Notice 11 January 2013
Below is the latest group mail sent out. A lot of you have servers which block my mails….. I can’t help that as I have to use group mail….. So if you don’t the mails?????
Dear EMBA rider.
1. Please note I will be in the UK from15 Jan to 15 Feb inclusive. During that time I will have internet access, and can deal with limited problems. For trail, clearing, disputes etc please contact : [email protected] or [email protected]. They cannot help with renewals or membership queries
2. Please see the mail below from Ian. If you have had “relocated” or know someone has had a Trek bike affirmatively shopped, please contact Ian.
On the 23rd of December I was returning 2 workers back to Blachburn village around 5pm.
I saw a teenager on a Specialized Epic and realized the bike must have been stolen. I followed him into the village and then approached him about the bike.
He said it was his Uncles who worked for another guy who worked with bikes.
A small crowd started to appear and I was a little nervous. The guys who worked for me suggested I buy the bike from the kid. A few phone calls were made and I was then offered the bike for R1000.
I bought the bike, thinking that it was the best way to get the bike out as if I left it , we would never see it again.
I now have the bike.
We need to put the word out that a bike has been picked up. It has very specific stickers on it and wheelset and group set, so we will know who the rightfull owner is.
There was no emba board.
Kind Regards
Ian Wilson
C : 073 153 0986
T: 031 312 5955
http://www.singletrackminded.co.za/
3. Here we go again!!!
There was an extremely unpleasant incident involving a cyclist and a motorist. I do not know if the rider was an EMBA rider as the motorist did not note a bike board. BUT if it did, he knows who he is, and his buddies who were with him, likewise know to whom I am referrng . I cannot recall how many times we have asked riders to obey the rules of the road, do not ride all across the road, and on a personal note- road rage is never acceptable! I have copied most of the email EMBA received. At the end of the day it is incidents like that will cause the demise of EMBA… 1199 riders will lose out for the actions of one person. So if you know who he is, make sure he gets the message! Actions and reactions are the stuff from which wars have started.
As discussed on Saturday 5th January I was travelling home in my car to Mount Moreland at about 6.30am. I had just myself completed a 8km run and 5km ride basing myself in Umdloti, as I, and a few others do most Saturdays . As I was approaching the Umdloti river bridge on the outskirts of Mount Moreland. (The D757) I was just passing what most long term locals known as Mafutus, an old shebeen and now where someone has been trying to repair heavy duty vehicles.
As I approached the bridge I saw two cyclists in front about to go over the bridge in the direction of Mount Moreland and coming the opposite direction were four cyclists in various places of the road. One of the cyclists was waving at me with a gesture to slow down, or move over, or so I thought at the time. Which I thought was very uncalled for due to one, the speed I was travelling at that time was very slow, and two, I was about as far over to the left as I would normally be on any road. I was quite irate at this gesture, one because of what I have just said, but two, because over the last few years there has been a significant increase in off road cycling in the area. And I have witnessed several times, extremely poor and often dangerous habits by some cyclists. Whom I often feel that they do not realise that they are on a public road with a 50 / 40 kmph speed limit. They seem to follow the leader, are often several abreast on the dirt road due to reason of dust and stones I would presume. Most times I just pull over and stop if there are many, you often get a smile or a wave, but more often than not you get a bad attitude look of what are you doing here in that car !! On the other hand, I can easily tell the more experience and knowledgeable riders, the ones that know the area, the ones that don’t come around bends 10 abreast. But on saying that it’s all good because I drive in preparation for those that do not know, the novices, and sometimes when I get that look I laugh, and other times I feel like saying something. All in all I live with it. Just as we have to with the off road motorcycles that used to make their way through Mount Moreland most weekends. Well until we (some of the residents) decided to ask them to stop it.
This Saturday was a little different, I am not sure why I retaliated to the gesture but I did, most probably the build-up of the previous months and of course the extremely sad incident of Burry.
A few moments had passed by after the four guys had ridden past me. I had stopped, wanting to say something but was wrestling with the idea. I noticed ‘that look’ on one of the riders face and decided the say something. The four riders were about to disappear around a bend and were going to be out of earshot. I reversed very quickly into the opening by Mafutus opened my window and shouted “if you keep to your side of the road there won’t be a problem” I got an immediate response of “fuck you” and then one of the riders came back riding towards me. What ensued after that was totally unexpected. The first guy that rode back to me started to explain that the gesture was to warn me of other cyclists and not what I thought, I told him that I had seen the cyclists and that you guys, meaning the four and the other cyclists that utilise the area need to adhere to the rules of the road or words to that effect. By that time one of the other cyclist arrived. He got off his bike and was ranting obscenities. His intentions were clearly not to discuss the incident, even in an argumentative way. His actions and intentions were pure aggression.
Ian, I am in for an argument on a good subject, I will not tut if there is lots of swearing, or tempers flare, even sometimes in life, with boys, a punch up can be inevitable despite all methods to defuse too. Factors taking place these days are age and medical bills! I was happy to have the argument, share the views, shout at each other, agree, disagree, shake hands and go home. I ran the numbers as I was sitting there in the car being so horrendously abused, trying to make sense of it all, I seriously did think about getting out of the car. I was shaking, my face was twitching with anger. The guy tried to open the door, although the window was open, at one point he reached in and grabbed my face. The other guy stood by and watched. He did not try and defuse the situation, and the other two stayed further up the road waiting. So the numbers that were running through my head, it told me that no matter what I say or do there are four ‘buddies’ that will make anything that may go wrong here, even if their doing, to be my fault. More so because of recent events. The one same man kept screaming at me ‘”shut fucking up you poes” every time I tried to say something. I sat there in my car facing the front, only very briefly looking in the direction of the distorted angered face of this maniac. I could have driven off at any moment but I was in fact hoping that he would eventually calm down and let me explain why I shouted what I shouted. I asked two or three times if I was going to be allowed to talk and I got the same screaming reaction.
This maniac had no clue to who I am, I could be a High court judge, a doctor, policeman, anything, and yet he behaved like that ! I did not get any details of the bikes or registration numbers. I drove away asking myself what had just gone on questioning and justifying my decision process.
I have heard and have had discussions with other residents and neighbours about the attitude of the cyclists. Some of my neighbours as you may know, are ardent sportsman or are involved in some extreme outdoor activities. They too have remarked on the attitude of some of the cyclists. I doubt if any will ever expect to experience what I had to endure on Saturday. And so I believe an incident that nobody really wants, I feel is inevitable. I am sure that you know Dave Barske, a cycling addict, on and off road. He is a resident of Mount Moreland, also for over 20 years. Give him a call, I am sure he will give you an unbiased opinion of what he sees and feels too.
Thank you for taking my call earlier Ian. I appreciate what you said. I really do hope that you are able to single out this guy. I also have a feeling the four buddies will stick together and try and turn this in my direction. I hope not, I hope that they will be honest with you. Ethics is a rare behaviour these days.
If you wish to meet to discuss more I will try and make myself available. I do travel a lot and the next two months will be extensive. Let me know.
Kind Regards.
My hope and plea for the rest of 2013- enjoy the cycling, forget the aggression and unpleasant reactions, stick to the rules of the road, and may this be a year of safe, happy riding with no further incidents.
Kind regards Margie (And my dear sweet nephew asks me why I sound a school Marm at times!!)
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