Road cyclists steering away

THE East London cycling community has reported an increase in the number of mountain bikes bought over the past few years compared to road bikes.

Local biking enthusiasts said bikers felt safer riding in the bush than on the roads.

Shirani Govender from East London Cycles in Vincent said there had been an increase in mountain bike sales in the past two to three years, compared to road bike sales.

Govender said it made sense to buy a mountain bike because the roads were dangerous for cyclists.

East Cape Cycling president Antoinette Harding said if drivers understood how vulnerable cyclists felt on the road, they would understand why they at times seemed arrogant, riding out in the path of vehicles.

“They just want to motorists see them.

“They are not trying to be an irritation,” Harding said.

She said it was unfortunate the country’s roads were not cyclist-friendly, without a shoulder for them to ride on.

“Drivers only understand the predicament of a cyclist if they themselves cycle or have close family members who

be

sure cycle,” Harding said.

Candy Boonzaier of Cycle HQ in Nahoon said cyclists had been buying mountain bikes way before the recent spate of road accidents, which claimed the lives of at least four athletes in the past year.

The latest incident involved ace mountain biker Burry Stander, who was knocked over by a taxi during a training ride in KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast.

In East London there have also been a few cyclists involved in road accidents.

Most cycling club members train during the early morning to avoid the traffic, but it is not possible for all.

Boonzaier said cyclists preferred to ride in the bush than to dodge cars and pedestrians on the roads.

“It’s a safety thing, they want to avoid incidents like the one that happened by the airport when two cyclists were attacked by a group of armed robbers,” Boonzaier said.

Harding said the East Cape Cycling office had e-mail communication with all its affiliated clubs in the province, and reports of incidents where cyclists did not obey traffic or road rules were sent to clubs to communicate with their members. — gcinan@dispatch.