Support Vehicle

[428 others]

Cycle Lab's vehicle is free...

[SuperMario]

Under correction here, but in Cape Town one vehicle is on standby for three different routes.

[S-Bike]

Want to revive this discussion.

 

One thing I've really enjoyed in the past is a road cycling trip/holiday where you ride a route (like Cape Town to PE) with a group over a number of days. We have always done this with support. And have had a car driving behind us. The purpose of the car was to warn motorists of the cyclists ahead and to warn us of passing vehicles. In order to warn the cyclists we had a simple code:

-one hoot means a single car is passing

-two hoots means a larger vehicle or multiple cars are passing

-holding in the hooter means get off the road asap

 

We have also learnt that on roads which have a combination of being very narrow (with no shoulder) and having very limited line of sight (windy- as is the road curves a lot not the weather condition) the support vehicle only served to frustrate other motorists and caused more problems than it solved. In such cases we preferred to rather ride single file and use our ears as much as our eyes. We avoid such roads again.

 

On weekend club group rides I have not experienced any communication between the support car and the riders - it is basically there to help people who have had problems and to force cars to pass wider.

 

Interested to hear any lesson learnt in terms of the what the role is of a support vehicle?

And what are some important do's and don'ts for the support vehicle?

Also what are the reasons for not wanting a support vehicle at all?

[Bateleur1]

To those who answered "No", is it an question of money, or don't you see any benefits

 

In most group rides that I rode with I enden up with more problems with other road users than riding with a small group with no support vehicle.  The vehicle as you say normally sticks with the slowest rider, so the riders way up the road normally end up with the aggression of the motorists that battle to pass.  It is nice to have technical support and a vehicle close by to keep the water cool, etc.  But to answer your question I would rather ride without one and also avoid big group rides. 

[varkie2]

The support car is more in the way of traffic than the riders, ive been in this situation plenty times. Cars get frustrated more because of the back up car than the cyclists. 

 

Ill rather ride without one, i feel safer. Bateleur put it well!

Edited June 26, 2018 by varkie2

[Dirkitech]

Support cars sound safer but surely they just add to the negative perception of "cyclists are selfish".

Necro of the week goes to S-Bike. Would've been better starting a new thread

[Andrew_Smith]

I can see the need for a support vehicle on a very long ride, but not for a weekend ride.

 

Our cycling group is going to cycle from Durbanville to Langebaan and we opted for a support vehicle which will carry the riders' spares and nutrition, also a trailer for bikes in case someone cannot proceed with the ride anymore.

Edited June 26, 2018 by Andrew_Smith

[S-Bike]

Necro of the week goes to S-Bike. Would've been better starting a new thread

 Don't see the need for a new thread... poll gives good context

[S-Bike]

 

I can see the need for a support vehicle on a very long ride, but not for a weekend ride.

 

Our cycling group is going to cycle from Durbanville to Langebaan and we opted for a support vehicle which will carry the riders' spares and nutrition, also a trailer for bikes in case someone cannot proceed with the ride anymore.

 

So you don't see the support vehicle playing the a safety role

[Edge_Design]

Are "support vehicles" not illegal? 

 

Imagine what it would look like if every single commuter at peak hour had a car driving behind them shielding them from the traffic... If you can't do it for everyone then you shouldn't do it for anyone in my opinion.

 

If your vehicle is merely carrying spares then they can just stop at a coffee shop somewhere in the general vicinity and you call them when you need them.

 

If you're scared about your safety then it's time to buy a MTB - roads are there for a specific purpose so don't block them unnecessarily (I changed to MTB when my concern for my own safety started making training unpleasant). If you can't do the ride without someone carrying your sandwiches for you then train harder.

[Edge_Design]

 

I can see the need for a support vehicle on a very long ride, but not for a weekend ride.

 

Our cycling group is going to cycle from Durbanville to Langebaan and we opted for a support vehicle which will carry the riders' spares and nutrition, also a trailer for bikes in case someone cannot proceed with the ride anymore.

 

 

That is +-120km - a support vehicle really is overkill. If you're riding on the R27 then a support vehicle is also exceptionally dangerous for other road users (cycling on that road is also crazy but that is your choice).

[Andrew_Smith]

So you don't see the support vehicle playing the a safety role

 

I can see the support vehicle plays a role in safety, but I think if your visibility is on point, i.e. a good rear light and even a front light on flash you should be good, even if is it in broad daylight. We have cycled to Stellenbosch side and around Cape Town with no safety issues at all. Yeah, sometimes one motorist does not pass wide enough, but you will get one on each ride. 

 

That is +-120km - a support vehicle really is overkill. If you're riding on the R27 then a support vehicle is also exceptionally dangerous for other road users (cycling on that road is also crazy but that is your choice).

 

140km for us, we did the route planning via Komoot. We are staying over in Langebaan for the day and we are a group of roughly 16 riders. So a support vehicle was a no-brainer, not just only for safety but for our personal belongings and food for the evening. In terms of are support vehicles illegal, you should ask your nearest traffic department for permission. That's what we did.

[S-Bike]

140km for us, we did the route planning via Komoot. We are staying over in Langebaan for the day and we are a group of roughly 16 riders. So a support vehicle was a no-brainer, not just only for safety but for our personal belongings and food for the evening. In terms of are support vehicles illegal, you should ask your nearest traffic department for permission. That's what we did.

Sounds like a great weekend trip...