Stolen: Silverback Vida 4 2015
About the bicycle
Type:
Mountain Bike
Brand:
Silverback
Model:
Vida 4
Year:
2015
Colour:
Black
More about the bike:
Orange seat, 1 to 10 gear setup
Incident details
Date of incident:
27/01/2020
Location:
Woodstock, Western Cape
Incident type:
Bike Jacking / Mugging
Police Station:
Woodstock
Case Number:
CAS 373/1/2020
More about the incident:
At 06:20 I was cycling to work. I got onto the MyCity cycle lane at Woodstock bridge (Church street bridge). I cycled towards Paarden Eiland (away from town). There is a small hill that leads onto the straight before it goes under the N1. I saw four coloured guys standing on the cycle lane. As I got to them to try pass, they grabbed me and took my bike, backpack and phone. At least one had a knife. As they started dragging my stuff through a hole in the fence I saw another guy come running down the hill towards us. Not knowing if he was coming to help me or them I ran diagonally across the MyCity lane towards where I came from and he is coming from. As the guy got closer and passed me he pointed a hand gun at me and I just kept running shouting to please not shoot. I then climbed over the fence onto the busy on-ramp from Marine drive to the N1. As I got over and these guys where all through the hole in the fence and then I saw the security car come driving past. This makes me believe the guy with the gun was on the hill keeping a lookout for this car and ran down when he saw it coming. DO NOT CYCLE THIS ROUTE ALONE PLEASE AS IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. It is such a pity as it is a beautiful new cycle lane that is unusable.
Comments
Maaknplan
Crazy, I only use the N1 going to town and back, no ways I ever use that cycle path/bus lane ever again, never got attacked there but always felt super vulnerable
What route does one take when you get to the end of the R27 if you dont have a mountain bike?
The footpath next to the N1 is not really hard enough for skinny tires
29 Jan 2020 11:13
Jbr
What route does one take when you get to the end of the R27 if you dont have a mountain bike?
The footpath next to the N1 is not really hard enough for skinny tires
We take the side road at the end of the cycle lane by the flea market, then you have to jump a curb to get back to Marine Drive after the shell petrol station in front of the On Tap. Then it's all on the road with the cars... main danger zone is the woodstock exit/entry, after that the side of the road is wide and you can put the hammer down all the way into town
Here's my last strava route going to town, hope this helps : https://www.strava.com/activities/2980187144
29 Jan 2020 14:56
Maaknplan
Many thanks
We take the side road at the end of the cycle lane by the flea market, then you have to jump a curb to get back to Marine Drive after the shell petrol station in front of the On Tap. Then it's all on the road with the cars... main danger zone is the woodstock exit/entry, after that the side of the road is wide and you can put the hammer down all the way into town
Here's my last strava route going to town, hope this helps : https://www.strava.com/activities/2980187144
29 Jan 2020 15:36
Don Connan
Thanks for all the advice and concern. I have always used the N1 but as it is not really legal and a car did try drive me off the road on purpose I thought I better use the cycle route provided. That is when I got robbed on my third go on the MyCiTi route. I'll be back on the N1 now once I find myself another bike.
29 Jan 2020 16:15
Hairy
Thanks for all the advice and concern. I have always used the N1 but as it is not really legal and a car did try drive me off the road on purpose I thought I better use the cycle route provided. That is when I got robbed on my third go on the MyCiTi route. I'll be back on the N1 now once I find myself another bike.
Fortunately the N1 only starts after the Koeberg Interchange (Leaving town) .... so the route as mentioned is perfectly legal
EDIT: or at least this is how I understand it.
29 Jan 2020 16:18
Donovan Le Cok
From facebook, not sure if relevant.
31 Jan 2020 15:03
sorry about your incident. I have strong opinions about that cycle lane and what needs to happen but alas.
this area...and some other are all well documented in this thread:
https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/32361-cape-town-danger-areas/page-55?do=findComment&comment=3605914
be careful out there.
PS. for future reference....if you ever muster the courage to ride through there again...Hairy on here is part of group of people that commute through there every day in a group/bike bus around that time I understand....give him a shout.
also...everybody that has to go through there alone unfortunately feel that using the n1 is safer than the cycle lane.