Cyclist knocked down on Hendrik Potgieter

[barrykm]

Terribly sad. R.I.P. Condolences to family and friends.

[daan]

Dammit, that's bad bad news, hope they nail the bugger

who's responsible, getting to much, i'm from kzn and use that

road sort of every second weekend(from little falls to

muldersdrift)the only route i know round there and end up 90%

of the time on my own and had a few incedents where taxis use

the shoulder to overtake the long que's in that road and almost

knocked me over

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Firstly my condolences to the family of the fallen rider, in particular his brother, who was witness to the sad incident - the two were riding together. Also, props to their lady team-mate (in the Bionic kit) who was trying vainly to assist. Their group passed me about 500m further up the road so I was one of the first to stop and try and assist. Sadly there was no pulse, no sign of respiration - a bad accident indeed. From what the young lady could relate, the rider never saw the stopped taxi and failed to swerve out of the way. She was distraught because she did try shouting at him to warn him but he never heard. All I could do was ask a stopped traffic officer to get an ambulance, get her to go and sit with the rider's brother and park their bikes. Some worthless words of condolence to them and I opted to leave. I apologise for not doing more. This was not the first fatal cycling accident I've witnessed and the last one left me with an onerous task of meeting with a fallen rider's family to to tell them about the accident I'd observed.

 

But Saturday's long ride home after this incident left me saddened, scared and frustrated.

 

We all know these things are avoidable. They're avoidable from the point of view of the overall chaos that pervades our roads and the unwillingness of us users, or the authorities, to do anything about it. And I'm not blaming the taxi driver any more than I blame anyone else involved. Nor am I blaming him and them any less. But that is a bad stretch of road on a busy Saturday morning - it deserves to be approached with caution instead of the downhill being used as a bomb-alley to get up speed for the climb out of the dip. And club groups of riders are no more innocent because of their inevitable "win-the-training-ride" behaviour. We've been riding these roadways for decades now - many of us old geezers are only too aware of the changes in traffic density and if responsible ride captains don't step up and take some responsibility for their group, these things are destined to continue.

 

I suppose the ride home and the aftermath of the shock have provoked this - my apologies but I just can't avoid thinking we are our own worst enemies simply because we want to get in a bunch and go and ride hard. I don't have any real answers but I do know these things can be avoided.

 

And thanks to my buddy Jacques who got up real early yesterday to come ride with me and try and help me recover some of the joy I get from riding my bike.

 

Nice post, No blame and No sensationalism, - I think we can all learn from it.

[slysi]

My condolences to the family. I rode past the scene on Sunday morning and all that was left was some shattered glass and a flower

 

I must say it makes me think twice about road riding. I initially took up MTBing because I was scared of the roads. I eventually bought a road bike and really enjoy going out for a loong weekend ride with my mates. I wonder though is it worth it?

 

I love this sport and it is helping me get into shape again but hell it is sometimes frigging scary!

[Clinton - theCOW]

Instead of JPMD targeting the soft targets they should just patrol that stretch of road for a couple of hours every Saturday and Sunday to prevent traffic from driving in the yellow lane.

 

There's so much in terms of what JMPD should do. They sit behind bushes catching people for "speeding", would it not have a bigger impact them being visible so cars slow down instead? Manage the speeding problem, not let people speed and make money off it? So how's the AARTO Legislation going to help us since tons of people don't have legit licences? We get points taken off & our lic suspended, they might sit a half day in jail, get bailed out and go straight back to driving illegally!

 

So the other thing i now hugely support is the Justice Project!

http://www.jp-sa.org

 

http://www.greedfines.co.za - some interesting reading

 

I've been going to Suikerbosrand Nature reserve lately, its a bit out of the way, but at least I know i will be going home after the ride. Its much safer than were I live which is Weltevreden Park

 

Hmmm....i was there solo twice last week. The pamphlet they gave me (the 1 day) had a warning about "Reserve Vehicles" driving the wrong way. This doesn't take away the fact that they should be driving responsibly!

[R3SL]

My condolences to the family and friends,

 

Guys be extra careful on the early morning training rides pre sunrise as that is when we are all most vulnerable, especiallly on Saterday and Sunday morning , if its not the taxi's it the night club folk.

Be safe fellow cyclists.

[AlsDad]

Very sad incident.

 

Guys, go to

 

Cyclist killed - Let's make a difference, please!

 

and let's make a difference.

 

Please!

[ReserveChick]

I was hit by a car yesterday towards the end of our usual sunday training ride, just before we stopped to have coffee at Mugg & Bean. My guardian angels must have been watching over me cause I was lucky, walked away... just badly bruised, stiff and sore. Have been feeling rather fragile ever since though. Far worse than the minor injuries I sustained are the traumatic memories that the incident has reawakened. I have witnessed 2 horrible motorist related cycling accidents before and again I am flooded with emotion. These are days I never want to remember.

I could not believe that the first thing I saw on my way to work this morning was Die Beeld headline: "Nog 'n Fietsryer Dood" - was in tears yet again.

I am deeply saddened by the news. My condolences to his family and friends.

[Delgado]

Firstly....... RIP mate

Secondly....... this on top of 2 folk I know that were murdered in the south of Joburg this morning

Thirdly this is one f#cking disgusting pathetic excuse for a country!!

[jonno99]

Very sad to loose a fellow cyclist. May he rest in peace.

[TShellard]

Tebs, you were a legend, an inspiration to all.

 

You lived for your kids & for your riding.

 

Thanx for all the awesome rides we had throughout the 14/15 years. A good friend of mine once said "once you've ridden with someone for 200km, you know everything about them".

 

Well Tebs, I can only concur. We shared stories, experiences, laughs, falls, what was on our "bucket lists" . . . You reminisced about races & training rides with exact details as to location, weather details, break-aways, comments made, results achieved, average time etc. I grew to know your family from your proud fatherly updates.

 

Little did I know that Saturday would be our very last ride together, ever.

 

The "Baker Brothers" are well known in the cycling fraternity. On Saturday as we passed a bunch of riders, one of them turned around & said, "The Baker Brothers".

 

The lady who was so grateful to you on Saturday for giving her a push up the hill, probably sat around the lunch table & relayed the story to her family, not knowing that the enthusiastic cyclist who had saved her day, never returned home to his.

 

If at any stage you were passed by cyclists & happened to catch up to them at a red robot, it was Terry who said "If you take our drugs, you can ride like us", he loved to watch peoples reaction to this absurd comment!

 

Riding will never be the same again . . .

 

I would like to clarify what happened on Saturday as there are various stories:

Terry, Glen (brother)& myself (Tessa) were on our way back from our usual Cradle ride. We had turned from the R28 onto Hendrik Potgieter. Glen was slightly in front on the left hand side of the emergency lane while both Terry & I were slightly behind on the right hand side of the emergency lane. Terry & I sat-up to allow a taxi to move from the emergency lane onto the road. As we gunned it down the hill, heads down, as all cyclists do, the taxi came back into the emergency lane between Glen & us & stopped suddenly for no apparent reason as there was no one around! I screamed for Terry to swerve out, he didn't hear me & rode into the back of the taxi.

 

Glen & I felt absolutely helpless as there was nothing we could do.

 

An ER24 car arrived about 10-15min later & confirmed the above.

 

It is the most horrific experience I have ever had & it will haunt me forever.

 

Thank you to the many cyclists who stopped on the side of the road on Saturday to offer assistance & support, it meant a lot.

 

My deepest sympathy to Debbie, Shannon & Farren as well as to Geoff, Glenn, Wayne & the rest of the family. Glen, you have to get back on your bike, coz that's what Tebs would want.

 

Tebs was a truly remarkable man & he is going to leave a huge void in the lives of many people.

 

"Til we meet again, Tebs" with all my love, Tess xx

[fandacious]

there's something in my eye...

[Tumbleweed]

Tess, that is a moving tribute to a friend. I hope writing it helps you deal with this in some way.

[TiBones]

Fan, its catchy.

[FowlStArt]

Tebs, you were a legend, an inspiration to all.

 

You lived for your kids & for your riding.

 

Thanx for all the awesome rides we had throughout the 14/15 years. A good friend of mine once said "once you've ridden with someone for 200km, you know everything about them".

 

Well Tebs, I can only concur. We shared stories, experiences, laughs, falls, what was on our "bucket lists" . . . You reminisced about races & training rides with exact details as to location, weather details, break-aways, comments made, results achieved, average time etc. I grew to know your family from your proud fatherly updates.

 

Little did I know that Saturday would be our very last ride together, ever.

 

The "Baker Brothers" are well known in the cycling fraternity. On Saturday as we passed a bunch of riders, one of them turned around & said, "The Baker Brothers".

 

The lady who was so grateful to you on Saturday for giving her a push up the hill, probably sat around the lunch table & relayed the story to her family, not knowing that the enthusiastic cyclist who had saved her day, never returned home to his.

 

If at any stage you were passed by cyclists & happened to catch up to them at a red robot, it was Terry who said "If you take our drugs, you can ride like us", he loved to watch peoples reaction to this absurd comment!

 

Riding will never be the same again . . .

 

I would like to clarify what happened on Saturday as there are various stories:

Terry, Glen (brother)& myself (Tessa) were on our way back from our usual Cradle ride. We had turned from the R28 onto Hendrik Potgieter. Glen was slightly in front on the left hand side of the emergency lane while both Terry & I were slightly behind on the right hand side of the emergency lane. Terry & I sat-up to allow a taxi to move from the emergency lane onto the road. As we gunned it down the hill, heads down, as all cyclists do, the taxi came back into the emergency lane between Glen & us & stopped suddenly for no apparent reason as there was no one around! I screamed for Terry to swerve out, he didn't hear me & rode into the back of the taxi.

 

Glen & I felt absolutely helpless as there was nothing we could do.

 

An ER24 car arrived about 10-15min later & confirmed the above.

 

It is the most horrific experience I have ever had & it will haunt me forever.

 

Thank you to the many cyclists who stopped on the side of the road on Saturday to offer assistance & support, it meant a lot.

 

My deepest sympathy to Debbie, Shannon & Farren as well as to Geoff, Glenn, Wayne & the rest of the family. Glen, you have to get back on your bike, coz that's what Tebs would want.

 

Tebs was a truly remarkable man & he is going to leave a huge void in the lives of many people.

 

"Til we meet again, Tebs" with all my love, Tess xx

 

O My Lord, I just realised who it is.

 

Terry was a fantastic person and a absolute laugh to ride with, what a shock to the system realising this is someone you know personally. I always called him and my father Deisel motors as they would putter along at a steady pace up the climbs and really get going on the flats.

 

I will never forget the first time I met Terry, was quite random as I was out training and he was racing, as always he was on the front of a large bunch pulling them along as the bus driver, being a young gun I came past and thought I'll get on the front and pull these guys. Terry quicky put me in my place and said hey, this is my bus youngster now come sit here at my pace lol. was such an amazing ride from there as we chatted (not knowing who eachother are or that he knew my father well) there is 1 thing he said to me that ride that has always stuck with me whenever I dont feel at 1 with my bike, he said "your riding style reminds me of a famous old cyclist, you probably wont know him, but his name was Bob Fowler" it gives me goose bumps every time as Bob was my Grand Father.

 

Terry I cant express my sadness at hearing you have been taken from us, We will still be keeping an eye out for you on the roads as we always do. The roads will be a much sadder place without you peddling away on them. We will miss you dearly and ride with the memory of you in our hearts.

[Big G]

Terry, I cannot believe that this has happened to someone who loved life as much as you.

As Stephen has mentioned you were always joking and making others around you smile and laugh.

I know the memory of your first meeting will live with him forever and i want to thank you

for that my friend.

I will miss your humour and our chats about the race that we had afterwards, and that Hey china

wont join you tomorrow its a bit early for us but maybe see you on the road. Or we are just doing a

short one, or, you oaks are mad thats too far!! I will miss you my friend and i will ride with the

memory of you and your love for others in my heart forever. Rest In Peace Tebs.

Your china.