Plans to foil bicycle thieves
● Cyclists have begun to hit back at armed robbers, who are targeting their expensive bikes, some of which are worth about R100,000.
Security guards, CCTV and loudhailers are being installed on popular cycling trails. Horse, dog and drone patrols are planned.
Cycling associations and security companies say the attacks occur most often on early weekday mornings and have become more violent. The Western Cape and Gauteng are the hotspots.
Jozi Trails, which manages Johannesburg’s Braamfontein Spruit, received 26 calls for help over four weeks in October and November. Last Sunday two women cyclists were attacked.
Riana Howlett was cycling with her husband, Kevin, near Emmarentia Dam in the spruit area when gunmen attacked them.
“I was behind Kevin. One of the men pulled out a gun, forced him off his bike and beat him over the head. The other grabbed me. I broke free and ran for help. It is only through God’s intervention that we are alive.”
Jozi Trails director Albert van Urk said most attacks happened between 5am and 8am.
“There are fewer on weekends because of our security measures, which include guards on bikes.”
He said plans were being finalised to increase security by increasing visible security and installing CCTV cameras and loud-hailing systems.
“Before November, if there was one attack in the spruit a month it was a lot. Now so many are happening.”
David de Lima, MD of 24/7 Security, which provides security in the spruit area, said the number of attacks “had gone through the roof” in November.
“Together with two other security companies, we will conduct horse, K9 and drone patrols,” he said.
Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy co-ordinator William Mokgopo has been attacked twice — in Kyalami and near Groenkloof Nature Reserve in Pretoria.
“In the Kyalami attack, three men with a machete and pepper spray attacked me, tied me up with cable ties and stole my cycling clothes, shoes, helmet and bike. In the second attack, two men with a gun and knife robbed me of my R40,000 bike.”
Mokgopo, who lives in Diepsloot, said that soon after the first attack he saw his bike being ridden by a man in the township.
“I followed him to a house and called the police, who arrested him. He had bought [the bike] for R200.” He said stolen bicycles coming into Diepsloot usually went across the border.
“You see specialised bikes worth over R100,000 loaded onto trailers going to Mozambique and Zimbabwe. While searching for my bike, after my first attack, hoping it would be in the township, I came across three trailers loaded with expensive bikes.” Mokgopo said thieves realised the value of bikes. “In the past, expensive stolen bikes were sold off cheaply. Now they are more expensive. At the academy in the past we would hear of Momsen Vipas, which usually retail for R40,000, being sold for R500. Now bikes like these are being sold for R7,000.”
Robert Vogel, CEO of the Pedal Power Association, said its statistics, compiled from members’ reports, showed 21 violent attacks in 2019 compared with 20 in 2018 and 18 in 2017.
He said the data represented a fraction of the attacks that had occurred.
“Earlier this year a cyclist on Table Mountain was seriously injured when he was stabbed fighting off attackers.”
Liz Heydra, the association’s safe cycling campaign manager, said most attacks had been in the Western Cape. In the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng this year, a cyclist was shot and another stabbed.
“In 2018 Ian McPherson was stabbed to death for his mountain bike in Fish Hoek.”
Bike Hub founder Matt Eagar said its data showed attacks frequently occurred around Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
He said bike-jackings were down from 24 in 2018 to seven so far this year.