jedi said... I was not impressed when we got onto the highway - it wasnt busy, but there was absolutely no shoulder to ride on. Was a bit worried about safety...

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Are "R" roads considered to be national roads?

If so is it not also illegal to be cycling on them then?

 

R and N are route indicators.  Has nothing to do with wether it is a highway or not and does not indicate if cyclists are allowed on it or not.  If a road is a highway (double lanes, on and off ramps, road signs inidicating that it is a highway and normally has blue route signs on it) then you are not allowed on it.  Other than that you should be able cycle on any road unless there are "No Cycling" traffic signs that tells you that you are not allowed on it.
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Yes, I took myself off to the race yesterday as well, but did the 80kms route.

 

This is a standard common route from Stonehaven, quite flat and fast, - going the other way you tend to go up that wall (Ertjiesberg) so be thankfull it was just a few cars and trucks and busses and taxis - I mean it could have been a tough ride as well.Big%20smile

 

Just kidding. - but yes it can be rather scary.Although the marshalls seemed better than normal.

 

I enjoyed the 80km route as I havent riden in the Vaal for a few months now, and the finish at Stonehaven is always good for a beer and burger lunch - now if they can just do something about that pesky driving wind out on the flats past the dam..........................!!  

 
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Yes' date=' I took myself off to the race yesterday as well, but did the 80kms route.

 

This is a standard common route from Stonehaven, quite flat and fast, - going the other way you tend to go up that wall (Ertjiesberg) so be thankfull it was just a few cars and trucks and busses and taxis - I mean it could have been a tough ride as well.Big%20smile

 

Just kidding. - but yes it can be rather scary.Although the marshalls seemed better than normal.

 

I enjoyed the 80km route as I havent riden in the Vaal for a few months now, and the finish at Stonehaven is always good for a beer and burger lunch - now if they can just do something about that pesky driving wind out on the flats past the dam..........................!!  

 
[/quote']

 

I have to be honest... I enjoyed the race thouroughly was nervous about the whole shoulder thing for the first 10 km's, after that I was concentrating on keeping up with the Jedi... Like a noob I forgot to take my knobblies of my mountain bike and replace them with my slicks, and him being on a hybrid totally killed me!

 

It was a great race thinking back now. I will definitely do it again!

 

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R and N are route indicators.  Has nothing to do with wether it is

a highway or not and does not indicate if cyclists are allowed on it or

not.  If a road is a highway (double lanes' date=' on and off ramps, road

signs inidicating that it is a highway and normally has blue route

signs on it) then you are not allowed on it.  Other than that you

should be able cycle on any road unless there are "No Cycling" traffic

signs that tells you that you are not allowed on it.

[/quote']

 

 

 

Oh okay thanks was just wondering about that...but anyways like Widget it was a very good race none the less even though we did the 40km's and not the 80km's think we'll definitly do the 80km next year I hope.

 

 

 

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