The Herald Online

DUE to a knee injury I had to stop road running. I had to do some cardio-vascular exercise and when a friend of mine who had participated in the Ironman contest a couple of months earlier, wanted to get rid of his bicycle I jumped at the opportunity.

So three months ago I started to do road cycling. I absolutely love it.

Early in the morning, especially now in the summer, going around the beachfront or to Seaview, fresh air, it is great to be alive. What a wonderful sport!

Sport! Did I say sport?

A colleague who cycles with me, and has been cycling since he was 12 years old and helped me tremendously with the technical part of cycling, said one day as we were cycling that golf (another passion of mine) was recreational and cycling is sport. Firstly I had a good chuckle and then thought how road cycling could be a sport if you had no facilities.

Track cycling is a sport. It has facilities, such as a track.

Golf has facilities – a golf course. If road cycling has no facilities, where do you practice your “sport”?

You’ve probably got to do it on the roads of South Africa and share the facilities with the other road users like the motorists. In these three months I have experienced some bad attitude from cyclists and motorists. I do not want to get involved in a controversial argument about who is right and who is wrong, but courtesy to the real road user, the motorist, will keep you, the cyclist, in good stead. Too many times in these three months I have seen groups of cyclists riding not two, but three and four abreast while the motorists behind them are too scared to overtake due to oncoming traffic.

Some motorists will have the patience to wait until he can overtake while the four cyclists, still riding abreast, won’t move into single file. The other motorist who has less patience will blow his hooter to get some attention and then the attitude of the cyclist still riding abreast is “who the hell are you to blow your hooter at us?”.

Now I have news for you “bad attitude” cyclist. You have no facilities! The road belongs to the motorists, you are only borrowing the facility. After all his vehicle is much bigger than yours, so don’t be stupid.

Please fellow cyclists, let us show more courtesy to the motorists and they will show the same, and then both parties could share the “facilities” in harmony. – Muis van der Westhuizen, Miramar, Port Elizabeth

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By: Musky	On: 2009/12/08 08:26:29 AM
Well said Muis, The average cyclist doesnt stop at a Red light , or a Stop street, but when they are knocked off their bicycle, it seems always to be the motorists fault ? An argument will definately begin here, as the cyclists wil have there say, but they have to abide by the rules of the road, and they all should know what they are, as most of them drive cars as well. In winter, they are often on the William Moffett at 5h30 in the morning without lights, and in the darkness. The garden boys also drive down the wrong side of Buffelsfontien in the dark after their days work. Sport or Recreational, they still have to understand there are rules. Who upholds the law though, is up for grabs, as Traffic Cops just sit in their yellow cars seeing nothing at all.

By: GeckoGirl	On: 2009/12/08 08:44:11 AM
Well said Muis! Wishing you loads of happy cycling to come. I couldn't have said it better than you did.

By: Nathan Jones	On: 2009/12/08 09:58:13 AM
@musky... well , well, seems you're firmly entrenched in the Verwoerd era... get a life .. since when is a 60 yr old black guy on a bicycle a "garden boy"... get a life and take your racist attitude back to the deep south with your other KKK brothers.. this is the new south Africa now ... we don't like dirty old racists ....

By: Musky	On: 2009/12/08 11:42:44 AM
Sorry Nathan. I have never stopped one of these dark gentlemen to ask where has he been, and what has he been doing for the day. But I notice they are riding down Buffelsfontein Rd to their home in Walmer location directly after finishing "gardening" for residents in Charlo and Lovemore heights ? Sorry to assume - what would you like me to call these guys ? Write it down for me please on the biggest piece of paper you can find, roll it up and stick it up yer !!!!

By: Jadles	On: 2009/12/09 08:15:15 AM
I find Cyclists generally in PE VERY disrespectful towards motorists! Peak traffic, riding as if you own the road... Pathetic!

By: Jcb*	On: 2009/12/09 03:19:58 PM
We should get a bike lane made for us (like the bus lane) there is plenty of space along marine- get rid of some bushes and then everyone will be happy... you'll prob find the crime rate in that area will drop cos there will be no places for the totsies to hide! Great letter Muis, esp in the summer months- lets just be considerate to one another!