Why Mountain Bikers Need To Be Vigilant
I have just finished watching a program on TV where the safety of mountain bikers and mountain biking was discussed. Here in South Africa, especially in the Gauteng region, there have been a lot of recent incidents involving mountain bikers.
It seems criminals have changed their focus from car jacking to bike jacking of late. There have been numerous reports this year that in the Midrand area there has been a spate of bike jackings.
In case you don't know the lingo, bike jacking is where you are accosted while riding your bicycle and relieved of your bike and personal belongings by criminals looking to make a quick buck. Cyclists are turning out to be easier targets than motorists, it seems.
In some cases the cyclists have been left for dead with various stab wounds. One woman was stabbed in the throat and was left for dead. She was one of the lucky ones, although she was in a coma for a month and unfortunately has lost her sense of balance. She can now only ride a tandem mountain bike with her husband.
It seems it doesn't even help to cycle in a group as groups have also been attacked. The criminals manage to sell the bikes to syndicates who take them over the border. Some of the bicycles have been worth R 75 000 or more, but it is alleged that the bike thieves only get a cut of about R 1 000.
Brazen criminals will stand in front of the biker as he cycles past and grab onto the bike in an effort to make the cyclist fall. Once the cyclist is on the ground he is normally robbed by a few of them who seem to come out of nowhere. If there is a group of cyclists, there will normally be a gang of criminals lying in wait for the unsuspecting cyclists.
Make sure when you go cycling, that you never go on your own. In fact the bigger the group you cycle with the better. There is always more safety in numbers. Also try not to carry any valuable belongings on you if at all possible. Cell phones are a very popular item that criminals can sell easily for profits.
Although it doesn't seem like we can enjoy the freedom of mountain biking in peace anymore, don't let this spoil all the joy that you get out of your riding. Mountain biking at the moment is one of the fastest growing trends in South Africa and also in a lot of overseas countries, so try not to let those few unsavory elements spoil it for you.
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